Berkshire Bank Y-athlon - TriathlonSprint

Being my first triathlon I kept telling myself to start off at a good pace that I could keep up through the whole swim. However, the adrenaline of the start had me swimming a bit fast and by the time we hit the first bouy I was forced to slow down. Overall my swim was right on target, it just seemed a lot longer.

The only thing I would have done differently would have been to train more in open water. It's amazing how much you miss your flip turns when you are in the race.

As a first timer I had no idea what to expect coming out of the water and my body just wasn't working that fast at getting my shoes on and laces secure.

This was admittedly my weakest of the 3 disciplines. I was hoping to keep my time around 45 mintues which I managed to do, although looking at how I did in relation to the pack I wish that I had done a bit better.

I wore my running shoes for the bike so it was a quick transition to simply ditch the bike and helmet and take off.

Take a bit of Goo. I was feeling a bit drained in the run.

I wish I had taken my friends advice and taken a shot of Goo before starting this portion of the race, but I had never tried it and didn't want to test new things on the last leg of the race. I started my run and immediately got a stomach cramp. The cramp grew to most of my stomach until I reached the turnaround. At that point I managed to fight through it and it subsided. My legs felt good but the cramp kept me from being able to pick up the pace. The finish was straight uphill but I managed to power through it. I passed a few people up the hill and finished right at my goal for the race.

I walked around, stretched and ate a banana which my friends parents had brought along. As my heart rate came back down I drank water and gaterade.


I think I drank too much water leading up to the race and I think that may have led to the cramps I experienced during the run section. Next time I will also do a bit more strength and endurance training for the bike portion. There was definitely room for improvement there.


I don't really have much to compare this race to, but I thought it went off extremely well. It was a small race and both the volunteers and the people running the race were friendly and motivating. I think they did a good job of making everyone feel like part of the triathlon community. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful coarse, and a great first experience.