Win a Body Paint TRI Suit
Posted on February 18th, 2013 in NEWS | 67 Comments »
To celebrate our new TRI FaceBook page, we’re giving away one Body Paint Tri Suit.
Contest Instructions:
Give us your Facebook ‘LIKE’ and tell us, in the comments below, about your most UNIQUE triathlon RACE experience, and you’ll be in the running for the grand prize.
Don’t forget to share it with your friends on Twitter using the hashtag #tricastelli
Prize Eligibility
This prize draw is open to residents of the European Union and North America, except employees of Castelli and their families, agents or anyone else professionally associated with the draw.
Sweepstakes Period:
The Sweepstakes begins at 12:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time (PST) on February 17, 2013 and ends at 11:59 PM (PST) on February 27, 2013.
67 Responses
I think back to when I first competed in a triathlon and not knowing much about the transitions and the amount of time that can be saved. One of the organisers advised me to used a pair of speedos (swim briefs) instead of forking out for a tri suit just in case the event didn’t agree with me. Anyway, to cut a long story short I was the only entrant wearing a pair and after T2 I had three layers on; swimmers, bib shorts and running shorts. Needless to say I learnt from that mistake!
It would have to be my first. For starters, I had amazing support from my roommate at the time, an elite amateur, who had given me a place to live when a job I was moving out of state to take had fallen through. She helped me through every aspect. The race itself was a comedy of errors. I got off course on the bike and took a tour of surrounding roads. I assumed I was disqualified (because I previously did a sport where that would have been true) so I cruised the run. I confess I wandered off course on that too!! Despite being directionally challenged, I posted the fastest bike time in my div and finished up 6th. The race photos captured me twice on the bike in the same spot, once looking pleasant and once looking extremely fierce!!
The year I did Kona, the volunteers in the bike-run tradition area could NOT find my bag – I had to run the 1st mile of the marathon in my socks (since the bag had my shoes. Ouch!
Watching my son win his first.
Finishing KONA under 10 hours.
My first Ironman in Madison, WI. The hype leading up to the event, my whole family was there the whole day to cheer, and I got to ride the end portion and run most lf the marathon with my girlfriend (when I caught up to her on the bike after she kicked my butt in the swim). It wasn’t a stellar performance but one I could be happy with and even more happy to take in the event with family and friends. I know it’s just an event and a hobby but the long distance really helps discover what’s really inside you as a person and competitor.
I have not yet competed in a triathlon. I have done a couple bike races and numerous running races. My wife (of one year today!) and I have enjoyed training together for different races and challenges. We are now turning our eyes to tri. I am very excited to see how tri training and racing effects my fitness, but I am more excited to see how this new challenge will bring me and my wife closer together. Those who train together, stay together!
First one coming up this season. Can’t wait.
My first thriathlon, I was somewhere in the middle of the group, when I get a flatout on my bike at the beginning of the bike stage.. but it was only 20 seconds after my start, so my friend helps me to change the wheel and then everything goes well.. :)
In my first race I got so panicked that I had forgotten to pick up a swim cap that I forgot my goggles. I picked up a cap easily at the event, but as a result I realised that I have a natural propensity to turn right. Every ten strokes I would look up to realise that I was no longer looking down the course, but starring at a race martial’s canoe. I probably swam an extra 100m. I eventually had to resort to breast stroke. But I still finished in the upper quartile!
Third Ironman, IM Austria 2003, took my 70 year old Dad to see me race, he was 70. At the start I asked him to help me zip up up my wetsuit with 10 minutes to go. Dad had never seen a wetsuit, let alone zipped one up but i felt I wanted he involved. Thus he proceeded to rip the zip out of the wetsuit and completly demolish the zip area. Panick was not the word! After a mass panic including considering pulling out I was talked into swimming in my bibshorts which is what I was wearing under the wetsuit!! I appeared on the startline the only person in just bibshorts and feeling very frightened. Everone else there just thought I must be an awesome swimmer!!!! Anyway I swam the 3.8km with the Chamois filled with water and acting like a babys nappy and got round in a rather long 1:20 ish. But it taught me to believe in myself. Anyway the swim is such a small part of the day. I then nailed the bike!
