Portlaoise Try-athlon: A Newbies Perspective
I was asked to write this report about my first ever triathlon and to share the experience with other Triathletes that are new to our club! I hope it might give some insight into some of the things that might concern you (like they did for me!) and dispel any fears.
My first triathlon was Tri Laois in Portlaoise on 6th April 2013. Well the nerves running up to it were something else. I am not a swimmer by any means. I’m happy with my run and cycle but I have no confidence in the water and feel like I’m always panting for air! The fear of the swim and being smacked in the face and kicked were one thing…. Then thinking…… will I actually get through the 750m laps at all? What if I stop half way and can’t breathe? And if I do finish it and jump out of water I will probably slip and fall over!
I can safely say that none of this was the case! It was quite the opposite. Everybody was lovely and supportive first of all and I had time to get to know my fellow lane-swimmers too. There were much more first-timers like me than I thought. Apparently there are always many first-timers at triathlons with the increasing popularity of Tri! The swim was over before I knew it and was uneventful thankfully! The marshals were very good. There was a marshal on either side of the lane counting our laps and watching us. They ensured that if someone was too fast they would let them go-ahead and it was managed in a controlled way. I got out of the pool with a big smirk on my face. I knew that the worst was over, it was even enjoyable!
The run to the bike in my bare feet was surprisingly fine (you can wear flip-flops if you like). I left all sorts of clothing options by my bike (pulse top, jacket, gloves etc.) but in the excitement of it all, I just forgot the clothing and thoughts of being cold! Put on the helmet and race belt/number and away I went. You’d be surprised at how warm you are already from the swim & how quickly you dry out when on the bike. I was wearing the one-piece Tri Suit for swimming which has a little padding for the bike. Lots of people cheered us on coming out of transition. The cycle went fine and again, it was over before I knew it. Thankfully you don’t have to worry about not knowing the route as there are marshals everywhere wearing hi-vis tops scattered all over the course and any corners. When I got to the bike ‘dismount line’ I ran back into transition with the bike. Put the bike up, then helmet off (Note: An important rule about Transition is that you are not allowed to touch your bike until you have your helmet on and closed first. Similar when you return from cycle you must rack you’re bike before removing helmet – safety rules, but you’ll be briefed on that before the race anyway).
Off we headed on the run, the final leg home! Now your legs will feel like jelly for the first few minutes but just focus on breathing in through the nose, out through mouth, and keep your legs moving and you’ll fall into your rhythm eventually and feel fine. Just remember, everyone is feeling the same!!
Again the run is over before I knew it because the adrenaline and atmosphere pulls you a lot of the way too. Finishing it was a great feeling!
How prepared was I training wise? I’ve been training since before Christmas and tried to focus much more on the swim because, while on the Pulse Training camp in France, we learned that you really should put most of your time into your weakest (swim for me) and similarly more time into your next weakest. I felt that I covered that swim distance about twice/week and knew I could do it, albeit slower than I’d like. I returned to training with the club last November after being out for almost a year with a long-term injury. I feel that the consistent training with the club the past number of months is the reason why I got through my first triathlon and really enjoyed it.
Training preparation is the key but what’s also very important (which I didn’t do!) is to rest well the week running up to a race. This should be your taper/rest/recovery week where you should sleep well. Instead I spent the week in Amsterdam at work events all day and evenings and unfortunately got very little sleep, returning to Ireland evening day before the triathlon pretty exhausted. Thankfully the adrenaline got me through the race but I would strongly recommend against any form of hi-energy and little-sleep activities in the days leading up to a race, especially your first one!
Looking forward to the next Triathlon in Limerick on 28th April 🙂
Report by Lizanne Barnwall