Thursday, June 2, 2011

Goals Post - My First Tri

So my first Tri is just 2 weeks away now on June 19th! As it has been approaching I have been thinking about what I expect out of this tri and what my goals are? I was going to wait to post this later, but what the heck I have been thinking about it for the last week now.

First off, should I really have any goals besides to finish and have fun since it'll be my first time racing? But, as much as I do just want to finish, I also want to do well! I have always been competitive and I would be lying to myself if I said I didn't care about my time. I don't care where I finish compared to everyone else, but I do want to have a mini race with myself, so here are my goals:

Swim: .5 miles
I'm not the best of swimmers since I just started swimming in Jan of this year and I have never swam in open water. I'm so nervous about the swim that my stomach goes in knots every time I think about it.  I can usually swim 800 meters in about 16 minutes. So, since it will be open water, I am thinking I need to tack on an extra 2 minutes? My goal is to finish in 18 minutes.

Bike: 12.5 miles
I just got a real bike in Feb and I'm still learning what I'm doing. But, since I just got my bike shoes I feel like a super speed racer now! However, I still suck at going around corners/turns and need to slow way down. Why am I such a baby? I am hoping to finish the bike around 42 minutes which would put me at an 17 - 18 mph pace. This may be a little ambitious? Maybe riding at 16 would be a better goal, I don't know?

Run: 4.2 miles
Ok, well running is probably my strongest just because I have ran a race before and I feel comfortable with myself running. As for how hot it is going to be will play a big factor into how fast I can run! I pretty much suck at running in the heat. Yesterday it said 101 as I ran past the bank at my slow 10 minute pace. I would like to finish around 35 minutes with about a 8:20 pace. I should have no problem doing this (if it's not 100 out).

T1 and T2
Oh transitions and how I don't know what I'm doing! I have never practiced these yet! Yes I know I need to! I plan on doing a sprint tri down at Haines Point next Saturday June 11th. Jason will act as my coach and watch my gear for me. I am hoping by doing this I will learn how the transitions work. I am actually really nervous for these! How the heck am I going to find my bike? I am tacking on 5 minutes total for both the T1 and T2. That gives me 2.5 minutes in each area. I don't know if this is realist or not?

Total time: 1:40

Overall, I feel really ready for this and I'm excited to officially enter the triathlon world with my first race! I know I will have a blast and hopefully I will have a smile on my face the whole time and not get kicked in the face during the swim like Lauren did.

2 comments:

  1. I'm sure you will have a great race and a lot of fun! These seem like realistic goals to me. I hope the weather cooperates and stays under 100!

    It sounds like a good idea to practice transitions - I did not and had no idea what I was doing last weekend! I bet you can get out in under 2:30 each time though.

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  2. For my first tri, I practiced my transitions when I did my bricks. Not sure if you are able to do that but it was rally helpful for me. Two weeks is so close! Don't sweat the open water; focusing on staying relaxed during the swim will help you the most. Great goals - can't wait to hear how you do!

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