My first triathlon was not what I would call unique however it was interesting. The Bike leg had you running nearly a half mile with your bike thru a corn field to the road and then on return running back thru the cornfield to the transition area after the bike leg. All of this seems strange in a “sprint” distance tri where the run was supposed to be 3.1 miles. Add in a 1 mile run in Cycling shoes and it made it far more difficult on the calves than it should have been
I wanted to do my first Ironman at the age of 18 and the zip of my wetsuit couldn´t be closed so i had to start swimming in my trisuit. Butwater was so cold that I wasnt able to finish swimming because of cramps and so on because of the cold water and i had to give up. What a pity so the money i paid for starting at my first IRONMAN event was gone :-(
Trying a triathlon relay with my friends. It definitely brought a whole new level of fun and a more relaxed atmosphere to the race!
One of my favorite Triathlon was the Washington dc Olympic distance. It was not my longest but one of the most fun. It was a Really hot race. At 4 in the morning it was over 80 and reached like 110 at the run. i couldn’t throw enough water on my head to keep cool. Tt wasn’t my Fastest race 18th in my age group out of 100 people think there was over 2000 over all .The reason it was my favorite because i got to race around the monuments and the white house.
Most unique experience was Door County Half-Iron Triathlon in 2011. The temperatures spiked to over 90 degrees that day. The run course was carnage, with people walking from right out of transition. The race organizers were great in providing water, ice, and even ice dunk tanks on the course and at the finish. Sitting in the dunk tank at the end felt great.
First 70.3 in Antwerp 4 yrs ago. Ran 19km with a sore Achilles heel. Lesson learned: listen to your body. Always!
Watching the Ironman Worlds has given me hope as I have had 6 surgery’s on my left knee and seeing people like Sarah Reinertsen compete gives me hope in competing someday.
Haven’t done any long distance races yet, but I’m doing my first IM this summer… Feeling excited, thrilled, scared, confident etc. about it.
I’ve been doing a lot of different race types over the years, such as marathons, ½maras, adventure races, but nothing beats the feeling of crossing the finish line of the first serious race/competition with a feeling of having done something great – and wanting more…
I completed a small (at the time, huge) indoor triathlon. 600m swim, 5 mile bike, 4 mile run. I didn’t break down on the run, but I certainly found it difficult to run well. I smoked one of my teammates in the swim/bike, but he got me on the run. I was certainly surprised since I beat him in all of the runs. I took second overall to another teammate.
This past summer I was racing a half iron distance tri. The bike course was a four loop course. On the third loop I missed a turn. Um, right, how did I miss a turn on the third loop?!?! Went quite a way before I realized something was wrong. Back tracked. Got back on course, finished the bike (got to re-pass a bunch of the same people!), and headed out on the run, which was hilly and hot. It turned out to be the day I raced 77.2 mile. in a race of 70.3, but managed to claw my way back to second in my age group! Guess it goes to show…never ever give up!
My most memorable moment would be taking 2nd place overall at the Hits Olympic distance triathlon in coypus Christi. I came off the bike in 2nd place 4mimutes behind the leader. Throughout the entire 10k I had to make up for lost time and chase my opponent down. I probably ran the fastest 10k in a Olympic distance with that extra motivation to win. As mile 6 approached I was only 30seconds behind and gaining ground fast. I didn’t end up winning the race but I did manage to lose by only 4 seconds. After I had crossed the finish line Ironman world champion Dave Scott came up to me and shook my hand and said “that was a marvelous display of athleticism you put out there. You didn’t leave anything behind young man”. now that is my most memorable moment!
One of my first triathlons from years ago, before I had a wetsuit, I was competing in a race that took place at a lake in the higher elevations of the BC interior. I can remember the shock of the race start when my chest compressed due to the cold of the water and the press of fellow competitors, I thought I was going to drown. The memory persists I thinks because, despite the horrible beginning, I persevered and completed the race.
Being the fastest agegrouper in Ironman Canada 2006 running the entire marathon right in the middle of the pro field was an awesome experience!
