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July 24, 2011

Buckner Mission Man Sprint Triathlon Recap!

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Yesterday was me and Matt’s very first triathlon!

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It was really cool to actually do something that I’ve read/heard so much about. Triathlons involve some serious logistics — I was impressed with how well organized this race was! We did the Bucker Mission Man Triathlon in Burlington, NC.

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Burlington is about an hour away; we had a beautiful drive all through farm land to get there. We arrived at the triathlon bright and early at 6:45 a.m. with a car full of bikes and all sorts of transition equipment!

sunrise

Our first stop: packet pick up and getting marked with our numbers. We had our numbers written on our legs and both arms, and also wore a timing chip on our ankles. In addition, we had our age written on the back of one leg. I guess this way people can figure out who their competition is!

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After checking in, we went back to the car, got all of our stuff, and headed to the transition area to get set up. Exciting!

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I brought two bags for my transition — one full of stuff for the bike transition, and the other for the run.

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For the swim to bike transition, I had:

  • Towel to dry off
  • Shoes and socks
  • CamelBak filled with water and ice
  • Garmin watch + Road ID
  • My shirt (with my bib already pinned to it)
  • Hair tie + bobby pins
  • Camera
  • Fuel (Hammer Gel and Stingers)

Plus, my helmet, sunglasses, and more water bottles (one regular water, one water with a dose of honey) were already on my bike:

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Told you this was complicated!

For the bike to run transition, I had:

  • A visor
  • My SPI belt to carry fuel and/or my camera

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As for what I was already wearing, I had on my awesome tri suit that our family friend Jill so sweetly sent to me. For the swim, I just wore the shorts and a black sports bra; I put the shirt (with my bib already pinned to it) back on for the bike and run. It was perfect — super comfy!

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Before we knew it, it was time to start!

Event #1

Swim: 750 meters (half mile)

Time: 17:11

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The swim was in a lake — the triathlon was set up right at the marina. It was a gorgeous site for a triathlon!

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Matt was in the earlier swimming wave, so his wave his started at 8:04; mine started at 8:12. We got swim caps in different colors based on our wave starts.

Matt was a bit nervous about the swim — our original triathlon for this weekend (the one that was cancelled) was only 250 meters (in a pool). He’s not a swimmer and a half mile (750 meter) swim was a large step up!

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Matt did so well — I was very proud 🙂 He said it was one of the hardest things he’s ever done, though, and unfortunately he swallowed quite a bit of lake water and didn’t feel so hot starting the bike ride. He says if he does another triathlon he’ll be practicing swimming first 🙂

As for me, I enjoyed the swim. I took it nice and steady and alternated between freestyle and breaststroke because I was worried about burning out, but I definitely could have gone faster because I wasn’t really tired when I finished. The hardest thing was just making sure you were going straight and not running into anyone else! And being careful not to swallow water since it was choppy with everyone around you swimming.

Event #2

Bike: 15 miles

Time: 1:07:15

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The bike ride was by far my worst event, even though I probably enjoyed it the most. I felt great the whole time, the scenery was beautiful (lakes and bridges and gorgeous country roads), and the cool breeze (and the fact that I was wet) meant that I never felt hot, but I was getting passed by basically everyone and their mother. Apparently I’m a really slow biker, haha. A 73 year old woman did this triathlon and she actually passed me on the bike, lol! How badass is that?! I was so proud of her I couldn’t be upset she passed me 😉

During the bike, I ate a few Stingers chews for fuel, drank a ton of water from my CamelBak, and had some of my honey water, too. Matt stayed just behind me the whole time (let me lead the way to set the pace since I’m slower — though he said I was actually going just as fast as he would have been able to since he was tired from the swim)! It was much flatter than the bike rides Matt and I usually do, too, so that was nice!

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Before we knew it we were coming back in to the transition area and ready to run! The bike portion seriously flew by.

Event #3

Run: 5k (3.1 miles)

Time: 26:57

The bike —> run transition was MUCH faster than the swim —> bike one (which took me forever). Way less logistics! Basically I changed my helmet out for my visor and put on my SpiBelt with some fuel and my camera.

And then we were off!

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We saw Matt’s parent’s at the very start of the run — they came to cheer us on! I handed his dad my camera to get some action shots 🙂

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When we started the run, Matt said he wasn’t feeling that great — not surprising given the inhalation of about half the lake during the swim portion (and the fact that he just came back from an overseas work trip on Thursday evening that required 26 hours of travel and completely threw off his sleep schedule); I was really impressed he’d made it this far. We started off at a good pace and entered the woods onto a trail — it was nice and shady (though hilly), which made the run much more manageable in the heat.

