July 21, Saturday, Tri-day
| Place | Bib | Athlete Name | City | State | Age | Gender | CLASS | PENALTY | Finish Time | Division Place | Swim Time | Bike Time | Run Time | Transition 1 Time | Transition 2 Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1287 | 688 | ROBERT F. O’ROURKE | JACKSON | NJ | 75 | M | M75-79 | 0 | 01:51:47 | 6 | 00:19:45 | 00:48:42 | 00:35:45 | 00:04:42 | 00:02:51 |
9
So, I didn’t get very much sleep last night in anticipation of my first triathlon. I gathered all my gear and put it in the car last night before I went to sleep. I was pretty nervous about this whole adventure I have to admit. Woke up at 5:15 this morning, drove to the park and went through the ritual of setting up my transition. It was somewhat imposing with all of the other athletes but I think it worked out pretty well. I met up with Maura and Andy Perry before the race who are also competing. I also met up with Kevin whose bike I am using before the race. Matty O’Rourke also showed up with his dog killer. Killer weighs about three and a half pounds I would guess.
I experienced a lot of nervousness and excitement in anticipation of the entering the water at 7:55. Andy took off in the flight before me and Maura took off into flights behind me. They were very nice and supportive before the race which helped a lot.
The swim segment of the event was a bit daunting, but I did manage to get through it under 20 minutes which was my goal. There were parts at which I was a little bit disoriented and breathless, but I managed to recover and I think I finished pretty strong. I have concluded, however, that I am not a strong swimmer.
The transition to the bike went very well but still took over 4 minutes. I was very happy to have my 5 gallon bucket to sit on. As I prepared to upload on my bike I mis-stepped and did a little bit of a flip. I cut up my knee and elbow on the right side but it didn’t affect my performance for the rest of the race, just looked a little bloody. As a result of the bike falling I believe I unsettled the timing mechanism so that the data was not recording and I was kind of at a loss throughout the 11 and a half miles as to time and distance. It was a little disconcerting. But I got through the 11 and a half miles and made the transition to running again in just over two minutes. Kevin was very helpful at each transition encouraging me and assuring me I was doing well. It took a while to get started on the 5K and my heel was a constant ache on each foot- strike, but I was able to concentrate on my breathing rhythm and belly breathing to distract me. I managed to run 35 minutes for the 5K which was better than I expected given all the circumstances. I met my goal on each of the legs of the event. I broke 20 for the swim, broke an hour for the bike and I broke 40 minutes for the run. Total time including transitions 1 hour and 51 minutes. All in all a tiring but rewarding and successful experience.
Now I have to get my foot straightened out and get some rest.
Stats next time.