Greenville Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

I am hopefully at the tail end of a sinus infection that turned upper respiratory infection. Breathing sucked and coughing under water sucked just as much. I know if I had to run this race 5 days ago, there would've been no way so I am happy I could complete it as well as I did. I got passed by about 4 people which was no big deal to me as I figured it would happen a lot today. It could have been a lot worse. Water was warm and clear enough to see to almost the end of the lane with my mirrored goggles. I have been averaging 6:45 on 400 meter swims, today was 9:47. I definitely can't blame it all on not being 100% while recovering from the sinusitis/upper respiratory infection. My wife was near the ladder cheering me on and snapping pics with her cell phone and pointing toward the door yelling "run!" I told people she was my coach/cheerleader/boss/supervisor.

Swim farther and add a lot of sprint work to my swim training. I need to adapt better to anaerobic stress.

I was much faster than I thought. I felt slow because I had to root through my bag since I couldn't lay out my bike gear due to the rain. I organized the pockets so I had all bike gear in one and run gear in another. I couldn't get my feet as dry as I wanted and worried about blisters but it all worked out. I worried about how cool the air was and being soaked and being sick. Thank God for amoxicillin, Mucinex, and pseudo-ephedrine. I had a big sip of water prior to leaving T1 and planned on taking a jell just because but I just left it in the pocket of my tri top for latter. I had watered down Gatorade on the bike and figured I would get to that once I settled in. Socks on, shoes on, sunglasses on, helmet on and clasped, water and ran toward "Bike Start"

Practice transitions under different condition and different configurations. "It ain't trainin' if it ain't rainin'!" Prepare for wet weather even if the news doesn't forecast it.

This is the first time I have been out on the road with my new bike. I think I did OK. I miss the tiny chainring of my mountain bike but I got by pretty well. I didn't wreck, no flats, and I had plenty of time to be alone with my thoughts. I spent a lot of time deciding how my training would be modified in the coming months. The course was well marked with plenty of volunteers. I got passed, I passed people. I saw a pile of vomit. I got chased by a dog for a few feet until I yelled, "sit!" which probably sounded like "SH*T!" to the guy behind me. Drinking was difficult and scary. Aero position HA HA HA never even tried it. I felt great being clipped to the pedals though. I forgot all about them. Best part was coming back into town and passing streets and apartment complexes that I have run EMS calls as a paramedic over the last 6 years. I saw a few people who had taken some spills of there machines and got apprehensive but worked past it. I had a really good time and actually finished quicker than I thought I would.

Train Train Train. I need to become a better cyclist both in the confidence department and the skill department. I plant to change a few weight training exercises to better fit into a cycling regiment. I may hire a coach in the off season and I am definitely going to do some local group rides in an attempt to get better. I don't want this time be a weak area for very long.

This was fast but could have been WAY faster. My wife was there to greet me at the "BIKE IN" flag and it was good to see her. I hoped off and made my way to the stall. I had taken my running shoes out during T1 and slipped my bike shoes off and my running shoes on. I had a little problem with the tongue of my left shoe but got it under control. Put my visor on and grabbed my race belt and headed toward the run star. While putting on my belt I promptly ripped the race number right off. I slowed to a walk and rethreaded it. Once that was done, I took off.

Go faster, it's just shoes, a hat, and a race belt! DON'T OVERTHINK IT!

I planned to start slow due to all this "dead leg" "spaghetti legs" I have been reading on BT but I felt really good. Probably because I don't have exceptional ability on the bike yet so I wasn't pushing too hard. In my last 5K I started off too fast and paid for it in the end. I took it easy and ramped it up after about 3/4 of a mile into it. I started off confused about the course but my wife was there pointing in the right direction. She is the best coach ever and doesn't even know it. She's pointing and yelling..... I mean "directing" and so I run off. After a hill climb we come to a street that overlooks the baseball field where we finish and I spot my wife who is still cheering me on. I put my index finger up at the end of an outstretched arm either to tell he "1 more lap" or "I'm number 1" I'm not really sure what I was doing except "pick em up, put em down, left, right, left." I felt my quads getting crampy at about 2 1/4 miles and thought about the GU jell in my pocket. I didn't have water to wash it down and decided against it, the water stations would have to do for now and I just gutted it out. We finished on the baseball field and the announcer was calling out last names as people finished. I don't remember hearing my name maybe because it is difficult to say or maybe my brain was somewhere else thinking about recovery food and a shower. I do remember seeing my wife screaming "You did it! You did it!" and hugging me and then commenting loudly about how "moist" my butt is in my tri shorts. After a few seconds, I turned and looked at the finish chute and said, "I LIKE IT!" I dropped 27 seconds off my run time and that's after a swim and a bike ride, I don't understand it but I'm not questioning it!

Speed work and increase my distance in the coming months.

Roamed around, drank water, and bought so stuff from a local tri shop.


Being a 1st time triathlete I guess.


This was a great 1st race. Lots of people and very well planned. I will do this every year I have the chance to. There were a lot of 1st timers and I don't think I saw one person having a bad time while I was there. I'm hooked. One down, a lifetime to go!