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Unfortunately, once we started onto the trail Matt started to really not feel so awesome and said he was going to walk and that I should go on ahead. Since I was feeling really strong still, I kept on running and ended up finishing in 26:57. My Garmin watch said it wasn’t a full 5k (only 2.8 miles) and that I was averaging about a 9:30 minute mile (the trail was hilly AND rocky!), but I’ll take it!

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The run course was a loop — I hate when races do this; no one wants to see the finish line and then have to leave for another lap — and unfortunately Matt got some really bad leg cramps (Charley Horse style) just as he reached the finish line area after the first lap, and decided that he needed to stop. Smart decision on his part — seriously injuring yourself for 1 extra mile is totally not worth it, but when I finished the race and found out that he had had to stop a lap early, I felt so bad that I hadn’t stayed with him 🙁 He said he wasn’t sure he could have finished either way, but I felt like such a jerk that I had left him on the trail, even though he told me to.

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At the time, it made sense; he was exhausted and wanted to walk (though apparently he ended up running again a minute later), and I felt good and wanted to see how well I could finish out the triathlon given that the run portion would easily be my best of the three events. But thinking about it afterwards, I realize that it would have meant so much more to me to finish holding his hand vs. finishing faster on my own. I hate how hindsight is so 20/20 🙁 Oh, well. Lesson learned — if you’re supposed to be doing something just for “fun”, then check the ego at the door next time, Anne!

Either way, it was pretty sweet to see this:

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They handed us icy wet towels and a bottle of cold water right after we crossed the finish line — best thing ever.

—

Stat Breakdown:

  • Swim — 750 meters — 17:11.
    • 8 out of 12 in my age group. Could definitely go faster next time now that I’m more used to swimming in a group environment and know I won’t burn out as fast as I think.
  • T1: Swim —> Bike — 6:27
    • Slowest transition EVER. Most people did like 1:30 or 2 minutes for this. Yikes!
  • Bike — 15 miles — 1:07:15
    • 12 out of 12 in my age group — fail. I am a really slow biker, apparently. Got destroyed by everyone else even though I felt like I was going at a good pace, though admittedly I wasn’t pushing it too crazy hard. Most everyone else came in at about 50 minutes. I just like looking at scenery too much I guess 🙂
  • T2: Bike —> Run — 2:03
    • Still slower than everyone else, but not by much. Upgrade!
  • Run — 5k — 26:57
    • 5 out of 12 in my age group. I may not bike well, but I can run, dammit. But I still wish I’d waited for Matt instead so we could have finished together like we planned. Boo.
  • OVERALL TIME: 1:59:50.

—

Reflections:

  • Triathletes appear to be good swimmers, awesome bikers, and not so great runners. Interesting. (Broad generalization alert)
  • If I do another tri, I need to amp up the bike training.
  • If I do another tri, I also need to not take like 4 hours to transition from swim to bike 🙂 Can you imagine how long it would have taken me if I hadn’t been wearing a tri suit?! Lol. Jill, thanks for saving me from a 30 minute transition time.
  • Push it more on the swim next time; you won’t burn out like you think you will.
  • Doing a 2 hour triathlon is a lot easier than doing a 2 hour half marathon, at least in my opinion. I was tired after, but not completely dead, and I’m a bit sore today but nothing crazy. However, that might be because I didn’t push myself super hard!
  • That was fun 🙂

All in all, a successful first triathlon experience! You guys are right about these being addictive — is it too soon to sign up for another one? 🙂