Most unique? Has to be my whole journey, 2.5 year ago I was a 16stone 30 a day smoker who liked a pint or four but after changing my life around, in two seasons I became European Age Group Sprint champion in Eilat, Israel last April!! It took commitment, determination and damn hard work but I did it and became an example to anyone who thinks they can’t do it. Put the pie down and get out there! Clean up your act it won’t disappoint you! Honestly, and around a 1year old family if I can do it! Anyone can! Wear your kit with pride, race like everyone is your last and earn those stripes!!!
My most unique race was at the Inaugural Mont Tremblant 70.3 race and my first half-iron distance race. At the start of the race, the starting gun was a world war two relic cannon and following the Canadian national anthem, 6 snowbirds flew overhead. It was a bone chilling experience.
My first triathlon was a small local race. I turned up and asked where race HQ was only to be direct to the back of a cattle truck (that had clearly been used pretty recently). The race organiser then announced that the start would be delayed as the local farmers son has marked the bike course out wrong so they had to do it again. When asked by another competitor what temperature the water was, the organiser simply stuck his finger in the air, pondered a little, and then proclaimed “Pretty f*****g cold mate”. Once the race started the swim was in a gravel pit with old blokes sat at the side still fishing. But despite the comedy organisation I came a creditable 11th in my age group and was hooked on triathlon from then on.
[...] More information or to purchase the Body Paint 2.0 SpeedSuit Click Here This blog post was edited from the original on the Castelli Insider News [...]
One coming up soon…
Ironman Canada 2011, it didn’t happen to me but another competitor who believed their disgruntled ex, who was also racing (evidently they had just broken up), had hidden some of his/her bike equipment… end result, he/she was biking the course wearing one cycling shoe and one running shoe on top of a flatbed pedal.
First triathlon – FIRST RACE EVER OF ANY KIND, first competitive sporting even since high school wrestling (I am 38) was last years, 2012, Ironman St George – toughest Ironman ever (other than training had never done anything) but I finished!
My first triathlon, I had an asthma attack in the middle of the lake. I got through that swim without a rescue!
My most memorable moment has to be during the warmup at Bassman last spring. After training hard for 6 months in an attempt to podium in my first 70.3, and knowing it was my last tri for the season as my wife was 7 months pregnant, I got to the venue on race day ready to perform. After setting up my transition area, and going out for a warmup run, I got back to the T-area to find out the race was running behind about a half an hour. I decided to take the bike out for a gear check and to keep my muscles warm. I decided to ride on the 70.3 run course. What I didn’t know was that 70.3 run course was the sprint bike course, and the race was underway. After being passed by two riders, who I though were going a bit fast to be warming up, I realized I was in the middle of a race. Not wanting to ruin anyone’s race, I slowed, waited for a break, and went to turn around at the front of a rotary, as the race went around it. 5 seconds later, I was lying on the pavement bloody, with a gash on my hand where I could see the tendon, and laughing to myself while I went into shock. 20 min later, with a bandaged hand (which would later become 3 stitches), and a huge grapefruit sized bump on my hip, I watched the field in the 70.3 start the swim, knowing that I’d have to wait another year before I got my crack at my first half-distance race.
Raced on my 36th birthday last year and earned my first overall podium spot (3rd), qualified for USAT AG Nationals and shared two dozen cupcakes with fellow racers in transition after we finished. Not so much a unique race, but a unique birthday to share with the triathlon community!
My most unique race experience was only realizing I was racing halfway through the bike. Had rode to the pool to swim, did a straight long swim, then took a long route home. Realized it would be 20k, and should run a 5k afterwards. Cranked for the last part of the ride (with swim bag on back) and run, had a total blast ‘racing’ by myself.
My first sprint triathlon with cleets and I had just come out of T1 picking up speed whilst getting a much needed drink in me. And then I tried to put the one and only bottle back in my bottle cage and it fell out exploding on the floor. I slammed on my front brake with my only available hand AND whilst forgetting about my cleeted shoes lifted my legs up which helped flip the bike over the handle bars. Having picked up my body limbs and straightened out my handle bars and saddle, I carried on the next 20km with no water feeling sorry for myself and cursing my cleets!
My first triathlon, 15 years ago, was comedy of errors. It was a sprint distance, in the UK, with the 500 metre swim in a pool to start with. I had over trained for the event so was tired before I even swam my first stroke. I got there early and got set up. I normally wear glasses so opted for contact lens on this occasion.
