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Westfields Sprint Tri Recap & thoughts

I feel like I have been training for and talking about this Westfields Sprint Tri for months now. Since I officially started training for it back in January, I guess I have. Spoiler alert: it was pretty great and I am excited to share how it all went down with you today.

Westfields Sprint Tri

Westfields Sprint Tri

Pre-race prep

Writing my race day letter to myself a few weeks ago helped to remember how hard I’ve worked and to ease some of my race day anxiety. I can so easily let race day nerves get the best of me and I found, this time around, writing out my whole race plan and then imagining myself performing each step was a game changer. I literally read and re-read my whole race day plan a few times the days before and the imagined myself experiencing the race just that way. I will be doing this from now on.

Race Day!

Woke up at 4:15 am (why do these things have to start so early?) and arrived at the race at 5:45 to set up my transition. I loved that our names were printed on the bike racks. I had plenty of space to set up my gear.

Westfields tri recap

My MRTT friend Laura was fortunately right across from me.

Westfields Tri

The Swim

Westfields tri

This swim was a 250 yard swim in an indoor pool at a rec center. The swim was self seed and I put myself right where I thought I should be. It went smoother than I expected and I only got caught up in a pack twice. Finished the swim in 5:15 which included getting out of the pool and running across the mat. Very happy with that time for this distance. Those master swim classes are helping quite a bit.

Transition 1

They did not provide out T-1 times but I know it was around 2:30 m we had a long run from the pool to the are that our bikes were racked. Running barefoot through the parking lot not my fave.

The Bike- 12 miles on a 2 loop course

My plan was to go out hard and fast and give it my all on the bike. Those hill rides I have been doing the last few weeks have really helped me to up my bike confidence and fitness. I averaged over 18 miles an hour. Best tri bike leg I’ve ever had by minutes. Pulled back slightly on the last 2 miles to get ready to run.

Transition 2

Smooth and fast I am guessing around 1:30 m

The Run- 5K

No matter how great I feel when I get off of the bike, I continue to find the run challenging and today was no different. I pulled back on the first mile (per my plan) to get my HR under control and find my rhythm. I was supposed to gradually increase my pace in the second & third miles but I just couldn’t get my legs to move any faster.  Was able to pull out a little burst when I saw the finish w and average pace of 10:18. I was hoping to be more around a 9:50 per mile. My weakness is running off of the bike and that’s what I will be working on the next few weeks.

Westfields Tri Recap

1st #Tri race of the year #PRBaby @Rev3 #Westfields

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The Finish

I knew I had managed a PR in the sprint tri distance but did not realize until I got home that I had an 8 minute PR from my last tri! I am more than happy with the start of my season and look forward to seeing how I will do once I figure out that running part. The Westfields tri was one of my favorites and I know I will be back next year.

Thanks for reading this long recap! Next race in 4 weeks

Any tips on how I can get better running off of the bike?

linking up:

Suz, Debbie, Lora, Rachel

AnnMarie, Nicole, Jen

Debbie

Westfields TriWestfields Tri, Wednesday Word link up


About Deborah Brooks

Hi I'm Deborah! I spend my days successfully raising a husband & 2 teens in the VA/DC area. I am a lover of all things running & fitness. As a life long vegetarian, I've always been passionate about healthy living & exercise. Looking for partners in crime, I started my own chapter of Moms Run This Town (MRTT) which has grown to over 700 members. I've met so many amazing women who inspire me daily to keep moving forward. You can usually find me running with my crew and training for the next crazy adventure they talked me into. I love to keep up to date on new running & fitness trends. I definitely choose my running gear based on color and love to express my fashion sense while exercising.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  7. Carla says

    What ever it says about me I’m so unbelievably confident I will never do a triathlon. I read this. I’ve read about your training. The only thing I could rock would be the 4:15 AM wake up
    #youreawesome
    Carla recently posted…Triggers, Triggers EverywhereMy Profile

    • Deborah Brooks says

      Thanks! You know it;s always harder than I think on race day to run off of the bike. I do wonder how some people just seem to do it at their same pace. Thanks so much for the support!

  16. Cyndi says

    Congrats on the 8 min PR! I’ve never run a tri and I can’t imagine running after biking. Visualizing your race is such a great idea. And a nice way to calm those nerves!
    Cyndi recently posted…The Power of GreensMy Profile

  17. HoHo Runs says

    Great job! Eight minutes? That’s an impressive PR too. I’m loving they already assigned you a transition spot and had your name on it! Running off the bike always feels hard. Let me know if you find a trick for making it any easier.

  18. Laura says

    So awesome!! That’s a huge pr. This looks like such a fun race- it almost makes me want to find a tri again! I did one sprint tri back in Houston and loved it, but never did any more.

    I also found the run post-bike was really challenging. Practicing running on fatigued legs can help- either right after a bike ride, or doing a run the day after a long run so they get used to that feeling. Congrats!!
    Laura recently posted…What I eat the week before and after a half marathonMy Profile

  20. Tamieka Thomasson says

    WhooHoo!!

    Congrats again!

    It is crazy we didn’t see each other. We woke up and got got there at the exact same time….just wasn’t meant to be I guess ;(

    I swear, what you wrote about the run were my exact feelings!!!

    I will be back next year too! It was a great race!

    Great recap!

  28. Teresa says

    Wow! That’s awesome! So happy for you! I can’t imagine having to run across a parking lot barefoot after a swim…. that would not be fun. 18 miles per hour on the bike is quite impressive girl…you have been training hard! Running off the bike just plain sucks. There’s no two ways about that. In the du’s I’ve done, my pace has always been a little faster than they felt but not anywhere near as fast as before the ride portion. It’s just hard. Congratulations!
    Teresa recently posted…Quarry Crusher Race Series ~ BirminghamMy Profile

  38. Sarah says

    Way to go Deborah! You are just amazing and inspirational. Way to go on the PR and doing better then you thought. I think it will really help set the tone for the season with such a strong positive start!

  39. Jennifer says

    Congrats, Deborah! You’ve worked so hard this year. I’m thinking next year will be more tris vs. road racing, so I’ll have to book mark this 🙂

  40. Lex @ Flecks of Lex says

    I love reading triathlon recaps. I learn so much about the sport that way. Congrats on a great race! Running across the parking lot barefoot sounds terrible – and risky! Hopefully they’ll change that for next year! Congrats again 🙂

  45. Sandra Laflamme says

    Nice work on the PR! My fear with a tri like that is the indoor swim as I am still trying to master flip turns so I know that would greatly slow me down. You look fab in your Smashfest Queen Sakura Sun!

    • Deborah Brooks says

      Ok so this swim prohibited flip turns so it was just fine for me. I seriously doubt you would have any trouble at all! I do love the Smashfest but now I have to have something new to wear for my next one. Which ones do you like?

  46. Jessie @ The Acquired Sass says

    An 8 minute PR is HUGE! I’ve done 1 sprint tri before and LOVED it, and there is another I am doing in August, and I am so excited to start training soon!

    No tips for the bike to run transition, I was pleasantly surprised with how well I did with that in my first tri. One thing I did is EVERY TIME I did a bike ride, I ran at least 5-10 minutes afterwards, even if I wasn’t planning to do a whole brick workout. Just got my legs a little more used to it. And in training I would always PUSH the last 1-2 miles of my ride to get my legs nice and heavy, made race day seem easier.

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