Survived my first triathlon

[asianflava]

I survived! It was raining when I got there, and the entire course was wet. The race was delayed due to thunder.
-Swim was OK, the water was much warmer than I expected, I've swam in pools much colder. I swam OK but had to slow down when people started getting bunched up at the turns.
-T1 was also OK, the transition area was wet and muddy. I think my cleats got loaded with gunk because I had a hard time getting clipped into the pedals.
- Bike was good, probably my best section even though I did zero training in it. The course was hillier than I expected. I got caught in the wrong gear at one hill and had to walk up. The rental bike was fast. I probably hit close to 30mph on some downhill sections (just looked at my GPS and I went over 30mph), never gone that fast and it was a bit unnerving. I wanted to drink more on the bike, but didn't want to let go on the downhill, and couldn't let go on the uphill.
- T2 was OK, no problems.
-Run, this is where it fell apart. As soon as I left T2, my calf started to cramp up, I'd try to run but it'd start to cramp again. Even though it was a short run, we ran by the water stop 3 times. After 2 cups of Gatorade and a cup of water, it stopped cramping when I ran. I probably walked about 75% of the run. I wonder if it was from standing around for so long as I felt it tightening up while I was standing on a hill waiting for the start. The route was on wood chips, I'm not used to running off pavement.

I had a bucket to put all my stuff in, worked well because it kept my stuff dry in the rain. I also didn't have to sit on the ground to change my shoes. I put colored duct tape on it to make it stand out. The rental bike was much nicer than mine, fast and light a carbon fiber Trek Madone. It cost almost the same to rent as it would have cost to ship mine.

[kirkman]

Congrats on finishing the race!

[Fenlason]

Congratulations!!

I am guessing your cramp was mostly lack of hydration. You say you did not drink much during the ride, and hopefully you did not drink much during the swim.. .and they went way once you started putting the fluids and electrolytes into you.

[Goatdog]

Congrats! I am into torturing myself also. I ran 50 miles on Saturday in 9 hours 40 minutes, but added a mile for my supporters so 51 miles in 9:52

I turned fifty a few months ago and decided to run 50 in celebration. Normally i'm a marathon or less type.

If I could ride a bike better, I'd try a triathlon...need to challenge myself with that next.

Are you going to do more of them?

[asianflava]

Congrats! I am into torturing myself also. I ran 50 miles on Saturday in 9 hours 40 minutes, but added a mile for my supporters so 51 miles in 9:52

Congrats! my Personal trainer is an Ultra runner, he's training to do Leadville. Not only is it 100mi long but it's at 9200-12600ft elevation. I think he's crazy.

I turned fifty a few months ago and decided to run 50 in celebration. Normally i'm a marathon or less type.

I wish I could get to that level. Maybe if I drop 50 more pounds.

If I could ride a bike better, I'd try a triathlon...need to challenge myself with that next.

Like I said earlier, I did zero training on the bike. Riding that fast was a little scary for me. I rode fast on the downhill so I wouldn't have to hammer that far on the uphill side.

Are you going to do more of them?

I want to do another with a little longer distance. A few near me conflict with other things. There is one that might work, but I have a 10mi that same week. I haven't done a run longer than 10K. I am registered for a ½ marathon in Jan.

[Fenlason]

Congrats! I am into torturing myself also. I ran 50 miles on Saturday in 9 hours 40 minutes, but added a mile for my supporters so 51 miles in 9:52

I turned fifty a few months ago and decided to run 50 in celebration. Normally i'm a marathon or less type.

If I could ride a bike better, I'd try a triathlon...need to challenge myself with that next.

Are you going to do more of them?

Ooh Awesome..

I do a little trail running and am intrigued with the long "stuff" but I am more a cyclist. My wife and I are doing our first 24 hour race later this summer [as a co-ed pair to get our feet wet so to speak]

[asianflava]

I want to do another with a little longer distance. A few near me conflict with other things. There is one that might work, but I have a 10mi that same week. I haven't done a run longer than 10K. I am registered for a ½ marathon in Jan.

