This was my first triathlon, so I wasn't really sure what to expect for the swim. I had practiced the swim a few times beforehand, so I was at least familiar with the course; however, I hadn't had the opportunity to swim it with a group of people. The start of the race was a little crazy for me, but once I broke from the group, I managed to calm down and swim.

I hadn't completely perfected my stroke and breathing at this point, so I was switching between the breast stroke and the back stroke. Next year, I will plan to swim only the breast stroke now that I have gotten more comfortable with my breathing.

This transition seemed a lot longer than this for me, especially when I first got out of the water and had to grasp my bearings a bit! I jogged from the exit of the swim to the transition for the bike. It was longer than I had expected and on pavement, but I still completed the job barefoot. My legs cramped a bit upon exiting the water, but once I got going they felt better. Drank some water and grabbed "jelly beans" for the ride :)

Nothing. Would still run barefoot in order to give time for my feet to dry.

Course was mostly flat and smooth on several side roads. There were several areas with potholes, so beware. After leaving the transition, you immediately go over the Wrightsville Beach draw bridge, which many people say is usually slippery. The event setup put rubber mats down on the metal grates to prevent bikes from slipping, however, I found them to be more rough and would have rather just road slowly over the grates.

I definitely would have pushed a little harder in the beginning and towards the end. I found myself looking around sometimes to see where I was; if I had focused a little more, I could have cut at least 5 minute off of my time. Oh well, first timer! :)

This transition was pretty smooth for me, I only got caught up a bit when I first got off of my bike. Once I was in the transition area and to my station, I quickly drank some more water, helmet off, grabbed a gel pack and began running. I don't use the clip shoes, so once I'm off the bike I didn't have to put a different pair of shoes on.

Paid more attention to where I was supposed to be getting off of my bike. I didn't realize where the lady was, so I skidded past her when I put on my brakes.

I think I was the most prepared for this leg of the race. By the start of my run, my legs were so tired already it didn't really matter how fast I ran. The gel definitely helped me in the beginning of my race. There was one area that I had to walk for a bit because I got a terrible calf and foot cramp, but I should have pushed through because they normally pass if I keep running.

I would have kept running with my cramp, just a little slower than my pace. I also would have grabbed water at one of the other stations that I skipped.

I walked around for a bit to slow my heart rate. Grabbed two bottles of water and chugged them. I then stretched.


Swim technique, leg/foot cramps, and just the fact that this was my first race. I was worried I was going to miss a turn or something!


This was my first triathlon and I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere in the morning was great and it was very, very organized. I am racing again in 2013 and I'm excited to improve my overall time. I was in the novice group, so I was the last group to begin, so I'm not sure of the post-race activities, but I didn't see anything other than food and drinks for the racers. A lot of people were leaving as I was completing my final leg of the run and if that's the case, I think they should hold the activities until most people have finished. Also, some of the best races that I have competed in and ran have included a beer tent afterwards, which they did not. Instead, we walked to Lighthouse Beer and Wine across the street to celebrate a fabulous race!