After completing my very first Triathlon in the middle of July last year, I decided that this year I should start a little earlier. So, looking at the 2007 HSBC schedule back in March, the Lakeside Sprint looked like a nice gentle start of the season with the slightly shorter distances for all three disciplines. The long flat sections of the bike course and the gentle rolling out-&-back run course, as it was described in the HSBC/Multisport magazine, sounded actually really inviting. Just as I had made up my mind came the news from RJeremy at Running Free, that I had just won a free entry for an HSBC Sprint triathlon. That was good timing, Jeremy. I signed up immediately.
Checking the directions given in the magazine and comparing them to the map
Lakeside appeared to be an easy place to find. After leaving Hwy 401onto a country road, then turning off at an even smaller country road, and eventually turning onto a gravel road, I got a little worried. If the best way to the Town of Lakeside is by gravel road, what kind of road are we going to ride on for the bike part of the triathlon? However, just as I pulled into the parking area, I could see paved road ahead. That certainly put my mind at ease. Regardless of my worries, I arrived well in time and actually the temperature was just reaching double digits (11 degrees) which almost felt like freezing.
Swim
Hmm, the swim! This was my first swim under race conditions in my new wetsuit, and I was just a little apprehensive (remember, I’m a relative newbie, only just started this last year). Promptly, about a hundred or so yards out, I began to have some problems breathing; it felt like somebody was sitting on my chest. After a few strokes on my back I was able to recover and continue and even finish my swim somewhere in the middle of the pack. Afterwards I was told that it was a common occurrence for first time wetsuit wearers to get that tight feeling.
Bike
I had a pretty good Transition 1, with everything laid out fairly well, and for the first time I was planning not wear any socks for the bike section. Socks are hard to get on when the feet are still wet. The course was in the shape of a “T”, with a short leg up and then a long section across the top, starting out straight into the wind. It did not take very long to get those quads warmed up and then burning, but since I was passing other riders left, right and center, it made the burning a little more bearable. Naturally this straight into the wind changed as soon as we did the 180˚ and then ride back the whole top of the “T”, this time with a much appreciated push from behind, before making another 180˚ and ride back into the wind, with a short tack back to Transition 2. I must have passed some 60 or so riders along the way and I felt just great. Coming up to the bike rack, I noticed that there were no other bikes on our rack yet, which could only mean, holy cow, I must be in first place for my age group!
Run
Quickly rack the bike, helmet off put on socks and shoes and off I go. Out of the corner of my right eye, I could see another competitor, whom I had just passed on the bike, was able to leave T2 ahead of me. Note to myself for the next race; Putting on socks takes too much time and I should be able to do these short runs without socks. The run course started out on a paved road but shortly changed to gravel, very hard to run on and for some reason it seamed to go on for ever. Also, while the description said, a gentle rolling out-&-back course, it forgot to mention that it was a gentle rolling down on the out and then, well, it had to gently roll back up again. My running right now still lacks any kind of speed but I managed to hang in there anyway. As I was turning the corner into the finish stretch, I could just hear the announcer calling out the bib # of the lucky winner of “The racer of the day” prize, a three hundred dollar gift certificate. She was only two or three runners ahead of me, I just missed it.
Overall it was a great day, the cool temperatures in the morning were perfect for racing, the venue was great, even the Mayor showed up at the award ceremonies, and as always, this was another well organized event. On top of that, I won my age group Yehhh!.