- anne
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41 comments
  • Molly @ RDexposed
    July 24, 2011 · 10:21AM:
    Congrats, glad you found a tri that didn't shut it's doors!
    Reply
  • Caitlyn
    July 24, 2011 · 10:41AM:
    Great job, Anne! I'm feeling motivated! Hindsight is always 20/20. I'm sure Matt was proud of you for finishing strong, even if it meant not walking with him. At least he can brag about how awesome you did :-)
    Reply
  • KaraHadley
    July 24, 2011 · 10:45AM:
    I'm so glad you liked the tri! They seem so much fun and like they definitely combat burnout. My brother has been doing sprints for years now and I LOVE to spectate. And as far as your transitions ago, they're not hard to speed up. From watching so many people run through transitions over the years I would suggest that you skip toweling off, because you'll dry off so quickly (especially with how hot it was in NC yesterday) and don't worry about your hair (unless it really really bothers you under the helmet). Also, most triathletes don't take in nearly as much water or fuel as you were talking about. In general, I never see an athlete with more than 1 water bottle for the bike or take in any kind of fuel (gels, Gatorade, Chomps, etc) more than once. Those last two things are something you have to get used to, but they drastically reduce weight, wrapper fumbling, and transition time. Just something to think about for next time, because from the smile on your face at the end I can't imagine there not being a next time.
    Reply
  • Marci
    July 24, 2011 · 10:46AM:
    Way to go, Anne and Matt! You both did great, so much to train and overcome. Tris are so interesting. I like that you don't have to be an expert at one sport and build up to so many miles. I did an aquathlon last summer (swim + run), but am scared of the bike! Maybe I'll be bold one of these years!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      July 24, 2011 · 10:52AM:
      You should totally go for it! As you saw, I'm a seriously slow biker but it didn't matter -- I still had fun :)
      Reply
  • Carla @ I Run, You Run
    July 24, 2011 · 11:04AM:
    Maybe you need to up the resistance on the bike? Shifting to a higher gear, might make you pedal faster -- it's tougher, but takes less pedaling. Try it, and see if you'll improve (or at the very least, it'll make your legs stronger). As for Matt, sucks that he couldn't finish -- the cramping was likely caused by the heat, due to dehydration. He should try those endurolytes pills, which are perfect to take with water, specially for people like me who don't like drinking gatorade during runs. The bottles are expensive ($20 on amazon), but considering it comes with 120 pills, it's really not that bad, since it lasts forever. It has the perfect combo of sodium and potassium. During marathon training in DC, I would take one pre-run than one each hour during the run. I swear by them, as I've gotten dehydrated a few times before and it was not fun.
    Reply
    • Anne P
      July 24, 2011 · 11:29AM:
      Yeah, good idea - I got really dehydrated on my first half marathon - bad news bears.
      Reply
  • Rose
    July 24, 2011 · 11:15AM:
    Great job! Transitions are hard, man. My first tri, I forgot to bring a towel. That sucked!
    Reply
  • Gina @ Running to the Kitchen
    July 24, 2011 · 11:26AM:
    Congrats Anne!
    Reply
  • Clare @ Fitting It All In
    July 24, 2011 · 11:26AM:
    This was SO helpful for someone considering Tris. I love that you guys did your first one casually and together. Congratulations!!
    Reply
  • Emily@RunningPerspective
    July 24, 2011 · 11:37AM:
    yayy great job!!!!!!! you are convincing me to sign up for one!!
    Reply
  • Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats
    July 24, 2011 · 11:44AM:
    Awesome job! :) I think a tri sounds kind of fun but I can't even remember the last time I swam laps besides swimming lessons! lol.
    Reply
  • Amara@GirlinaWhirl
    July 24, 2011 · 11:46AM:
    Thanks for doing this post! I'm seriously wanting to do a tri, but I know I'm going to have some serious freakout issues in the swim, so I've got to get some good training under my belt first. So glad I can read about yours at least. Looks so fun!
    Reply
  • Brenna [fabuleuxdestin]
    July 24, 2011 · 12:41PM:
    Cool! I did a lot of biking in France, and I like swimming, so I was thinking about doing a tri. But I can't get over the fact that you would have to swim in dirty water(the Philly tri is in the Schuylkill River). Really mature of me.
    Reply
    • Anne P
      July 24, 2011 · 12:45PM:
      Ew. That would gross me out, too!
      Reply
  • Carol July 24, 2011 · 1:06PM:
    Congrats to both you and Matt!!! Don't be so hard on yourself about not finishing with him. My hubby and I always set out to run together. It rarely happens. One of us ends up in the lead. If it's the morning, it's me....the afternoon, it's him. I also liked your reflection:) Hope to see another post like this soon! Very motivating...although I think I would do a bike/run. I don't think I could handle swimming in open water like that.
    Reply
  • Jill K July 24, 2011 · 1:09PM:
