The Mayor's Tri 2013

7.7.13

As mentioned in a previous post, the 1st annual Mayor's Triathlon was held at my Y on July 7.  I committed to participating, and, as outlined in previous posts, have been training.  My weakest area, by far, was the swimming portion. However, with lots of encouragement, some practice, and a competitive spirit, I knew I was ready.  Because this event was at my Y, I worked closely with the race coordinator and the mayor's office leading up to the event. This included 2 television appearances, numerous meetings, etc. When race day came, I knew it would be a great event. 

Having never completed a sprint Tri before, I was unsure what to expect related to completion time, transitions, etc.  Initially, I estimated that I needed to finish in less than 2 hours. The week prior to the event, I whittled that down to 1:45.  Just a few days before the event, I set a target time of 1:30. Ambitious for a 1st timer.  

I was excited about this event for a number of reasons, including the anticipation of my 1st Tri, the fact that it was a highly visible event due to the Mayor's presence and the location, and that several of my friends and colleagues were also participating. 

I arrived early to make sure that the Y was ready to go, and set up my transition area.  After a quick TV interview, it was time to get ready for the swim.  

I had friends on either side of me in the swim line, which was fun.  As expected, the swim was tough. After my 1st 100m, I was winded.  The pool was really congested, and I found myself walking much of the "swim" as it was too crowded to swim.  Total swim time was 7:12, which was faster than I expected.  

Off to transition. One of my friends mentioned that I may be a bit disoriented in transition. She was right.  I ran right past my bike and had to double back. My 1st transition time was slow (>3 minutes), but, then, I was off to the bike. I expected the cycling to be the most comfortable portion for me, and, I was right.  While my bike kept me from being one of the faster cyclists, I made good time, and finished the 15 miles in 47 minutes. My 2nd transition was a bit faster, and, off to the run.  By this point, I was pretty wiped.  I hoped for 9 minute miles, but, my tired legs were not having it.  I did get a chance to run with a couple of friends briefly, which was nice.  

I pushed hard towards the finished and completed the course in 1:31. Not bad!  

Immediately, I began to think about ways that I could shave time for the next one.  If I can get down to about 1:20, I will be pleased.  A few things that must improve: my swim time (lots of practice needed), my run time,  my bike (will need a carbon Tri bike eventually). 

I'm looking at some fall events, and suspect that I will complete 1-2 more Tri's by the end of the calendar year.