I was assigned a lane and waited impatiently, stomach churning, to be called into the pool. Now it was my turn to get into the pool and await my start. I stood there with my goggles on the top of my head, unbelieving that this was it, my first tri!! The steward yelled GO! snapping me out of my day dream. I instinctively dived in. Took 1 stroke and realised that I hadn’t pulled my goggles over my eyes. I fixed the problem and soldiered on. I completed the 500 metres in a PB, compared to my training. Must have been the adrenalin.
I got out of the pool and headed to the bike transition. I had the feeling that something wasn’t quite right but I couldn’t out my finger on it, in the excitement. As I got on the bike and headed out, it hit me….. I’d lost a contact lens in the pool, when I dived into the pool at the start. I could see perfectly out of my left eye, but from the right, it was a total blurr! I was imaging that my contact lens was stuck to the end of someone’s toe, back in the pool. I’m *extremely* short sighted with a small level of astigmatism. I decided right there that I would have to complete this in mono-vision. I couldn’t let all that training go to waste, by giving up at this point. I pushed on.
It was a 20km circuit and due to my sight, 10km in, I rode straight past a marshall. A kilometre or so later I noticed I was the only cyclist about. After asking for directions I finally made it back on the official circuit. That little adventure added about 2.5 km to my total bike distance.
The 5km run went mostly well. This time I was more observant of the marshalls and less observant of where I was placing my feet. With about 1km to go and a distinct lack of being able to judge distance correctly caused my right foot to clip a fallen branch and twist my ankle slightly. It wasn’t bad, but slowed me down a little.
I was over the moon when I finished. Final results a month later showed I had finished middle of the pack. I was just happy to have finished in one piece. One of the best experiences of my life.
I’ve now started training for the Hawaiian Ironman, so having a Castelli tri-suit to use in the qualifying races would be awesome. I don’t currently own any wetsuit of any kind.
Keep up the great work guys, and never give up!
Well not being a very good swimmer makes every tri an experience! But I’m working on it, I love that it is multi-discipline and everyone has different strengths (or weaknesses in my case!). My most unique experience was probably my first, a sprint; in training I had diligently made sure I could happily complete all the distances so felt very ready to go. I had however neglected to practice running immediately after cycling, and had not appreciated quite how much it would hurt as I suffered massive calf cramps and hobbled round in possibly the slowest 5k ever. Lesson learnt!
simplement finir et franchir la ligne d’arrivée avec ma fille qui m’attend pour la franchir avec moi.
Most unique experience…that’s a hard one, but would have to say doing a 70.3 in the pouring rain and thunder, having the bike leg shortened, and running through rivers but still having a great time and a great finish!
Has to be the double rainbow that appeared over the finish line at IM Mont Tremblant in 2012 just before I finished :)
Most unique experience would be finally getting off the couch and training for my first triathlon this summer. I have also signed up for my first marathon. There is lots of excitement and lots of hard work ahead, but the reward will be definitely worth it.
I dont have a Triathlon experience yet.
My most unique experience is learning to swim at the age of 36 for my first Thriathlon on the island Texel this July.
Now i am off for a training run. :)
I will tell you why I learned that a Tri-suit is an absolute must have for race day. At my very first sprint triathlon I used a pair of jammers for the swim and carefully laid out on my bike a Lycra running top with strategically placed gels in the side pockets ready to eat. Of course I came out of the swim soaking wet and the top was too tight to slide on easy on wet skin, I got all tangled up with one arm tied behind my back, bent over, gels falling out on to the floor, me cursing as people grabbed their bikes and left in front of me!! I think I lost about a minute and half trying to get the bloody top on properly. We learn from our mistakes more than our victories :-)
Three sports, three adventures in black. Castelli is with you Irons
At the start of the World University Championships the gun went and I, perhaps a little too eagerly, pushed so hard off the starting line that I slipped and landed face down in the sand. At least 10 guys ran over the top of me.
I recovered through the swim but missed the front bike pack by one spot (so close). My day ended with a puncture and I had to walk, bare foot, 5km back to transition in 40 degree celcius (100F+) temperatures.
