First Race Stories
267
Member
1139 days
kevinb421 posted 1 week ago.
Oh man do I have some good ones.
My first Tri I hadn't prepared for the cold water and ended up swimming side stroke for the entire course because it was too cold to put my head under the water and still be able to breathe. Needless to say I was a little late coming out of the water, very very tired since I hadn't done a side stroke since I was about 10.
Then I realized that there were no changing tents to change clothes. This was something I overlooked when setting up my transition area and was very very confused. Looking around I discovered these people were wearing their same clothes on the bike. Ok then, bike, meet my swim trunks. It was quite an experience.
Also:
My first Duathlon I took my wetsuit out of my transition bag and got some really good stares.
"If your not going to win, make the fellow in front of you break a record."
25
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662 days
jugg3rnaut posted 1 week ago.
Was a problem is a problem,
for whatever reason I can NEVER find where my bike rack is, under 20, where is IT?! But i manage to have sub minute transition times wooh!
209
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120 days
jsk85 posted 1 week ago.
Here's mine...nothing too terribly exciting:
My dad, sister, and I all were participating...we picked up our packets the night before and drove the bike course. Then we spent the rest of the night reading the race rules and only understanding half of them, convincing ourselves we'd be disqualified...especially for drafting.
In the race, the swim was a pool swim where I had a head on collision trying to pass someone and got a 1 minute penalty. On the bike...I passed like 4 people and got passed by 3...was pleased since I was on a hybrid bike passing roadies. And on the run I had a lot of fun passing people since it is my strong leg. It wasn't a great overall finish but was a ton of fun. It was easier to feel comfortable doing it with other first timers I knew, but I still would have enjoyed it had I done it myself
My blog: http://jsktri.blogspot.com
17
Member
696 days
spacemonkey posted 1 week ago.
I did my first sprint tri last summer. For some reason I was just obsessive about the idea of being dry while biking and running so since it was my first tri and my main goal was to finish I decided to go change my clothes after the swim so I would be dry. Ha Ha- Seattle summer rain poured down and I was wet the entire time anyhow. But I had a blast. My husband has brought up my extensive transition time ( well, I did stand in line at the port- a-potty until someone realized I was currently racing and let me cut in line) over and over again. But photos of me -cold blue- from the lake got me a nice wet suit for my birthday :)
137
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526 days
TriOnLife posted 1 week ago.
There was a picture posted recently of a woman leaving trainsition at either a duathlon or triathlon (can't remember) wearing her helmet backward. If she knows this thing is circulating she is probably mortified but she shouldn't be. That picture is emblematic of everyone's first tri experience. We've all done something crazily naive.
I can't remember what I did for my first tri beyond riding a Schwinn Varsity 10 speed I'd ridden 3 times before the race (that would be the first 3 times in 20 years I'd been on a bike). I did my second tri in a swim suit and then pulled on bike shorts AND a cycling jersey in T1 and then for the run took off the cycling jersey and put on a running shirt. It was a sprint. I just looked at the pictures of that race and almost wet my pants laughing. Some day I'll post them - some day when I'm feeling brave and have MUCH better pics for comparison.
- A 21st Century Mom who is tri-ing to get better instead of just getting older
24
Member
14 days
azmojo804 posted 1 week ago.
The only goal I had for my first was to finish, luckily! :)
My swim is my best event, and this first TRI was a staged start in a pool, slow swimmers were in the early heats and the faster swimmers were in the later ones (usually the faster swimmers were the defending champs or other semi-pro to pro triathletes). I got staged in the 2nd to last stage...not knowing any better.
I also, in error, had not done my full training on my bike (mountain bike) before hand, because it was only going to be a sprint (12 mile bike ride, nothing right?). But, my butt would get so sore, I HAD to have my biking shorts, and of course, I didn't spend much for them...like $20...so, you can tell the quality. :)
So, enthusiastically, I kicked butt in the swim, got out, had trouble finding my T-area and took about 5 minutes in transition. I had to dry my feet to put on my socks and running shoes, and my shirt (already with my race number on it, thought I was super prepared by doing that). Oh yeah, HAD to put on the bike shorts over my swim suit. Off on the bike ride I went.
