Pacific Grove - TriathlonOlympic

My wave was with the Team in Training people that are super nice and my swim started fine. I was stroking evenly and keeping my face in the water which is a problem for me because I hate cold water on my face. I will preface the rest of the swim story with the fact that the swim is my least favorite part. It is cold, salty, filled with kelp and you get hit by other swimmers, plus I am a VERY slow swimmer. On this course you swim one lap get out of the water, run around a rock, and then swim another lap for a total of 1.5 KM. I had finished my first lap and I emerged from the water with a serious case of "sea legs", meaning I couldn't walk well, so I stumbled around the rock and dove back in for my second lap. As I came up from my dive to start the swim I heard the airhorn go off signalling that the next wave was coming in the water. Uh oh! I am right in the way of 150 hard core women that are about to pummel me. I was crushed within momments. I actually hit the sand under water I was hit so hard. Hands, feet, bodies, I was attacked by everything. I just floated still and waited for the majority to pass and then went about my swim. I stayed to the right of the course to let the faster swimmers go by and to not get pounded anymore. The buoys that mark the turns can be crazy and dangerous for slow swimmers so I swung wide of each buoy. The volunteers in the kayaks were yelling for me to swim to the left because I was swimming farther out than other people, but it was worth it to me to avoid contact with other swimmers. On the way in from my second lap I remember the words of one of my coach's (Jacquie Mardell)husband, Rob Mardell (ironman Canada triathelete), who told us to "kick like h#ll" in the last 20 yards of water to get the blood going in your legs so you could run out of the water.


I need swim lessons! I was not at all tired but I was obviously very inefficient swimming.

It was in this transition, which went well overall, that I realized that my race food was in my other bag at the hotel. Dear God, am I going to make it through this? I had two gels on my bike to get me through the day!

BRING FOOD! Learn to run with bike without falling and breaking neck.

I ran/walked with my bike to the mount line and started my ride. I was doing ok until about mile 10 or 12 when I started to feel the effects of little breakfast and no real nutrition to speak of, I ate my last gel, but I never felt quite right in the ride. I finished the ride in one hour 45 minutes, which was slower than I had hoped for, but considering that I spent a lot of the ride scouring the ground for half eaten power bars it was ok. I got off the bike and had no strength in my legs to run to the the transition area, so I walked my bike to my rack and changed for the run.


More training on the bike. I started riding (other than as a child) four months ago, so I guess I just need more experience and better equipment, clipless pedals and a bike that is newer than circa 1984 would probably help.

My feet and hands were numb, I did not dare try to run. I needed to visit the little girls room, and my transition area was a good distance from the "run out" line, so that added to my time

Again, learn to run with bike. Have more food!!

I started the run on the worst pair of legs I had ever felt. I kept looking down to make sure someone hadn't switced my legs with someone else, because they sure didn't feel like they belonged to me. I suffered for the first two miles until an angel from heaven dressed as a 14 year old boy volunteer handed me a Power gel and some Gatorade. Then I met up with another Team in Training athelete from Oregon named Sarah that ran with me for my entire second lap (it was her third and final lap so I was able to see her finish). Once the nutrition kicked in I began to feel much better. I ran the third lap until I caught up with my friend Sameen. We had trained together all season and decided to finish together. We finished the run and my run time was 1 hour 20 minutes (an ok time for me, but I could have done better).


More distance training and more bike to run brick workouts to prepare myself for the "lead legs" you experience.

None (of course)


My overall fitness, but since is the first triathlon (or athletic event of any sort for that matter) in my life I think it went pretty good.


The volunteers at Pac Grove were AWESOME!! They cheered and were extrememly gracious and helpful. Thank you to all that came out to help.