I am not a good OWSer, and I know it. I ran until I thought I could swim, started to swim, then decided to run some more. Swam a bit further and ended up sucking in an entire wave. Came up spluttering, settled into an average pace (for me, at least) and came out of the water feeling tight in the chest but otherwise okay. Managed to run the entire way to transition.

Run further into the water so that once I started to swim, I could just keep going. I would also try to be more comfortable swimming in general, so I guess that means a lot more OWS practice for me. I need to relax and focus more on my stroke and breathing than trying to be fast - because even when I try, I'm still not fast!

Felt really good in transition. Everything went according to plan. The only thing that could have been better was a smoother removal of the wetsuit, but even that wasn't too bad. I might even try to go sockless next time, but even with the socks I was pretty quick.

Bodyglide my ankles.

Felt good on the bike. I should work on my cornering for sure, but other than that I felt strong. I probably could have been faster, but I was concerned about getting my breathing under control for the run. At this point, I was coughing and hacking on the buildup of phlegm in my lungs from my cold and just trying to keep a steady pace without gasping for air. I tried to catch Dave, but he was too quick - I was happy just to keep him in sight. I got passed midway through the second half of the ride by one guy, but he didn't get very far away from me. I stayed right with him until the end and even passed him in transition.

Try aero bars. All the sprinters were hitting the course as I was coming back in and they all looked much more relaxed on their aero bars than I felt on my hoods. Also, I think I would have pushed harder if I hadn't been sick. I might not have gotten passed or at least could have increased my pace by a couple kms/hr.

I was confused at the dismount line and came off my bike awkwardly. It didn't really matter though, I ran smoothly into transition and felt super-fast on my way out. I passed the guy who passed me on the bike course, but he passed me on the run within the first 500m.

Practice dismounting in a race-like setting.

My chest cold really caught up to me at the beginning of the run. The first kilometre, I felt like it was burning every time I tried to breathe. I hacked a couple of times and it got better. I settled into an average pace but didn't try to push myself at all. I think I could have shaved a few minutes off my time if I felt 100%, but I did the best I could in the situation. The last kilometre, I developed a strong cramp. I think it could have been a bit of dehydration since I didn't drink anything at all the entire race, but I was scared that drinking would give me a cramp. Can't win for losing, I suppose. I wasn't able to sprint at the finish due to the cramp, but I still finished strong. Actually, I finished with a huge smile on my face because my husband and kids surprised me at the finish line!! I didn't think they were coming but they showed up just in time.

Experiment with hydration/nutrition to see what I need to stay fueled but also to avoid cramping and other discomforts. Try not to be sick so that I could kick it up to my highest gear.

Not much - ate a sub, walked around a bit, then packed up my bike and gear and took off ASAP because my son was starting to throw a tantrum.


Being sick and not being a comfortable OWSer.


It was my very first tri ever, so I don't have anything to compare it to. It felt well organized and the participants were great! Everyone was very happy, enthusiastic, and supportive.