Old thread, but I finished the ½Marathon and the 10mi in Disney World. The 10mi was a night race in Oct, it was brutal, low 90's with probably 99% humidity. I trained for it and finished right on my anticipated pace. The aftermath of the 10mi became a pukefest, so many people got dehydrated and lost it. Hollywood Studios stayed open till 3AM for the runners, I read that Rock n Rollercoaster had to keep closing down because they had to stop and clean it every 10min. I didn't stick around and just went back to the resort. I anticipated the heat and ran with a camelbak, I also drank at all the water stops. Took a pull right after the finishline and it was empty.

For the ½ a couple weeks ago, I hardly trained at all. I caught the flu around Thanksgiving, and held off training till I felt better. Then when I finally did start, I caught it again on New Years Eve. Went to a doc ASAP, doc gave me a script for Tamiflu, and said no strenuous exertion for 5 days, the race was on the 12th!

Buses were running late, barely made it to our start corral. The anthem was playing as I was trying to get in for a 5:30AM start. I was trying to find the entrance when someone in front of me pulled the barriers apart and walked in, I followed. I was in the D corral, each had about a 10min stagger.

First 2mi were good, saw the elite runners already coming back, they were probably on 9mi. My 5K split was slower than the 10mi race. Came onto Main Street around 5.5mi, still felt good and was on plan. Don't know if it was adrenaline, but my 10K time was faster than the 10mi. Got to Cinderella's castle and there was major congestion will all the people taking pictures of themselves. Kinda took an extended walk break around 7mi and ate some chomps. Continued on, but at 10mi, I kinda decided to just walk the rest. My knees and ankles were sore. I thought I walked that entire last 5K but according to my Garmin, I ran about .85mi. Ran into EPCOT, went around spaceship Earth (the giant golf ball) and back out to the finish in the EPCOT parking lot.

Registered for another ½marathon in Disneyland in August. The race sold out in 2 days, now I'm looking for a place to stay there.

[The Teardrop Nanny]

(Sound coming through right now is the theme from the movie "Rocky")

Way to go, Rocky. I am looking forward to seeing you again sometime soon! Keep up the hard work.
TDN

[Fenlason]

I want to do another with a little longer distance. A few near me conflict with other things. There is one that might work, but I have a 10mi that same week. I haven't done a run longer than 10K. I am registered for a ½ marathon in Jan.

Old thread, but I finished the ½Marathon and the 10mi in Disney World. The 10mi was a night race in Oct, it was brutal, low 90's with probably 99% humidity. I trained for it and finished right on my anticipated pace. The aftermath of the 10mi became a pukefest, so many people got dehydrated and lost it. Hollywood Studios stayed open till 3AM for the runners, I read that Rock n Rollercoaster had to keep closing down because they had to stop and clean it every 10min. I didn't stick around and just went back to the resort. I anticipated the heat and ran with a camelbak, I also drank at all the water stops. Took a pull right after the finishline and it was empty.

For the ½ a couple weeks ago, I hardly trained at all. I caught the flu around Thanksgiving, and held off training till I felt better. Then when I finally did start, I caught it again on New Years Eve. Went to a doc ASAP, doc gave me a script for Tamiflu, and said no strenuous exertion for 5 days, the race was on the 12th!

Buses were running late, barely made it to our start corral. The anthem was playing as I was trying to get in for a 5:30AM start. I was trying to find the entrance when someone in front of me pulled the barriers apart and walked in, I followed. I was in the D corral, each had about a 10min stagger.

First 2mi were good, saw the elite runners already coming back, they were probably on 9mi. My 5K split was slower than the 10mi race. Came onto Main Street around 5.5mi, still felt good and was on plan. Don't know if it was adrenaline, but my 10K time was faster than the 10mi. Got to Cinderella's castle and there was major congestion will all the people taking pictures of themselves. Kinda took an extended walk break around 7mi and ate some chomps. Continued on, but at 10mi, I kinda decided to just walk the rest. My knees and ankles were sore. I thought I walked that entire last 5K but according to my Garmin, I ran about .85mi. Ran into EPCOT, went around spaceship Earth (the giant golf ball) and back out to the finish in the EPCOT parking lot.

Registered for another ½marathon in Disneyland in August. The race sold out in 2 days, now I'm looking for a place to stay there.

congratulations.. it sounds like some tough race conditions.. It really sucks when you want to.. but health or other things get in the way of training.