1st Try a tri !!

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atynk
atynk Posts: 400 Member
So here is a recap of my first try a tri...

Got up at 6am to have some oatmeal and be at the place to register for 7:30 am. Got my number, swim cap and other things then waited around for the race... unfortunately I didn't realize there would be kids races for like 2 hours before the adult tri-tri, so we didnt' even start until after 11am. Thank goodness I brought some snacks with me.
So we had to stand around the pool area for what felt like forever. It was like a sauna in there, and it really tired you out and made you not want to race :( Finally it was my groups turn.. I had to share a lane with a girl which was awful since she could barely swim and stayed in the middle of the lane on her back , so I had to constantly stop or swim around her. Being on the swim team in high school, I knew I would rock this event, however, I thought I had messed up my count of laps, and I was pretty sure I was done, but the girl said i think one more, so i did another. BIG MISTAKE I did an extra 50 meters for nothing! I had lapped most of the girls in my group, but somehow came out of the pool after all of them!! I really need to learn to count, but your heart and mind are racing so fast its easy to lose count!

The transition wasnt too bad, I got everything on fine, except for my tank top. I had bought a racing suit for this, but not a racing belt for my number, so i had to pin my number on a tank top, and being wet I could not get it on for the life of me lol... the first lap on the bike was sooo hard. I kept thinking "i am crazy!!! i can't do this!!" but after the first loop, saw all my friends and family and my heart and breathing had slowed down a bit I started feeling better. Only 2 people passed me on the bike, but they both had road bikes! One of them was on the last lap and I managed to keep up with her , even on my mountain bike.

The transition from bike to run was easy, just slipped off my bike shoes and put on my runners, and hat and away I went.
I kept telling people the worst possible thing that could happen to me was I would get a cramp.... not only did i have a cramp the entire run, but i had the mother of all cramps... I had to take super quick breathes, and even then, everytime i did it felt like someone was stabbing me in the chest with knives. worst pain ever! The worst part of it was that I wasn't even tired or legs sore, but i couldnt go any faster because I couldn't breath. very disapointing when I knew I could do so much better.

I had an amazing cheering group complete with signs that def kept me going. If they saw me walk to try to get the cramp out, they would yell at me, and I would run again lol. I sprinted the last 100 meters or so until I hit the finish line and was soo relieved!! It was a great feeling of accomplishment !

Despite doing an extra 2 lenghts in the pool I came in 13th out of 42 women. Time of 46.02

So this is how I did- the 200 meter swim (250 for me lol) time was 4:51
so disapointing since I have been doing it under 3:30 so an extra min and half would have made a big difference in my placing

10 km bike time was 28:08 - happy with that since I didn't realize we would be going uphill so much and I had been practicing on flat track

2km run- time 13:04 - thought it would be much longer since I had to walk a few times, but sad also b/c if i had not had that cramp I could have kicked butt lol

Well... I am super glad I did it, now I know where I need practice on, what things to do, what not to do etc!

If you are thinking about "trying a Tri" I strongly encourage it! Message me if you have questions!

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Replies

  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    Wow, congrats on the accomplishment!
  • GooBeGone
    GooBeGone Posts: 439 Member
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    that's awesome!!! CONGRATULATIONS!! doesn't it feel awesome!! :flowerforyou:

    i remember doin mine in 2008. OMG my bike broke down & was stuck on 1 gear (not the easy gear) so the 17mile bike took 2hrs :sad:

    but i finished it & i'm SOOO happy u finished urs as well. u gonna do another? i want 2 so bad but i need 2 get a new bike 1st :( the one i have was given 2 me & there's no way i'm gonna ride it again when it didn't hold up)

    do another 1!!!! i :heart: tri's
  • runningman1203
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    A massive well done. You look good as well, i run alot but in august i will be doing my first try a tri the same distance as yours, apart from the swim of course ;)

    So you'll be planning your next one then :)
  • TnTHawkins
    TnTHawkins Posts: 285 Member
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    Great job. Might try one in the future.
  • JennCh
    JennCh Posts: 63
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    Congrats! Tri's are truly testing. Reading about your swim took me back to my first sprint tri and my swim--I, too, got stuck behind slower swimmers and had to tread water since they took up the whole lane, not allowing me to get around. I was so frustrated. It was all stop and start. Taught me a huge lesson: get an accurate swim time to send in to get put with those who have a similar pace.

    You did an awesome job on the bike. I can't imagine using a mountain bike. You must have been hauling.

    And finally, kudos to you for sticking with the run though you had a cramp. That takes guts. Nice job.
  • kerrymh
    kerrymh Posts: 912 Member
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    Wow thats awesome. I always thought maybe to get involved in tri's but only really liked the swimming/biking aspect I don't think I'll ever be a runner..but if I could find ones with distances 5k or less on the running end I think I'd love to do that just to have something to work towards and challenge myself with ...a thought for next summer...I plan to start learning to run in the fall.
  • MirandaJayne
    MirandaJayne Posts: 600 Member
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    That makes me smile. :happy: see :bigsmile:

    Congrats! It excites me for my event but makes me nervous I feel like I have so far to go yet. I'm going to start to look for a small lake near me that isn't lake ontario which is the cloest, but hellz no I'm not swimming in that ice bath right now!

    I might start to look on craigslist and kijiji for a street bike. Hmmm

    Congrats again :flowerforyou: :drinker:
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