I didn't pass a single person, but rather, was passed like a fly-by on an aircraft carrier (like in Top Gun when they get the guy to spill coffee on himself in the tower). Anyway, was kind of surprised to see people pass me multiple times (it was a 4 mile loop, done 3 times).
Finally! I got done with the bike ride...This Transition was much faster, about 1 minute or so...nothing compared to the 5 minute Swim to Bike. :) I chucked off my helmet and started off on the run.
But, I forgot to bring my little water bottle, and they didn't have any water stations. So, I was dying about 1/2 mile into it. :( AND, to make matters worse, I forgot to take off the bike shorts that I HAD to have on! :) So, I kind of had to waddle a bit since the cheapy shorts had HUGE pads in them. :)
Anyway, I finished 2nd to last person of the ENTIRE event. :)
All along the way, I got a lot of praise/encouragement from everyone (seemed like everyone). That's the motivation that kept me going. :)
267
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1139 days
kevinb421 posted 1 week ago.
Oh man I so love first race stories. And I would LOVE to see that picture of the woman leaving transition with her helmet on backwards. I can't believe I missed that.
"If your not going to win, make the fellow in front of you break a record."
38
Member
193 days
longhair posted 1 week ago.
My first tri was in Mystic, CT two years ago. The water was cold, the wind was blowing, there was chop and current. Did I mention I was a lousy swimmer wearing a snorkeling wetsuit that absorbs water, making it that much more difficult to swim.
I was 12th from the bottom getting out of the water, and struggled for over 5 minutes getting on a cycling jersey. I was that cold. When I finally got moving on my bike, (my strong leg), I passed a few folks, and confidence soared. Finished the bike leg, and started running, and I was simply not prepared for that feeling of dead legs, stomach cramps, and general discomfort. At the finish, I vowed never to do another tri. I would stick to casual exercise.
Some supported friends convinced me otherwise, and I will do the Ironman 70.3 in Providence this summer. I have fallen in love with everything about this sport...training, preparation, bikes, running, camaraderie and I am even a sort of OK swimmer now. I will probably never win my age group, but that is not why I do it. We all have our reasons, and I simply like the way I feel about myself before, during, after and because of all training I do.
126
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927 days
GogglesPizanto posted 1 week ago.
I met a lot of great people and had a lot of fun, but the most memorable event of my first tri involved 3 guys making fun of my bike. I was walking through the TA checking out the bikes and the way people had set there gear up when I walked behind three guys who were opposite of where I was set up. They had some nice tri bikes and as I walked past they were making fun of some of the other bikes, including mine. I already knew it look dorky being a mountain bike with borrowed road tires and all, and didn't need anyone pointing it out any further.
A half mile into the bike leg as I am still recovering from the swim the 3 guys come by (having already made up 3 minutes on my wave) and I think one of them said to the others something like "it sucks to be slow" as they came by. I wasn't 100 percent sure, but given that they seemed like jerks and for motivation sake I assumed they did. I am kind of a competative guy, so didn't like them so much by now and really wanted to beat them. They pulled away for a while, but as the miles went by I started reeling them in. I was a mountain biker,so speeding along on tar with road tires for the first time made me feel like I was flying. By mile 10 had caught them and made a deliberate pass.
On the out and back run I saw that I had put at least a mile on them and there would be more. As we passed I gave them the "wuz up" nod and thought to myself "who is slow now?"
It was a fun first tri and I have a story to make it a little more memorable.
Googles, Out.
The Battle does not always go to the stronger or faster man,
Because sooner or later the man that wins
Is the man that thinks he can.
163
Member
341 days
big 3 posted 1 week ago.
My first tri was a sprint last fall. I don't really have anything funny to report about it but I remember a few of my thoughts from the event.
1) I hadn't done enough Bike/Run bricks. So when I got to my run I was going way too fast. I had to stop 5 or 6 times before my legs "normalized" and I could finally realize I just had to run slower to be at my normal pace.
2) You can't always measure up another person / athlete by looking at them. I was stunned at the younger racers and the times they finished in.
3) I never would have guessed how much I enjoyed "racing". OK maybe I should say "Finishing". Either way I love it.
