FIRST TRI EXPERIENCE

I just wanted to share my first tri with readers, for any aspiring triathletes out there.

It was the Dave Parcells Sprint Triathlon in Madison, Connecticut, on 9 September 2017. My first time in the pool? 12 July. But I was on the YMCA swim team as a child, so easy, right? It took me 10mins to swim 200m! But with some coaching, I improved vastly.

On race day I was terrified. I didn’t have the faintest idea what to do. Do I need socks? Should my helmet go on the handlebars or the saddle? Shoes on the left or right side of the bike?

When we were finally given the go-ahead, I took off at a strong doggy paddle. I tried freestyle, but I kept veering off-course every time I put my head down. After inhaling a good amount of seawater, I switched to backstroke. And then back again, and so on… I finally, somehow, made it to shore.

T1 took me longer than it should have, because I still hadn’t decided whether or not I needed socks! Sockless, I took off on my bike, having only ridden it twice before, and promptly realised I had no concept of pace. So I kept my effort level low for the first few miles and picked it up towards the end.

Onto the run and I was in trouble. I hadn’t drunk anything on the bike and my vision was getting fuzzy, so I stopped at the water station. Thankfully that worked, and I was able to finish strong in 1:56:02 and fifth in my age-group.

I can’t believe how much fun it was. I’ve since done one more, and, while pacing is still a bit of a problem, I’m now able to swim 800m freestyle, non-stop! Liz Barrera, Connecticut