1st Tri done - something for the vets to laugh at and other newbs to avoid doing!

Hello fellow BT'ers,

Well I completed my 1st Sprint Tri on Sunday - 400m pool swim, 24K bike, 5K run.

Thanks to all you more experienced triathletes for your posts, forums and discussions. I spent lots of time reading other peoples advice and it really paid off.

So to the race:

The swim went ok although it can get pretty congested in the pool at times, lots of ankle slapping going on!

And then came my 1st triathlon mistake for the vets to laugh at... I made it to T1 ok, but was so focused on putting on helmet and number belt before grabbing the bike (to avoid a telling off by the marshalls) that when I did grab it and start running to the exit I suddenly realised I didn’t have my cycling shoes on! I couldn’t believe it, so I had to go back and put on my shoes oops!

Everything else went to plan and I finished as follows:
400m swim - 9:25 (needs work)
24K bike - 48.52 mins
5K - 24.38

Overall 1:25.36 (inc T1 & T2) (Finished 117^th out of 187 which I am so pleased with)

Thanks again for all the great advice and information on the site.

 Best advice I could give a 1^st timer having done a triathlon now:

-       Definitely take a brightly coloured towel to see your bike more easily in transition

-       Remember a black sack just in case it’s wet, as wet trainers for the run would really suck!

-       Enjoy every second of it in particularly if you get to chase someone down and overtake them it feels amazing.

-       Really relish the applause and sense of achievement as you cross the line, it feels fantastic

-       And above all else REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR SHOES ON IN TRANSITION!

 Now onto the next one in 5 weeks! I’m hooked!