My First Triathlon – Bayshore Triathlon

Expectations

I had high hopes for my first Triathlon. Which I know probably wasn’t a good thing but I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do well in this sport. Therefore, I set expectations for myself and I was aiming to finish under 1:15:00 or better. It did not happen.

Reality

Mother Nature really came out this morning by creating a strong headwind for the bike and run portion of the race which caused a sandstorm!! It was wild. I literally could not see down the flat bike path we were racing on. The course took place along the Long Beach Coast which on a well-mannered day, the weather would be great. Luckily for me, I got to experience a not-so California morning on the beach.

Swim

The water in the bay was 58 degrees and with the wetsuit, it was bearable. Or so I kept telling myself. I remember trying to talk to other athletes around me to distract me from the soon-to-be cold shock that was the swim portion of the event. Everyone had their own swim caps with their own colors on. I remember being on the edge of the water and putting my feet in and thinking oh, this is not that bad. Probably the adrenaline in my body. I remember them calling out our start time 8:15 am and I remember gathering up with all the other blue-colored swim caps. Then it was a big whistle and it was go time.

The actual swim went okay. I was cold, I was nervous, I did not put my head in the water. I said screw it, I just need to get to the pier on the other side of this bay. I remember going and thinking I am almost last but I will catch up on the bike!! I remember seeing someone next to me turning on their back for a break and I thought, okay I am not the only one dying right now. Finally, I remember reaching the end of the swim thinking “OMG I am about to finish, I will finish this race” I remember getting out of the water and being relieved that was done.

Biking

The bike ride was an out and back course and was mostly flat so initially, I was gung-ho on I will do great. I will be fast. Then, I was not so fast. There was so much wind that created a sandstorm that I literally did not know what to do. It was hard to see but thankfully, I had my sunglasses. I just peddled as best as I could until the turnaround point. I knew I would get the wind pushing me down the course. It did, and it did help but it did help enough to recover the lost time. I knew that my bike time was not going to be where I wanted it to be. I knew I needed more training as I finished the 8 miles on the bike.

Run

As I got off the bike getting into my running mode, I thought to myself, maybe the wind is better. Nope, it was the same. I died. I was thinking (hoping) my pace would be around 7:50/mile but it was more like 9:30 for the first 2 miles. I will say that I met a super awesome triathlete who ran with me and we chatted as if we weren’t racing about the damn wind and terrible conditions. He was from San Diego and I wish I would have caught him at the end of the race to exchange info. He had other plans for the year that I admired. I ended up picking up my pace at the turn around thanks to the wind and did manage a 7:45/mile pace for the last 2 miles. I remember some people cheering me on and I was like omg I am about to finish my first Triathlon. I actually am doing this!!

The Finish

I remember turning the corner and seeing the red inflated arch of a finish line. I said this is it; I am going to finish. I crossed that finish line so relieved that despite the cold weather, the wind, and the nerves I had, I finished. I now can officially say that I have completed my first Triathlon and can now say I am a triathlete!!

What did I learn from this race?

For this being my first Triathlon, I learned a lot thankfully. I learned that races generally provide you with a swim cap to keep! On race day you should get your race number marked on your body prior to the race starting. Find the person with the hook-up or the labels for the body. It was put on my arms both of them and the top of my hands. With my packet pick up, there was also a weird cuff like plastic thing that I swear I did not know what it was until I asked a stranger next to me. Apparently, it was the timing chip since your paper bib does not go in the water with you this cuff thing goes around your ankle to keep your time! I learned you need to return the timing chip that goes around your ankle when you finish. You do not keep it haha. They gave me these stickers at packet pick up which are for your bike frame and helmet. To help identify the racer! You might have extra and you can use it for your transition bag.

I learned to layout your transition items in a way that will be easy for you to grab and put on. For example, sunglasses in your helmet so you grab subglasses first, then helmet. A towel on the ground half folded to wipe off any sand from your feet. Your nutrition snacks need to be readily available if you are looking to get out of T1 (transition 1) or T2 (Transition 2) quickly. I learned that I also have much more to learn, develop and execute when it comes to Triathlons. I am looking forward to my next Triathlon which is the Orange County Olympic Triathlon in the city of Mission Viejo! There will be a race recap for the OC Tri coming soon!

Results: 

• Total Time: 1:27:40:24 
• Overall 35th out of 156 
• 9th out of 15th in Age Group 
• 28th in Gender 
• Swim: 14:00.47 // Pace: 49:19
• T1: 3:42.86
• Bike: 34:27.02 // Pace: 4:18
• T2 0:31.22
• Run: 34:58.66 // Pace 8:45

Gear: 

• Zone 3 Tri Suit 
• Sterna Wetsuit 
• Xterra Clear Lense Goggles 
• Zone 3 Swim cap (provided by race) 
• New Balance Vongo V5
• Fuji Sportif Bicycle 
• Stance Socks 
• Costco Helmet 
• Garmin Heart Rate Monitor 
• Garmin Fenix 6xs Pro 
• BodyGlide Blue stick for wetsuit 
• Plastic bag 
• Beach Towel 
• Polarized sunglasses (RayBan) 
• Lululemon Running Gloves 

Nutrition: 

• Clif Bloc Gummies 
• Water 
• Nuun Lemon Lime dissolving Tablets 
• Toast with peanut butter in the morning 
• Half a cup of Coffee