First triathlon: achieved!
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symegeer
Posts: 143 Member
I did it! It's done! And it was both terrible and wonderful. For anyone who is interested (or who has their first one coming up too), here are a few details about my race:
I went in to it thinking that my swim would be strong, bike weak, and run average. I was wrong. Unfortunately I've been fighting a pretty nasty chest infection for a few weeks now and my lung capacity was jiggered so actually I found the swim really difficult! I panicked a little bit when I couldn't catch my breath and ended up breast stroking a bit and even at one point standing up in the middle of the lane to breathe! Needless to say I had one of my worst swim times ever! By the time the swim was done I thought, 'I can't do this, this sucks!" but took a little extra time in transition to get my head on straight (T1 was over 2 mins!) and, after getting my wet arms stuck in my cycling top in a comedy fashion, I was off. But the bike was WONDERFUL! The course was gorgeous, I was able to catch my breath, and all those hills that felt awful in practice were a breeze! I had a bike PB time! T2 was much quicker and, although my run was very slow (really, a fast walker could have overtaken me), I didn't care! I finished! And not last! Not even in the bottom 20%. Huzzah!
Things I have learned from my first one:
- remember a second pair of shoes! I wore my racing trainers to the event and once I left them in the transition area: barefoot until the race
- I was loving the race belt to hold my number. I saw a few people trying to repin their numbers on to their fronts as they ran. A bit tricky.
- I was glad I had practised transitions beforehand - it helped calm me a lot and was actually really hilarious running from the shower to the yard in my trisuit
- If you're a woman, for the love of god wear a non-cotton sports bra under your tri suit. More than one woman ran from the pool holding her unsupported chest: I can only imagine how much the run sucked for these ladies!
- triathletes are incredibly nice. what a great 'club' to belong to!
Thanks so much for all your support and advice on here guys, you really helped me get ready! Next stop, a mountain biking open water tri in mid July. Back to the training!
Good luck to all of you whose first tri is coming up soon!
x
I went in to it thinking that my swim would be strong, bike weak, and run average. I was wrong. Unfortunately I've been fighting a pretty nasty chest infection for a few weeks now and my lung capacity was jiggered so actually I found the swim really difficult! I panicked a little bit when I couldn't catch my breath and ended up breast stroking a bit and even at one point standing up in the middle of the lane to breathe! Needless to say I had one of my worst swim times ever! By the time the swim was done I thought, 'I can't do this, this sucks!" but took a little extra time in transition to get my head on straight (T1 was over 2 mins!) and, after getting my wet arms stuck in my cycling top in a comedy fashion, I was off. But the bike was WONDERFUL! The course was gorgeous, I was able to catch my breath, and all those hills that felt awful in practice were a breeze! I had a bike PB time! T2 was much quicker and, although my run was very slow (really, a fast walker could have overtaken me), I didn't care! I finished! And not last! Not even in the bottom 20%. Huzzah!
Things I have learned from my first one:
- remember a second pair of shoes! I wore my racing trainers to the event and once I left them in the transition area: barefoot until the race
- I was loving the race belt to hold my number. I saw a few people trying to repin their numbers on to their fronts as they ran. A bit tricky.
- I was glad I had practised transitions beforehand - it helped calm me a lot and was actually really hilarious running from the shower to the yard in my trisuit
- If you're a woman, for the love of god wear a non-cotton sports bra under your tri suit. More than one woman ran from the pool holding her unsupported chest: I can only imagine how much the run sucked for these ladies!
- triathletes are incredibly nice. what a great 'club' to belong to!
Thanks so much for all your support and advice on here guys, you really helped me get ready! Next stop, a mountain biking open water tri in mid July. Back to the training!
Good luck to all of you whose first tri is coming up soon!
x
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Replies
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awesome ... way to stick with it
Congrats on your finish
Connie0 -
Congratulations on finishing your first tri. I remember my first one i had a panic attack in the water and ended up breast stroking the whole way. I've since learned to calm myself, do a swim warmup in the water before the race and do more open water swims in training. Way to stick it out, it sounded like you had a lot of fun.0
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Good job finishing. BTW the "I can't do this, this sucks." Feeling really never goes away. You just get faster with faster expectations of yourself.
My only comment is buy a tri top. Swim in what you're going to keep on the whole race. It eliminates the need for a cycling top.0 -
Congrats!! I'll be joining the club (and probably be having some of the same thoughts) at the end of the month! Terrified yet excited!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!0 -
So proud of you, CONGRATULATIONS!!!0
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Thanks everyone! @scott091501: I was wearing a tri suit but it was pretty cold so ended up having to cover up after the swim. That's Scotland for you! Needless to say, comedy ensued!0
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Thanks everyone! @scott091501: I was wearing a tri suit but it was pretty cold so ended up having to cover up after the swim. That's Scotland for you! Needless to say, comedy ensued!
Yikes. I may go an entire winter without putting arm warmers on here. LOL.0 -
That's awesome! Good for you for hanging with it and finding the fun in it....You've worked so hard, you deserve the nice finish!0
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Congrats on the finish! you have worked so hard and deserved a great first race. Your next race sounds challenging! I made the same mistake at my first tri with no second pair of shoes!0
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YAY!!! Congratulations you did it! Way to overcome that negative voice in your head and perservere.0
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Hooray! Congratulations. I am so glad that you finished and feel good about it overall. I am also fighting a nasty upper respiratory infection, which SUCKS the week before my first tri. I'll just take the swim slowly. I am bit confused about what you mean about the shoes. If you had taken a second pair, where would you have left them? I am doing my first on Sunday, and these are the *little tips* I need. Mine is a beach swim, so I am thinking I'll have to leave whatever shoes I take at the transition station.
Anyway, again, CONGRATULATIONS! You are a triathlete...and that is SO AWESOME!0 -
Scott, you may go a winter without arm warmers but you are forced to live in Texas...a punishment unfit for most
I love my cold weather gear for those Kansas and Missouri winters. Multiple layers of compressions feels great!
Comgrats on finishing and welcome to the club, Sym!0 -
Thanks guys! Vtate75: Everyone else had flipflops or similar to walk around in because there was over two hours from the time that transition closed to the time my swim wave went off. It was a long time to walk around the university campus in bare feet, especially on a cold morning! My husband was there with me so I could have stashed them with him before the swim start. Your set up might be different though so you might not need an extra set of shoes at all. Take care of yourself with the upper respiratory thing, I ended up coughing up blood after the race (tmi? sorry) and ended up back at the doctors. My advice is to take it nice and slow if you possibly can!
Good luck with all your upcoming races!0
