2022 GR Sprint Triathlon Race Recap
That’s a wrap on my 2nd sprint triathlon! Yesterday was race day, and it went really great.
I truly loved my 8 week training for this event. It kept me focused, challenged and with a nice variety of swim/bike/run, speed/hills/endurance. I was consistently working hard, consistently going beyond what I thought I could do. In a lot of ways the training itself was gratifying enough.
I was more nervous for this race than I think I ever have been to compete in anything. I don’t really know why the nerves were SO high. Open water swimming is scary for me, I don’t like not being able to see the bottom or battle waves, but I’m a strong swimmer nonetheless. I’m proficient on a bike, even though I still ride a clunky old mountain bike. I’m a confident runner. I think the enormity of all three together, fast and frantic transitions and knowing this isn’t just a weekend 5K you roll out of bed for contributed to it. Also, I really wanted to beat my time from 6 years ago.
The Swim
It was very chilly at our 7am race start. 56º or so, with water temp barely at 70º. I lined up to enter the water according to 100m time, but the first sign for line up was around 2min, and I’m much faster than that. My brother and I, both of us one of VERY VERY VERY few in Speedos (everyone else was in wetsuits) stood about 15 people from the start–and questioning if we really belonged there.
And you know what, we do. At 7am we were off and holding steady with the group we were in the water with. I finished the 600m swim in 12min, 57sec. 4th in my gender/age group, 14th for all females, 51st overall. The swim felt GREAT. I calmed down moments after entering the water and clicked into a good pace. I was more comfortable with my head in the murky water than ever. In 2016 I swam the same distance in 11:44. I don’t know how I was faster, probably just sheer fear.
Transition 1
This year the swim to bike transition included a .3 mile run from river to transition zone. That ended up going OK. I used a washcloth to towel my feet off at the end of the swim and quickly slipped on socks and shoes and ran in my suit to the transition area. I ran it a bit too frantically, but once it was behind me all was fine. Total T1 time was 7:13; in 2016 (where there was NO .3 mile run between swim/bike) my T1 time was 5:55.
The Bike
This is where the, pun intended, wheels always fall off. I get passed LIKE CRAZY on the 12 mile bike. I’m cruising and paced fine for me, but my heavy mountain bike frame just can NOT compete with the ease, speed and agility of the road bikes everyone else has. The bike took me 51:01; in 2016 (on the same bike!) it took me 1:02:37. After the bike was done I was 30th in my gender/age group, 138th for all females, 334th overall.
I wonder what I COULD be if I was on a road bike, but I’m not sure I want to pony up for it. Anyway.
Transition 2
This transition was also a bit longer in distance than 2016, but I was fast with it. Park the bike, unclip helmet, throw on a hat and go. It took me 1:48; in 2016 it took me 2min.
The Run
You know, I just felt good on the run. My legs were heavy of course, but I snapped into a pace that felt manageable, and honestly a pace that I felt like my body just wanted to be in without the ability to alter it much. Turns out it was good. I ran the 5K in 26:52 (8:24 min/mile pace!), which included a bathroom break on the course! Also my mom, B and the boys were stationed a bit before the finish line. This race has a “family friendly finish”, so I got to pull C onto the course and run hand in hand with him across the finish line.
I don’t know for sure but that might be a 5K PR, if not quite close to it. For the run portion itself I was 12th in my gender/age group, 35th by gender, 150th overall. In 2016 I ran the 5K 27:37. Now I kind of want to race a nice flat and fast 5K and see what happens…
Overall
1:39:48 after starting, I was done. In 2016 my final time was 1:49:54. So even with the addition of a .3 mile run at Transition 1, I beat my time by 10 min! 
I’m so, so pleased with how the race went. It was wildly challenging on my emotions, totally within my training/physical wheelhouse, and overall just a lot of fun. I’ll be riding off the high of this one for a while, and thinking about what cool things my body can do next.
I truly loved my 8 week training for this event. It kept me focused, challenged and with a nice variety of swim/bike/run, speed/hills/endurance. I was consistently working hard, consistently going beyond what I thought I could do. In a lot of ways the training itself was gratifying enough.
I was more nervous for this race than I think I ever have been to compete in anything. I don’t really know why the nerves were SO high. Open water swimming is scary for me, I don’t like not being able to see the bottom or battle waves, but I’m a strong swimmer nonetheless. I’m proficient on a bike, even though I still ride a clunky old mountain bike. I’m a confident runner. I think the enormity of all three together, fast and frantic transitions and knowing this isn’t just a weekend 5K you roll out of bed for contributed to it. Also, I really wanted to beat my time from 6 years ago.
The Swim
It was very chilly at our 7am race start. 56º or so, with water temp barely at 70º. I lined up to enter the water according to 100m time, but the first sign for line up was around 2min, and I’m much faster than that. My brother and I, both of us one of VERY VERY VERY few in Speedos (everyone else was in wetsuits) stood about 15 people from the start–and questioning if we really belonged there.
And you know what, we do. At 7am we were off and holding steady with the group we were in the water with. I finished the 600m swim in 12min, 57sec. 4th in my gender/age group, 14th for all females, 51st overall. The swim felt GREAT. I calmed down moments after entering the water and clicked into a good pace. I was more comfortable with my head in the murky water than ever. In 2016 I swam the same distance in 11:44. I don’t know how I was faster, probably just sheer fear.
Transition 1
This year the swim to bike transition included a .3 mile run from river to transition zone. That ended up going OK. I used a washcloth to towel my feet off at the end of the swim and quickly slipped on socks and shoes and ran in my suit to the transition area. I ran it a bit too frantically, but once it was behind me all was fine. Total T1 time was 7:13; in 2016 (where there was NO .3 mile run between swim/bike) my T1 time was 5:55.
The Bike
This is where the, pun intended, wheels always fall off. I get passed LIKE CRAZY on the 12 mile bike. I’m cruising and paced fine for me, but my heavy mountain bike frame just can NOT compete with the ease, speed and agility of the road bikes everyone else has. The bike took me 51:01; in 2016 (on the same bike!) it took me 1:02:37. After the bike was done I was 30th in my gender/age group, 138th for all females, 334th overall.
I wonder what I COULD be if I was on a road bike, but I’m not sure I want to pony up for it. Anyway.
Transition 2
This transition was also a bit longer in distance than 2016, but I was fast with it. Park the bike, unclip helmet, throw on a hat and go. It took me 1:48; in 2016 it took me 2min.
The Run
You know, I just felt good on the run. My legs were heavy of course, but I snapped into a pace that felt manageable, and honestly a pace that I felt like my body just wanted to be in without the ability to alter it much. Turns out it was good. I ran the 5K in 26:52 (8:24 min/mile pace!), which included a bathroom break on the course! Also my mom, B and the boys were stationed a bit before the finish line. This race has a “family friendly finish”, so I got to pull C onto the course and run hand in hand with him across the finish line.
I don’t know for sure but that might be a 5K PR, if not quite close to it. For the run portion itself I was 12th in my gender/age group, 35th by gender, 150th overall. In 2016 I ran the 5K 27:37. Now I kind of want to race a nice flat and fast 5K and see what happens…
Overall
1:39:48 after starting, I was done. In 2016 my final time was 1:49:54. So even with the addition of a .3 mile run at Transition 1, I beat my time by 10 min!
