NYC Triathlon - Race Recap

NYC Triathlon recap

Woke up at 4am and got ready, I had packed my bag and stashed my bike the night before.  At 4:20 I left the house and walked to transition.  Set up my area and checked my bike, it had rained heavily the night before, so I dried my components off and checked that the seat and handlebars were also dry.  I felt really good about how I had set up my area and also felt good about my nutrition plan.  I was feeling a little tight, so I took my inhaler before heading to swim start.

Walked at a leisurely pace to swim start, stashed my bag in the truck and went to find my starting corral.  I put my wetsuit on about 5 minutes before the starting gun and ate my first GU before entering my starting area.  Put on my cap and goggles, had two swim clips with me and stepped into the zone.

When I got to the river showers, I made sure to get water down my wetsuit and on my face.  I made sure to position myself as far out into the water as possible.  I didn't sit down, but jumped from standing.  I held my goggles and swim clip with one hand and pressed start on my watch (thanks for the borrow, YJ!) at the whistle.

The swim start was fine.  I started swimming at an even pace, just trying to find my breath and my rhythm.  My swim clip kept slipping up my nose, so I turned onto my back to adjust it and then resumed swimming.  The two turns were effortless and didn't take much time, but the fact that my clip was slipping was annoying.  Finally, I just decided to grin and bear it, took my swim clip off and swam without.  It took two breaths for me to get myself into a rhythm and from there to the 1200m mark, it was smooth sailing.

I felt a little fatigued at first, but I knew that was normal and just worked on finding my sightlines and breathing regularly.  Once I got to the 600m mark, I realized that I was doing well and I just put myself in the zone.  When I got to 1200m, I decided to start picking up the pace.  The end became very choppy and it was difficult to gauge how far I was from the pier, but I made it without much fuss and let the guys pull me up out of the water.  I took my wetsuit down, switched my watch to "transition" and jogged to Yellow.

I took a cup of water before entering transition and ran to my rack.  I actually missed my rack by one, which sucked because I had actually done that when I practiced the night before and made a mental note...  Oh well.  Then I quickly stripped off my wetsuit, put on socks and shoes, helmet and gloves and grabbed my nutrition and bike.  Away we go!  Well, almost... slow pokes with bikes walking to the exit were jamming up the lane, but I finally made it to the road and I was off.

I took three shot blocks upon entering the bike course and I tried to remember to take it easy for the first five miles.  I didn't hammer it until after I got to the first real hill, then I started to pour it on.  I had forgotten to get my bike computer because I was wearing the watch and it didn't occur to me to use the bike computer for speed data.  Would have been a great help.

I tried to make sure to check the effort of cyclists coming back down the course.  If the hill was formidable and athletes were having a hard time, I made sure to note it.  I feel like the effort I put out was very good.  I don't think that I had an ounce of bike-gas left in me once I finished the course.  I wish I had had a little more power coming up the hill at 57th Street, but I'll know now for next year.  I borrowed race wheels for this race.  They were AWESOME!

I felt so great coming into my final transition.  I knew that most of the race was over.  I knew that I had done a great job in the swim and the bike.  I knew that all I had to do was finish the run in an hour and I'd make my goal.  I knew I could run the 10K in an hour.

When I "ran" up the hill onto 72nd Street, I felt like I was running on cinder blocks. My legs were stiff and sore.  But I've experienced that before.  I know it goes away.  I know I'll loosen up.  I spent the first few blocks getting my legs back.  My goal was to have a good stride by the time I hit Columbus Avenue and I did.  After I got into the park, it was just like running for training.  My back yard.  My neighborhood.  My park.




When my watch buzzed the first mile at me, I knew I had the race in the bag - 9:39.  All I had to do was maintain that pace and I'd finish in less than 3 hours.  The best thing was, I knew I could run faster.  I paced myself well, but I made sure to hit negative splits then entire race.  The only mile I missed was the big one at the end with the long hill.  I'll take it.  I finished strong, though incredibly tired, and I had given it everything I had.

Fantastic effort.  Top 10% in the bike, top third in the swim and run.  I took home 38th place in my division (top 13%) and top 38% overall.  Definitely a great first triathlon.  The next one will be better.