I started this too fast - didn't settle into my normal breathing pattern until the second lap.

Don't try to jump out too quickly - just swim your own race.

Transitions weren't timed. We were expected to dry off and change. I did this as quickly as I could, but ended up waiting for a bike.

I kept the resistance on the bike low, and the RPM's high so that I wouldn't tire as quickly. The bike seemed to take forever - I was definitely training with higher resistance but the same cadence, since in training I was finishing more quickly.

Transitions weren't timed - a quick trip to the bathroom and a treadmill was available.

I was happy that I still had energy left for the run. I probably could have gone out faster for the first mile. But, since this was my first tri, I wasn't sure how I'd be feeling.

Walked a bit, then stretched a while.


I had a stomach flu the week leading up to the race, and couldn't eat until Thursday. That was good in that it made me not nervous for the actual race - I just wanted to finish.


This was an excellent intro race for a first-timer - very casual and low stress. There was a wide range of abilities, from high school kids to grandmas.

The only down side is that you don't get your placings until several days post race.

My overall rank was 18th of 33 women, and 7th of women in my age group (12).