Federal Escape Triathlon - Sprint Distance - TriathlonSprint

Since this was my first tri, it was all new to me. I got kicked and hit a lot in the swim as I couldn't get away from the masses. It wasn't until I was around the furthest buoy and headed back to shore that I could get into a bilateral breathing stroke consistently. The water was really bizarre looking, so it was hard to see the other racers until we ran into each other.

Stay to one side or the other. I was right in the middle so had no clear swim path.

The transition went well, I think! As I was riding my bike, I couldn't really recall the transition, and I didn't have any recollection of where I put my cap and goggles. I did see my family waving as I ran by out of the water.....and then suddenly I was on the bike! I do know that I got into my socks and shoes pretty quickly. In my mind, I had envisioned sitting down to dry my feet and then putting my shoes on, but I know I stood up and that was fast and easy.

I got passed by skinny gals on the uphills, and then would pass them on the downhills, over and over again. It was pretty funny. I felt pretty good on the ride, and my time was so much faster than I had predicted that my family didn't see me come into the transition to the run!

Push it a little harder to get an even faster time.

Felt good in transition. Grabbed hat and race belt to put on while running. Shoes went on fast.

Hat was annoying. Wishing I had left it behind, since it wasn't hot or sunny. My hair would be in my face, so I am not sure which would be worse.

I felt pretty good once the rubber legs went away. I actually passed quite a few people. I don't know if they were in the sprint or finishing the Oly....but it was nice to pass people anyway. I was passed, a lot, by runner types!

Try to keep my cadence more consistent, and stretch it out on the downhills to gain some time.

Hugged my family! Drank water. Pancakes and sausage were the reward by the organizers. Best breakfast ever, if you ask me!


The TriFreak people put on a great race--they had glitches here and there, but were always nice and calm. It was a super fun event, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The starts and finishes were marked really well and safety was good on the course. I won my Athena age group and also overall for the Athena division, which was a nice treat. They couldn't find the award, so it will come in the mail eventually. I was guessing that I would do the race in about 1:35 and did it in 1:20, so that was a great surprise and keeps me motivated for the next race! The online results have me as an AG, and for that I placed 9th in my 35-39 division, 43rd overall for women. Not too shabby for a first-timer!!