Title 9 Women Only Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

The in-water start was new to me, and they left us out there way too long before starting the race! Treading water for a few minutes made me feel like I was wasting energy.

I raced as an Athena and was in the first wave. I've only done one other tri and it had larger waves and I was in the 3rd of 4 waves for that race. Chaos! In comparison, going out first was great, and I was able to navigate around a few people. I kept a slow but steady pace and was able to keep my stroke consistent. I did a few strokes of breast stroke to sight and stay on course. I did better getting around the buoys, and my breathing stayed regular.

Like many other new triathletes, I have to figure out how to balance my effort on the swim, so I'm working hard but still have energy for the rest of the race. My swim leg was slow compared to my pool performance for the same distance, but I was worried about going out too hard too soon.

No wetsuit, so T1 was relatively easy. My bike shoes have laces and double velcro and I spend too much time putting them on and tying them. My next pair will be lace-free!

The bike is my strongest event so I was trying to make up some time while still saving energy for the run (my weakest event). I took it easy on the hills but took full advantage of the flats and downhills.

My biggest complaint is the lack of communication from other riders. I was passed several times and didn't know the riders were there until they had almost overtaken me. The course was not closed to traffic, and coupled with the debris on the road, double-passing and unannounced passing is dangerous. It doesn't take any energy to say "On your left". For me this is part of basic cycling safety, and I will encourage the race organizers to reinforce this point next year.

Train more on the bike. Because biking is my favorite of the three disciplines, and the one in which I have the most experience, I did less of it than the swimming and running. I should have built up a better base and logged more miles earlier in the spring/summer. I'm also in the market for a new bike to replace my 10 year old steel road bike. :)

I was running in a relatively new pair of shoes and new Yanks laces. As soon as I put my shoes on I knew the laces weren't tight enough. I tried to adjust them as I got out of T2 but they didn't feel right for most of the run. And neither did I! I had no energy and ended up walking several large sections of the run.

I've been running for about 2 years but obviously need to keep working on it, as I really struggled with the run. I also need to develop more mental discipline for the run, and have a better plan for the run (i.e., walking for one minute at mile 1) so that I'm less likely to "give up" and just keep walking.

I stretched a little, drank some Gatorade and water, then went back to the finish to watch for friends and cheer on the other participants.


I had done my first tri about one month before the Title 9 race, and there was a definite lull in my training for 1 1/2 - 2 weeks between races. I was a late entrant into Title 9 and my goal was really just to have the experience of another race. Going forward I would like to be more focused in my training and have a race plan or strategy for my next race(s). I need to learn how to balance caution with effort, so that I finish strong but don't hold back during the race.


The Max Performance team did a great job. The start was delayed about 15 or 20 minutes, but overall everything else was well run and incredibly well organized. I think this was one of the few - if not the only - races that was not canceled due to weather. We were all rewarded with a beautiful day! I will definitely do this race again and would encourage others to do the same! I have not done the Danskin race but I am glad that there is a smaller option for womens-only racing, and I hope the Title 9 race keeps participation in the 600-700 range. All in all, a great day and a wonderful experience!