Do a sprint triathlon

Thanks for the encourage Sly! Good luck with your challenges too!

Christine S • 12:34 GMT, 19 Jun 2013 • Encourage

have a read of this Q&A thread Jax you might want to try a mask rather than google goggles ;) http://tribesports.com/questions/goggles-or-masks?s=1

Alan C • 7:37 GMT, 1 Jun 2013 • Encourage

How was it Stephen?

Alan C • 3:53 GMT, 7 Apr 2013 • Encourage

It was great!!! Really loved it, nervous as hell the night before. Woke at 4.30am, no chance for anymore sleep. So went through the itinerary list again, made sure I had everything in the kit bag. Off on the road at 5.50am to get down to Portlaoise for the 7am registration. After registration I wandered back to the car to pick up my bike and dropped it down to transition and set up my gear underneath. Then the waiting started, though not too long, met 2 clubmates which helped buoy my spirits. It turned out they were equally nervous as this was the first triathlon on the season. As it was pool based it meant there were 7 others with me in my lane. The 25m pool meant a tap on your feet meant you had to wait at the end of the length to let the person behind you pass. After a quick discussion I said I would lead out, after a length and a half I had caught the last person to start. So began a number of waits behind others to pass which was my own fault for not having posted a swim time, equally frustrating for the other swimmers to have some tosser bashing their feet ;-). Was happy enough with the 14.25 minutes for the 750m. Transition to the bike was slow and sloppy, going from inside to 4 celsius outside was a little disconcerting so the cycle jacket was a must. Trying to get the helmet on felt awkward, shoes then running with the bike and not trying to slip out with the cleats. Bike ride went well enough on my new Orbea Onix, not as fancy as the one or two TT bikes that passed me. Roads surfaces were a little nasty in some places but I kept a steady pace, well aware that I still had 5.5K to run after the bike. Caught one or two on the ride before the dismount and running into T2. It did feel odd running through transition, pulling off the cycle jacket, then on with the runners, the legs felt a little alien. It felt like my legs were those of a puppet for the first 1K, the brain just sending the command to run. A marshall along the way just smiled, saying, 'that's right keep going, one foot in front of the other'. That seemed to work into my brain and I began to feel the training kick in and some sort of stride kick in. I then found myself a goal, someone who had passed me on the cycle but I could feel I could pass on the run. As I did they gave words of encouragement, after all 70% of those participating in this event are first time triathletes, so there is a really nice atmosphere of support amongst the competitors. The run seemed to drag a little but the feeling of, 'Wow I am about to do something I laughingly committed to last year on holidays - I am doing this!' It was superb, I could dare to utter the words, I am now a triathlete, no longer aspiring to do it. This triathlon is a stepping stone to my first half marathon in May, followed by a local Dublin sprint triathlon to be followed by another sprint triathlon, this time a sea swim on the East coast of Ireland. I am signed up for an olympic distance in Dublin whilst gearing up for my first marathon in Berlin. By October this year I will have completed a year of firsts - or perhaps find myself for the first time in a mental institution, at least another first. ;-)

Stephen C • 11:34 GMT, 10 Apr 2013 • Encourage

Excellent summary Stephen it got me excited just reading it and it sounds like you learnt a lot (of truisms) that will help you in the future. You are a triathlete. :)

Alan C • 1:41 GMT, 11 Apr 2013 • Encourage

You will love it :)

Alan C • 8:18 GMT, 20 Feb 2013 • Encourage

You got this! :)

Crystal L • 5:26 GMT, 27 Dec 2012 • Encourage

Can't wait to learn how to swim (better) and do one too ! Kudos !

Kenneth T • 7:59 GMT, 2 Sep 2012 • Encourage