Toyota Challenge at Deer Creek - Sprint - TriathlonSprint

The coarse was a big rectangle and it wasn't too difficult to maneuver. I had never done an OWS so I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't get kicked in the face but the chop and wind made it hard to get into a groove. The only thing that felt good was breathing on every stroke on my right side. Which is not at all how I trained but I found it was the only way I could catch a decent breath without swallowing a lot of water. I had to stop stroking a few times to keep from being kicked or to catch my breath.

Practice OWS and try and get into a groove earlier. Overall I felt I did well for my first OWS. I surprised myself and how good I felt after the swim.

This transition took a while. I didn't really set it up correctly and I my shoes were still tied! Duh! So I had to untie them, put the shoes on, and retie. I wasn't looking to rush I really just wanted to catch my breath and make sure I had everything.

set up T1 more efficiently

The bike was the worst for me, I was passed constantly but I just tried to stay at a consistent pace. I have a mountain bike which slowed me down considerably. The hills were also tough and I ended up walking my bike up the hills. But, i really didnt' mind, yea it slowed me down but it allowed me to catch my breath a bit, calm down, and stretch my legs. Throughout the whole thing I just kept repeating "this is my own race" so I wouldn't get down on myself.

Train better for the bike portion.

This went pretty smoothly and I surprisingly my legs felt ok going into the run. I'm glad I hydrated properly on the bike.

nothing really..

Going into this, I thought the run was going to be the most difficult and most mental part of the race for me. I was surprised at how great I felt. I think I was just full of adrenaline and disbelief that I was almost done! I did walk a bit just to give me a legs a break and my feet were bugging me a bit (I have flat feet so they often give me problems). I also stopped for a bathroom break which was necessary. I'm a little embarrassed to say, but I found myself getting choked up a few times because I was so excited and proud that I was almost finished and I actually accomplished this. So I had to calm myself down a few times and take deep breaths. I finished the race with a smile on my face and with a little kick at the end. I was just so happy to finish!

I stretched and got some food they provided. Mostly I just couldn't wipe the smile off my face. :)


I could and should have trained more in the month before the race, but overall I felt I did great for my first ever triathlon.


It was pretty well organized. We had a little bit of a late start but other than that it seemed to run smoothly. I like how they call each racers name when they cross the finish line, but they were having technical difficulties when I crossed!