UCLA IronBruin Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

When you sign up for this race you estimate your time for a 400m swim so you can be placed with people of comparable speed. I signed up for the 7-8 min. group because that's how fast I was at the time. I have gotten faster though, so I did much passing. People started bunching up at the ends the last few laps, which really slowed things down. I was happy with my swim, though.

Could have dove but since I had not practiced diving with goggles on I didn't want to risk them coming off.

Get faster and go in a faster group with, hopefully, less bunching up at the ends.

Do my warmup right away and don't cut it so close to the start. Also gives me a few minutes from downing my gel.

Practice race dives with goggles on.

I had a tri suit on and my shoes on the bike so I was good to go quickly. In fact, I lost time looking around because I was shocked at how slow everyone else was. Why everybody doesn't have shoes on their bike already in T1, I have no idea.

Didn't anticipate my bike bag (behind the saddle) getting in the way of my taking the bike off the rack. I'm starting to get really annoyed with that bag.

Don't look around at the slowpokes. Just go.

No towel placeholder. Don't need it.

Different bag/thing to store my bike stuff that doesn't get in the way of (un)racking.

I was pleased with my bike but because I'm such a big guy, I am just slow on the hills. Passed a number of people on the downhills, though, so I'm happy to see that speeding down hills in training paid off there. I even passed a few people as a result of cornering and I don't do much of that. Bike was having stuck gears every so often, which was a drag. I was happy with my time getting out of the saddle, too.

Lose weight and keep training on those hills.

I should have a new bike for next year (I'm riding a 17-year-old Craigslist special) so the shifting shouldn't be a problem.

As I was coming into T2 I was so relieved to be done with the bike that I forgot to get my feet out of my shoes until it was almost too late.

I didn't try to speed through T2 because the run was a big question mark for me. I took my time before heading out.

As I put my race belt on the number popped because it stretched out too far. Lesson learned.

Remember to get out of my shoes well before hitting T2.

Race belt prep: put belt on, then pin number, then take belt off.

Go faster. Speed laces would be nice.

This race went so according to plan than I finished last in my age group, as I predicted. Hey, it was my fourth run in two years and the first of those that I actually finished without my calves going goofy on me. All I wanted to do was not walk and I accomplished that, so I am happy.

Lose weight. Train more.

Walked around looking for the Gatorade table. I didn't find it right away so I went to my backpack and got my bottle of Gatorade.


My weight and lack of training on the run. Nothing unexpected, though.


This was my first triathlon so I don't have anything to compare it to. However, I was very satisfied with the race and my performance. I had ridden the bike course two weeks before so I knew what to expect. The race went off just as I planned so I was very pleased with my preparation. Now I just need to drop the weight and train more.