Well, I did it! I honestly had no certainty that I would, but I finished! Goal number one met! Not finishing last? Check! Less than 2 1/2 hours? A mere 1:54:26 race time! I still can't believe it! My ego keeps reminding me that I was in the bottom 6 percent, ranking 1050/1107. But I swam 800 m in 23:55 minutes ( I wasn't sure I could beat 30!), I biked 20k in 46:58 minutes, and I ran 5.2 k in 34:09 for a blistering pace of 6:36/km, even though it felt like I was slow as molasses! Two transitions of 5:40 and 3:44 minutes, where I stopped to dry off, dress up, only to realize I hadn't eaten or put on my sports bra! With a new bike, a plastic bucket for supplies and a better plan, maybe I can do better next time! 8 or 9th percentile! Or just let one or two 60 year olds outrun me, not three (starting 15 minutes after, by the way!)
Just to be clear, because there are quite a few variations, I swam 750m, biked 20k, and ran 5k, or finished the 25.75 k race or sprint, as my real triathlete friends say! Not an Ironman, nor even the Olympic distance, but not the tri-a-tri neither!
So what did I learn about my first triathlon?
Number one: The Montreal Triathlon Sprint really is made to have fun! The volunteers were numerous, and helpful and the fans enthusiastic, even for strangers! From marking our legs and arms with our bib numbers and age, making sure we were going the right direction, to giving away gatorade, to singing and cheering, they made the race fun!
Number two: Just because you like to run, don't assume that it'll be easy once you get to the third stage of the race. It's gonna be harder each event you make, just because it's after something else. For me, the swim tired me out, but it was a dream compared to the bike, and the bike compared to the run!
Number three: When they say put your tracker on last, they really mean it! Turns out there is a whole line of portapotties in the transition zone, which is the place to circle back to just before you swim, bike, and run, and then after you finish. Outside of the transition zone, near the Olympic Basin at Jean Drapeau Park, there was only one bathroom, shared with the general public, that I was standing in line in front of just before the race. I barely made the start on the beach because the turnover was so slow, but I am grateful to a gentleman spectator that noticed those of us with green caps were next up, and let me go before he did!
Number four: Your best opportunity to eat a bite is in the transition zone, but even when every one has left, eat before you start to exit. Once you have your bike moving, eating and drinking are dangerous! I have a scab and hematoma on my right shin to prove it. Take a few seconds to put a bite in your mouth, then leave. But eat a couple bites. Once you start biking you can digest. It's your only opportunity, and you will need the energy for the run!
Number five: Flags mean something but not everything! Green means go; red means stop, but with two precisions. First, when you leave the transition for the bike section, don't get on the bike until the green flag. Lastly, when you are finishing, the red flag may be followed by an inflated gate. Run past the flag and under the gate for your best time!
Number six: You really just can show up with a swimsuit, goggles, running/biking shorts and a bike. I liked this article as most helpful, even though I only found it after! 10 Tips For First Time Triathletes
Number seven: The two smartest things I did that helped in the race was sign up with a friend and practice in the open swim the day before. It was the first time either of us had swum that distance outside of the pool (25 meters at a time) and with all the bodies stirring up the water, we both had a chance to panic and then calm down. We had a 275m loop that we both freaked out doing the first time, but we did it again and the second time was just fine. I still can't believe that I had never done the front crawl for more than 25-50 m at a time, often too breathless to continue. Once I hit the water in the race, however (trailing behind the group intentionally), I found a pace that I had never found before, and managed to swim the distance, mind you lopsided, one in two breaths per stroke, in front crawl with my face in the water. 21.5 degrees Celsius is the perfect water temperature on a sunny day!
Number eight: I probably ran, swan and then biked in order of time during my training. This wasn't a terrible choice, and I didn't feel totally confident nor incompetent when I thought about the race. Swimming felt the least prepared, but after the race, I wish I had biked more. Probably, training more frequently in general would have been better, but I am glad, like with many things, I started before I was totally prepared. I have no regrets on being on my way and still finding the race day upon me.
BONUS REEL: TRIATHLON BY BLUNDERS
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