You Only Get One First
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TonisTri posted 23 weeks ago.
Congratulations! I have my first oly in a few weeks. I would love to finish in 2:31. great job!
That which does not kill me makes me faster...
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Tri_Kev posted 23 weeks ago.
Congrats! I have my first olympic this saturday and getting a bit nervous. I can only hope to do as well as you did. Job well done!
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tmhagen posted 23 weeks ago.
Nice job! My first one is Sunday and hope I get through it as well as you did!
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TryScott posted 23 weeks ago.
2:31 is a great time. Good enough for top 10% or so of my age group at most races (M30-34). Well done and best of luck on your next one.
I was so worried about my goggles breaking, I thought about taking a 2nd pair with me on the swim of my HIM. It's a strange fear.
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FireRep posted 23 weeks ago.
Thanks for all the encouragement! "Did I learn something from the broken goggle experience?"
Actually I learned a couple things. Obviously, bring some backup gear (now Im thinking extra shoe laces, sunglasses, goggles...) I also learned that things will go wrong and its OK. I got a little pissed when my goggles broke, but got over it and actually did better than I thought I would without them. I trained in a pool all winter and did my first open water swim with my rented wetsuit just a few days before the race. I went about 400 yards and had to stop and catch my breath. Left me terrified of the swim leg. Then at the pre race meeting the announcer said something about the start and that all the swimmers had probably had experience with mass OWS starts or they would likely struggle... got me even more freaked out, but it went just fine. I waited for the bulk of the group to get going then blended in with the pack and stayed on pace.
Funny side story; My wife was waiting near the finish line with our two kids and started chatting it up with another wife whos husband "does this all the time". My wife told her this was my first triathlon and that she "expected to see me somewhere in the middle". The other wife thought that was pretty optimistic and explained how much harder it is to run after swimming and biking. About that time she says "Oh, I think thats my husband" which is about the same time my wife spots me and says "Oh, theres my husband too!" Turns out I had been tracking this guy down for the last 1.5 miles and put the pass on him with about 800 yards to go. My wife was pretty impressed, made for a great drive back home.
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Warrior posted 23 weeks ago.
Well done, thank you for your story, I am well impressed. It keeps me motivated to read peoples experience like yours. I love the wife story :-)
Dreams are the stars which charter the course of our lives. Happy the one who follows their dreams
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TriSooner posted 23 weeks ago.
FireRep wrote:
. . . bring some backup gear (now Im thinking extra shoe laces, sunglasses, goggles...) . . . The other wife thought that was pretty optimistic and explained how much harder it is to run after swimming and biking.
In my best David Carradine impression, "Very good, grasshopper." Stash extras of stuff that easily break or are easily replaced. How much were those goggles? $10? Stash an extra helmet (if you have one) in the trunk too. I tend to forget the lid for some reason. And OMG, re: the other wife, how nauseating. That's why I hate being a spectator, having to listen to that drivel. "Oh my boyfriend qualified for the Boston marathon with his Kona marathon time! On his first try." Right. I'm sure your wife didn't solicit her training opinion or predictions on how you'll do. Optimistic? More like presumptuous (on wife B's part). Go sniff a seat.
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prendergi posted 23 weeks ago.
congrats on your first tri!! I was just thinking the other day about how I should probably take an extra set of goggles for my tri coming up just in case. Now that I read your story, I know Murphy is going to make a new law if I don't take an extra set!
"The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret" - Sarah Bombell
I finished my first Olympic on Saturday 6/6/09. The 1 mile swim took me 24 minutes. It wasnt much fun, as I was the only one with no goggles. They broke while I was setting up my transition area. The 23 mile bike leg took me 1 hour and 13 minutes and was pretty uneventfull. I feel like I could have gone harder on the bike, but restrained myself so I would be strong on the run. The run was about as slow as the bike. The 6 miles took me 52 minutes. I was surprised at how heavy my legs felt after getting off the bike. My overall time was 2 hours 31 minutes, a little faster than I predicted but still a lot slower than I would like to be. Now the fun part... getting faster and going longer. Thanks to all those that contribute to this site, its really helped me prepare for the unknown.