Iron Girl Columbia Women's Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

I had a great start. There must have been a lot of first timers in my semi-small wave because they all looked hesitant and no one got in front of me (for a change!). I took an outside line to the second buoy to stay out of the group and wound up right next to it even though I could barely sight because of the glare of the sun. It got crowded at the last buoy because I had caught up to two waves before me. Very good swim for me. Just slightly faster than last year.

2007 18:02 (1:38/100yds)
2008 17:37 (1:36/100yds)

I really haven't swum much this summer because I've been concentrating on the running and biking. Since swimming is my natural strength, that was okay but I really should get more swimming in regardless.

Did not run up the hill to my rack like I should have. Took waaaayyy too long getting the clipless pedals on (I had put my Road ID on the wrong way with the straps, so had to readjust). You also have to climb a steep hill to get to the bike start. I went slowly in my clipless pedals so I wouldn't slip on the wet grass and got up to the asphalt on the far right so I could mount and get going. What's weird is it's the exact same transition time as last year when I wore running shoes.

2007 - 4:31
2008 - 4:31

Practice putting on clipless pedals and all the other gear faster.

My goal was to do 1:03-1:10 (15.0-16.5mph), so I was very happy with this. I was much more confident than I had every been on the bike in a group before and didn't hesitate to pass like I normally do. It was very busy and a lot of hills were 3 riders deep in some places. I conquered the four hills that I had to walk up last year, and I was passing people while doing it! SHOCKER! What a difference a granny gear makes. LOVE my granny gear!

2007 - 1:20:36 (13.0mph)
2008 - 1:06:10 (15.9mph)

Drink more. Had a side stitch during the run and I'm sure it's because I didn't take in enough fluid during the ride. Only took two short sips of my water bottle because we were constantly descending or climbing or turning.

I still have room for improvement on this segment, but I am getting more confident with each ride. Clipless pedals the last two months have helped tremendously. More TITS!

Last year, I was wearing tennis shoes to ride so I only had to rack my bike, take off my helmet & gloves, and put on my visor. I had to deal with changing shoes this year, but I wasn't too bad. I still can't see riding on top of shoes and jumping off a moving bike thing. Not there yet, especially with the hills in this transition area.

2007 - 1:44
2008 - 2:00

Nothing really.

I was disappointed with this run because I had a side stitch for the first mile and walked much more than planned. My goal was 11:00/mile, and that's exactly what I did, so I should be happier than I am.

I saw 13 minutes on my watch at Mile 1, so I was mad at myself. (I realized later that this may have included T2). Mile 2 was about 11 minutes later, but my watch didn't take the split again. I walked some of the uphills and tried to run the remainder of the course. Cold sponges at the top of the hill from the volunteers were a Godsend. I was just starting to get really hot, even though most of the course is very well shaded. At Mile 3, an Athena passed me and I tried to run her down the remainder of the race. I finished 27 seconds behind her. My run endurance is significantly better than last year, but I still think I could have done much better.

2007 - 42:32 (12:31/mi pace)
2008 - 37:15 (10:58/mi pace)

Drink more on the bike so I don't get a side stitch during the run. Fewer walk breaks.

Found my daughter at the top of the hill. Drank lots of water and gatorade. Got some post-race food which was kinda gross (sugar free peanut butter, "healthy" cookies, some sort of lentil rice salad, and natural fruit juices) -- I wanted a real Coke, Oreos and real peanut butter after 2+ hours of working out! Talked to the Luna Chix about their race (they are soooooo fast), and saw MelissaE at the Mid-Maryland Tri tent for a few minutes. Found race results and realized I was only two places out of hardware range (dang!), so daughter and I packed up and went home.


Poor nutrition. I really need to fuel better during my races. I had nothing to eat right before or during the race. I don't like to train with anything on my stomach, so I rarely eat before a workout. Need to start testing things that don't mess with my stomach so that I can take in some calories during races.


Improved by 20 minutes over last year, so I'm very happy with my performance. For the first time, I felt relaxed and confident throughout instead of anxious and jittery. I didn't let anything bother me and I smiled the whole time.

2007 - 2:27:22.50
2008 - 2:07:32.90

Great race atmosphere and lots of volunteers. Tons of first-time triathletes which was exciting. The weather was just perfect, and it was a great time.