    So proud of you two, You guys ROCK!!! And even if you didn't come in "first"..... at least you looked GREAT!!! ;-) (glad I could help!) Thanks for sharing the fun day... Congratulations!!!!
    Reply
  • Errign
    July 24, 2011 · 2:04PM:
    Congratulation on your first triathlon guys! :)
    Reply
  • Anna July 24, 2011 · 2:08PM:
    Great job! You are so inspiring!
    Reply
  • DHP July 24, 2011 · 2:20PM:
    Great work, Anne. Sounds like you're hooked on tri's now! Well done! Great post -
    Reply
  • Tianna
    July 24, 2011 · 2:24PM:
    That is so awesome!! Looks like a lot of fun! I would love to do a triathlon, but the swimming part kind of freaks me out!
    Reply
  • Lauren @ What Lauren Likes
    July 24, 2011 · 2:39PM:
    wootwoot! congrats girl! amazing job :)
    Reply
  • Kris S July 24, 2011 · 2:49PM:
    Woohoo! Congratulations!! :) :) :)
    Reply
  • Evan Thomas
    July 24, 2011 · 8:36PM:
    Congratulations, Anne and Matt!
    Reply
  • Lauren
    July 24, 2011 · 9:20PM:
    This is incredible! You both did so well. Go Matt for conquering his fears and rocking it! :)
    Reply
  • Kayla @ Learningtosayyes.com
    July 24, 2011 · 9:27PM:
    I have been the person to tell the other to go ahead, and we are always happy to let you have your day. congratulations on your first triathlon!! :)
    Reply
  • Theodora
    July 24, 2011 · 9:35PM:
    congrats!! I'm glad your experience was better than mine :) And that trail looks RIDICULOUSLY hilly. Let me know if you do find another one you're going to do--I need a redemption tri!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      July 25, 2011 · 8:04AM:
      It WAS ridiculously hilly! I definitely want to do another one - we should do one together!!! :)
      Reply
  • Tessa @ Amazing Asset
    July 25, 2011 · 7:50AM:
    Congratulations to you both :) A triathlon is a hefty accomplishment and you both finished with flying colors. You should be so proud!
    Reply
  • Sarah@The Flying ONION
    July 25, 2011 · 9:07AM:
    Woohoo!! You rocked this! And you're such an inspiration. I would love to improve upon my swimming and take on such a feat. Looks like a LOT of hard work but fun all at the same time. :D
    Reply
  • chloe @ 321delish
    July 25, 2011 · 1:12PM:
    so glad your first experience went so well! It is never too soon to sign up for your next!
    Reply
  • Katy Widrick
    July 26, 2011 · 9:21AM:
    YAY for joining the tri club! Yes, transitions are the hardest to really understand before actually doing them...every race you do, you'll get better at the transitions. And as for the 73-year-old? Trust me (I work at Growing Bolder) -- some of the best triathletes in the country are over 50, and they'll ALWAYS be faster than you. So make sure you use them as rabbits next time!
    Reply
  • Cate
    July 26, 2011 · 12:09PM:
    Congrats! Sounds like it was a good first Tri. :)
    Reply
  • jen
    July 26, 2011 · 3:42PM:
    Put some clipless pedals on your bike and you will get faster! Its such an easy way to gain speed/strength and improve your pedaling efficiency. :) Congrats! :)
    Reply
    • Anne P
      July 26, 2011 · 4:03PM:
      Yeah, I was thinking that might be a good idea!
      Reply
  • Brittney
    July 28, 2011 · 5:59AM:
    Great job! You're making me want to try a Tri! I think I would struggle most with the swim portion, because I rarely swim!
    Reply
  • Claire @ Let's Go On A Living Spree
    October 18, 2011 · 1:05AM:
    Hey there! Just ran across your blog! I live in Charlottesville, Va and also did the Mission Man Tri this past summer. I run marathons and just got into triathlons the past few years (did my first half ironman in May...not sure I'll do that distance again, haha). I did a lot of the Set Up Events Sprint tris over the summer as fun workouts. I really liked the Mission Man Tri, even though the water was like a stagnant hot bath (what did you think???). The bike was also ridiculously flat and fast so I'd do that again for sure. How HOT was it though, lol? Here was my recap: http://livingspreethegoodlife.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/mission-woman-tri/ Can't wait to read more on your blog! :-)
    Reply
    • Anne P
      October 18, 2011 · 4:10PM:
      Hey Claire! That's so cool that you did the same tri!! I just checked out your photos and I'm actually in one of them, ha! The one of everyone standing in the water before starting in our purple caps. I'm in the right half of the picture with black tri shorts with a green stripe on them, a black sports bra, and hands on hips. Cool! :) I totally agree the water was SO HOT! It felt awesome for like the first 30 seconds and then was torture. Bleh! Crazy hot outside, too, although thankfully being wet, then on the bike with breeze, and then mostly in the shade on the run helped. :) If I do another tri I need to seriously work on my bike time, ha! I am so slow!
      Reply
      • Claire @ Let's Go On A Living Spree
        October 18, 2011 · 9:54PM:
        ahh, that's crazy that you are in the picture!! The bike is also my worst segment for sure...and it's too bad because that's the best way to make up time. Oh well, there's always next summer :-) Maybe there will be some indoor tris somewhere during the winter?
        Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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