DNF on my first standard triathlon, what to prevent it from happening again?

Do not worry

I have DNFed as have many others.

Good decision on your part to live to race another day.

Did you wear a wetsuit?

The reason I ask is I have gotten hypothermia in a race twice and don’t remeber what happened for quite a long stretch of time

Thanks for quick reply!
I wore a wetsuit, not quite sure about the thickness but between 3-5mm, and was allowed to change in a van so I wouldn’t be racing in a wet trisuit (tried that earlier this week resulting in bad case of hypothermia). I’m from a pretty cold area in Norway so I might try my next one further south due to this.
Very interesting how much of an effect hypothermia can have!

Is it ok to DNF when passing out? Er, yes, I think so! The aim of a first race is to learn something. You have learnt (the hard way) that you need to think about hydration and fueling, so the race was a success in that respect.

Was it an oly distance? Did you swim the whole 1500m? Could explain the hypothermia (if that’s what it was)
In Sweden if the temperature is so low, they halve the swim. Under 12C they cancel it. I guess Norwegians are tougher!!

Good luck in your next one!

I guess that is a good way to look back at it! I definitely need to rehearse on hydrating and fueling on the bike, hopefully I'll come back stronger next year

I don't know if they got regulations regarding water temperature here, but they definitely should! There are very few races further up North than where I am from, but those around here usually have a shorter swimming distance or the standard distance. My hometown is an island so it usually colder in the water here compared to the mainland. I have to mention that this was a private trial race, so no official race register or bib (hence the few competitors).
I wouldn't say Norwegians are tougher, we both got viking blood running through our veins
Thank you for good advice :D

Frankly, any DNF for health/personal safety/or even just didn't have any gas in the tank left is OK.
Why? Because not a single soul will judge you for it. Not even one tiny bit.
You're the only one who will try to judge you.

Along with hydration et. al.....give blood pressure some thought.
Being a 47 year old former fat guy, I know lots about blood pressure. I don't know really know anything about Reynaud, but I know it's circulation related...I imagine it could at least complicate blood pressure. Certainly hydration can have an impact on blood pressure as well.

I have to be very careful when I'm exercising and make a concerted effort at a "cooldown" or my blood pressure drops like a rock and I get dizzy, see stars, funny tunnel vision....you name it. Especially running. I trot at least a quarter mile after a run, before I walk at least another and let the heart rate drop and let the blood pressure ease off, instead of dropping like a rock.

I coast in to T2...and you'll often find me trotting in circles just past the finish line. I nearly wound up just like you early on when I went charging across the finish line and came to a dead stop so they could take my timing chip and put a medal around my neck. By my calculation, I had a field of vision approximately 3 centimeters wide. Had I pushed it just once ounce further at the end, I would have been out cold.

The good news about this sport is, almost every time you do something...either a training day...or a race...you have so much 'alone time' to evaluate things that work/don't work. And pretty soon, you'll have this big old book of knowledge about what does and doesn't work for you. That's really been kind of the fun thing for me. I didn't think that it would work for me and that I'd just be winging it all the time. But it does work. Almost out of necessity.

You'll sort it and crush it the next time you're out!

You pretty much have to be able to hydrate and fuel on the bike, even if it means pulling over and stopping.

You will only get more dehydrated on the run, you won't catch up unless you start walking and drinking a lot.

Consider a bike mounted hydration system that has a tube for drinking that you can grab and drink from without much effort, or a hydration backpack with the drinking tube on the shoulder strap. Right there for drinking.