I completed my first sprint tri yesterday and I am absolutely stoked!! It was a 500 yard lake swim, 11 mile bike and a 5k trail run out at Hansen Dam Recreational Park in the greater Los Angeles area. I participated with 2 of my friends, each of the half-ironmen (well, women), and one of whom has done a full IM, so I was in very good hands with all the pre-race set up.

Everything went very well! 1st, I chose to wear my wetsuit, although the lake was a balmy 78 degrees. Mostly this is because I have another tri next month where I will have to wear a wetsuit, so I wanted the practice in T1. The gun for my age group went off, and I started about mid-pack. I got too far to the outside before the first buoy turn, so swam the remainder of the square toward the inside. As soon as the traffic thinned a little I lengthened my stroke and was soon passing the people in my age group, then people in the age group that went before me! I came out of the water and ran to my bike to find only one other swimmer there, and all the rest of the bikes still racked! I was tied for 1st!

For my first live transition I was pleased I kept it under 2 minutes, but I will practice to get faster. The bike went well, passing some people, being passed by others. I remembered to drink and to take a gel and I dismounted where I was supposed to. T2 was faster, but again needs more practice. I was not prepared for the run -- I realized in short order that although I have done brick workouts, I never did one where I pushed on the bike that hard. It didn't help that the trail run was mostly on loose sandy dirt about 3" thick. I ended up walking the uphills to conserve what energy I had left. I've run half marathons and have always had the energy to sprint at the end into the finish line. NOT at this race! LOL! I could pick it up a little, but certainly not to a sprint. But I did it! (note to self, save something for the run next time).

And the best part... I took 3rd place for my age group! I podiumed!! I'm just astounded, amazed and so proud I've been smiling since it happened. Me, someone who at their heaviest was 210lbs. Someone who "couldn't" run because of bad knees. Someone who used to smoke 2 packs a day (!) and counted walking the half-mile to work as all the exercise I needed. I have turned my life around so completely in the last 5 years that I am now a TRIATHLETE!

I can't wait for my next race on September 16. Its a larger, more competitive field so I probably won't make the podium, but I sure am going to try.