4) It was a 10 person per wave start in a pool. I was 4th out of the water in my wave. (some people were walking, don't be too impressed). I think 3 or 4 people passed me in T1, so much for my fast swim. I started my bike just seconds ahead of another guy. I didn't think much of it. I just got my bike and did my best. Well during the run as I was trying to get my pace established, that guy catches up and as he passes says "I've been trying to catch you ever since the start of the bike, nice ride". I really didn't think I was much of a biker, in fact it's still my weakest event. Either way that comment gave me a boost and I'll bet I'll remember that for a long time.
236
Member
285 days
TryScott posted 5 days ago.
TriOnLife wrote:
There was a picture posted recently of a woman leaving trainsition at either a duathlon or triathlon (can't remember) wearing her helmet backward. If she knows this thing is circulating she is probably mortified but she shouldn't be. That picture is emblematic of everyone's first tri experience. We've all done something crazily naive.
I couldn't make it to my brother's first triathlon, but he said that his helmet was on backwards as he was leaving the transition area, and a guy told him about it.
I didn't do anything that bad, but I do remember wondering a lot if I was lost. Partly due to the weather, there were less than 100 people that finished. It was an olympic, not a sprint, so the field was a little more stretched out. It seemed like 20 min would go by before I'd see anyone on the bike, and I was going so slow, I couldn't keep them in sight for long. For the first few turns, I just turned everytime I saw police at an intersection. After a while, I noticed that there were arrows on the road that told us where to go.
I think I was 13/14 in my AG, but it was a blast.
51
Member
159 days
dollfin04 posted 5 days ago.
Don't think anything incredibly amusing happened...besides getting lost trying to find the race course, near head on collision during the swim (or maybe we did collide, I'm still not sure) and my race number falling off during the run (tied it too tight the first time around, so I was trying to retie it while running and holding a bottle of water).
104
Member
67 days
diva_mom posted 5 days ago.
my first tri was a sprint, that i didn't train for at all (the how hard can it be? school) and rode it on my mtn. bike with knobby tires. when i left t2, without my partner in crime, i was spent, but would run on. i met up with another who was running equally slooowwww. we commented on how slow we were going, and that we were actually not gaining on the walking people in front of us. but for some reason, we both had it in our heads that we should, could and would keep running.
Success comes before work only in the dictionary
51
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159 days
dollfin04 posted 4 days ago.
Ok I remembered something...I nearly tripped over my bike in TI, because I realized I was on the gear side and tried to switch sides while still moving.
350
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306 days
stewarba posted 4 days ago.
At a Tri I was in a couple of weeks ago, I saw this young lady that was trying to put her wetsuit on for what I can only assume for the first time. She started off looking good with two plastic bags on her feet to help get the suit on, but after that the troubles started. I wasn't paying clsoe attention, but I could tell she was really struggling and I mentioned to her to just take her time and inch it up. She gave me the "whatever look" and continued on. A minute later I heard a guy tell her that the zipper was supposed to be in the back
Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines – Brian Tracy
2008 Sprint Tri A race goals
S: 500m in 10:00 – FS Stroke only
B: 22mph avg over course
R: 5K <= 25:00
Place top 50% for my age group
I have read a few posts about first time triathletes being a bit nervous "fitting in" with the more experience triathletes. Two things I want to mention - at every race I have been in I learn something from someone more experienced than I and I try to help out someone less experienced than I am. That is what I love about triathletes in general - just quality people. The second point is that even the most experienced racers have all gone through some first race and early race "moments". I figured we could share a few here and it might help ease some of that nervousness. Here's mine:
I always ran and did a lot of biking. I taught myself to swim (which means I didn't really know how) but figured I'd give a local sprint race a try. Three sports - and I at least knew how to do all three. Except no one ever told me about transitions. (TriFuel where were you when I needed you?!) I had to ask the race director what a "transition" was. He looked at me as if I was joking but then realizing I wasn't, took the time to help. I had no idea how to even set one up a transition area but several racers saw my befudled looks and took pity on me. They showed me the basic principals. Needless to say I survived the race (I think my transition times was longer than my run time) and got addicted both to the sport and the people who do it.