Had a great time on Saturday running my first tri. I'd set some goals for myself early on in training, and for the most part hit them all. I also learned a thing or two I will keep in mind for the next time around.
Goal #1 - beat most of the girls - CHECK! (sorry ladies, I know I'm showing a little machismo here. But I couldn't help it - this was the first goal I set for myself when I first started running and there was this gal who was always running away from me at the indoor track. She was FAST.)
Goal #2 - finish run in under 25 minutes - CHECK!
Goal #3 - finish bike in under 35 minutes - CHECK!
Goal #4 - finish swim in under 10 minutes - CHECK!
Goal #5 - finish entire race in under 1:10 - CHECK!
Goal #6 - kick my buddies tail who talked me into this - CHECK!
Goal #7 - not embarrass myself against my BIL who decided to join in - CHECK!
I met all my goals, though I admit they were pretty modest. I wasn't sure what to make of the first time. I ended up finishing in 1:04; 6th in my age bracket; and in the top 25% of men.
Lessons learned:
#1 - if there is a mass start on a skinny road and you are running, you want to either be near the front or just stand and wait for the crowd to clear before you start. Nothing like walking across the starting line and continuing to walk for the first 30-40 yards while waiting for the pack to get up to speed. Ended up with a 23:30 on the 5K and know I could've dropped that at least a minute.
#2 - sense of urgency in transitions. Not that I was lounging around or resting - but looking back I wouldn't have stopped to take a drink, etc. I spent about a minute on each transition and could've cut at least the first one in half.
#3 - this is a two parter. 1st - road bikers suck. Larger wheels, higher gearing, lighter weight, better angles...those guys think they are SO COOL when they pass those of us on mountain bikes while peddling half as hard. FWIW - I passed as many as passed me, but (and this is the 2nd part) if I ever decide I want to be competetive, I'm going to need to get a road bike.
#4 - trying to swim down a single lane in a pool with 8 other people at the same time who are all trying to go over, under, and around you and have no shame in how they achieve this is not much fun. I think I have a couple of new boyfriends and a new girlfriend too. I need to be just a little more aggressive in the future.
#5 - I learned that I'm too competetive to just run the race for the fun of it. I want to beat people. I want to go fast. If I'm going to do this more than once or twice more I really will need a roadbike and a little more consistent training to keep from becoming frustrated.
Overall a good time. My buddy has already started looking at when our next race or tri will be.
Goal #1 - beat most of the girls - CHECK! (sorry ladies, I know I'm showing a little machismo here. But I couldn't help it - this was the first goal I set for myself when I first started running and there was this gal who was always running away from me at the indoor track. She was FAST.)
Goal #2 - finish run in under 25 minutes - CHECK!
Goal #3 - finish bike in under 35 minutes - CHECK!
Goal #4 - finish swim in under 10 minutes - CHECK!
Goal #5 - finish entire race in under 1:10 - CHECK!
Goal #6 - kick my buddies tail who talked me into this - CHECK!
Goal #7 - not embarrass myself against my BIL who decided to join in - CHECK!
I met all my goals, though I admit they were pretty modest. I wasn't sure what to make of the first time. I ended up finishing in 1:04; 6th in my age bracket; and in the top 25% of men.
Lessons learned:
#1 - if there is a mass start on a skinny road and you are running, you want to either be near the front or just stand and wait for the crowd to clear before you start. Nothing like walking across the starting line and continuing to walk for the first 30-40 yards while waiting for the pack to get up to speed. Ended up with a 23:30 on the 5K and know I could've dropped that at least a minute.
#2 - sense of urgency in transitions. Not that I was lounging around or resting - but looking back I wouldn't have stopped to take a drink, etc. I spent about a minute on each transition and could've cut at least the first one in half.
#3 - this is a two parter. 1st - road bikers suck. Larger wheels, higher gearing, lighter weight, better angles...those guys think they are SO COOL when they pass those of us on mountain bikes while peddling half as hard. FWIW - I passed as many as passed me, but (and this is the 2nd part) if I ever decide I want to be competetive, I'm going to need to get a road bike.
#4 - trying to swim down a single lane in a pool with 8 other people at the same time who are all trying to go over, under, and around you and have no shame in how they achieve this is not much fun. I think I have a couple of new boyfriends and a new girlfriend too. I need to be just a little more aggressive in the future.
#5 - I learned that I'm too competetive to just run the race for the fun of it. I want to beat people. I want to go fast. If I'm going to do this more than once or twice more I really will need a roadbike and a little more consistent training to keep from becoming frustrated.
Overall a good time. My buddy has already started looking at when our next race or tri will be.
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