My First Triathlon

I was really nervous (went to the bathroom many many times before we started), but I finished! It was a really small group of athletes (probably 200 max) and a really laid back triathlon setting. The West Valley Tri was the perfect way for a beginner to test out a triathlon. The atmosphere was very friendly and the transition areas were really low key (I’ve heard in big US Triathlons they are really strict about your transitions, i.e. you can’t start biking until your helmet is buckled, you can’t have anyone help you with getting your gear on/off, etc.). On Saturday there were spouses getting bikes ready for people after the swim, there were families grabbing bikes after the ride, and overall just a fun and uplifting attitude of people cheering everyone on. Anytime someone passed me on the bike they’d call out Good Job! Definitely not a cut-throat competition. My friend Courtney is amazing and has done 5 triathlons in the past year alone. Her brother also did the race with us and almost got 1st place! I was just hoping to not get last place. And I think I succeeded.

Mitch and E cheered me on during the transitions, and at the finish line! Courtney's parents also cheered me on. Sometimes in the middle of a race when you're feeling really tired, it's nice to hear someone cheering for you.
I was shocked at how hard it was to do each event back-to-back. I’d done the swim, bike, and run distances all separately, but not together. It is BRUTAL to get out of a tough swim and feel strong on your bike, and even tougher to get off your bike with your quad muscles pounding and try to run. My legs felt like lead! Not to mention my iPod died mid-race. Overall though it was a great experience and I’d definitely like to do another one.