Gator Grinder - TriathlonSprint

I was surprised at how hard it was to catch my breath. I don't know if it was my nerves, or it was the axiety of seeing the deep end, but I had a hard time getting into a rhythm. I was the first person to start in our lane, and the other two women started in 5 second intervals after me. They both passed me in the first length. I was happy to let them go by, since I was having trouble breathing. For all my complaining so far, I did swim the 500 yds faster than I ever have. All my practice times were around 13 minutes. So, I was happy with my performance. Next time I think I will be more relaxed, so it shouldn't be as hard to get into rhythm and catch my breath.

I'm surprised at how long my T1 is! It felt like it went fast. My husband handed me my towel, and I had to go a little out of my way to get it. Also, I put on pants and a shirt over my bathing suit, and I dried off my feet to put on socks and shoes. I also put my hair in a pony tail, so I guess all that takes time.

The bike was definitely my hardest leg. I'm not very comfortable on a bike, so I learned that I need to bike around town more to increase my confidence. There were some really good hills in this race, and a dead skunk on the side of the road!

I would've definitely trained on more hills! And I should've drank more water. I felt a slight headache come on during the bike.

A lot of people were taking their time, and walking their bikes. I ran my bike to start to loosen up for the run. It helped me feel more relaxed, and ready to be strong in the run. I wasted a few seconds putting on a hat, but it was worth it.

Drink some water or gatorade during the transition.

The run was my strongest leg. My legs felt heavy, but I definitely felt more comfortable in this leg than the other two. A few people who passed me in the bike, I was able to catch in the run. My run time was really good, especially after having already swam and biked. I'm usually around an 11 min mile, but was closer to 10 min in this race. The first mile I was at 9 min 40 sec! I decided to slow down, so I didn't burn out. I grabbed a cup of water on the run, and walked to drink it. Other than that, I ran the whole thing and felt pretty strong.

Carry my own water, maybe.

I need to practice my biking and figure out ways to be more comfortable on my bike. I have a mountain bike, so eventually I need to get a lighter, faster bike, too.


I really enjoyed this race as my first triathlon. I thought it was perfectly matched for my ability and what I trained for. I felt like it was hard enough to feel like an accomplishment, but not so hard that I was dead at the end. The volunteers were all so nice and helpful. I was able to feel comfortable through the whole experience. I LOVED it!