I’ve had better days ;)
My most unique experience would be racing with my Dad on his first (and currently only) triathlon. He struggles with the swim like the majority of triathletes – and his shoulder fatigued halfway through which made things even worse. He ended up the last by a long way out of the water from his wave and overall but came out the water with a smile. He had a full change in T1 with a bit of assistance from a marshall before getting out on the bike! Meanwhile I went and swam well and was picking up people on the bike.
My Dad arrived back into T2, did another full change and went out on the run. Turns out I came into T2 only 4 minutes behind him so after a quick change of shoes set out after him. I managed to catch him in the last kilometer running really hard and it was really nice to see him running with a smile on his face having been catching lots of people over the bike and run. It was great to run over the finish line with him and celebrate – even if it was only a long sprint event, and that we’d been able to enjoy it all together.
My first acquaintance with the phenomenon triathlon.
As an ice-skater I’m doing a lot of sports in a year. Skating, cycling, running. But, never just after each other.
Last year some friends said: come and participate in the ‘winter’triathlon ( cycling, running and iceskating ). That was the day I was convinced triathlon is what my next challenge will be. It’s incredibly difficult to be great at 3 sports just in one day. A challenge for every athlete I think.
This winter I started to train. Started swimming, quite difficult when you didn’t do it for some 8 years. But now work-outs start to give me the confidence I can handle the water. Hopefully I will be ready to do my first quarter Triathlon in June.
Just only need a suit ..
my most unique experience is my only experience. on a trio-triathlon in Rosmalen, i had lost my contact lenses and missed our swimmer coming out of the water. biking went well, but i was very late for the last joined km to run, because i could find my running gear – i was not aware they would move this to the other changing site. although being responsible for about half an hour delay it was so much fun. this trio-tri is reason for me to go for a 70.4 ironman myself. i will need a suit…
On a trip in California the family that hosted me were part of the organizer of an olimpic race in San Diego. They asked me if I had never tried triathlon. I never did, bat had pastexperiences on all 3 sports. They asked if I felt like try and I said YES. I borrowed I bike from one of their friends and entere the race. It was an awesome experiace and was hooked with the sport.
My first tri they cut the swim short due to rough water conditions which made me happy seeing how swimming was my weakest sport. Pushed through and ended up finishing second in my age group.
My husband signed me up for my first tri. Not very prepared hahaha. Didn’t sight in the swim and ended up somewhere besides where I was supposed to be (on the wrong shore). Then I rode his single speed wearing a funny red kids’ helmet. But I posted one of the fastest cycles of the day which was a nice surprise!
Completing my first half ironman with bleeding blisters and thinking, “That was amazing. When do I get to do it again?”
My first thriathlon, I was somewhere in the middle of the group, when I get a flatout on my bike at the beginning of the bike stage.. but it was only 20 seconds after my start, so my friend helps me to change the wheel and then everything goes well… :)
My most appreciable Tri to date was completing the half Ironman in Glaveston, Texas. Only two years before my wife had looked me in the eyes and sweetly said, “the kids and I would really love to have you around for a long time. Will you please start to exercise again?” I had become sluggish and gained quite a bit bit of weight. I began the slow process and finally lost 65 pounds. I am looking forward to competing in a full IM this year and plan on being around for her and the kids for a long time.
Ironman St George 2012……calm, peaceful day turned into a battle just to finish, reservoir with 3-6 foot swales, 40+ MPH headwinds during nearly 6000 ft of climbing……nearly 30% didn’t even finish the day…..amazing day personally and never so proud of what I went through that day, but even more so proud of how I handled the changing conditions mentally
My dream is my next one and will be the First.
53 year old training for first…::o
my first triathlon was the most unique. i was in great shape. i played beach volleyball and biked everyday. i frequented the gym and climbed stairs. also swam occasionally indoors (did so competitively in my younger years). so when i heard about a sprint triathlon at hermosa beach, california, i signed up without hesitation.
i didn’t even bother to train properly since the distance looked manageable. i never once trained for the running part. i figured, if i can bike long distances, i can surely complete a 3 mile run.
so race day comes along and hop into the pacific ocean for the swim part. Never imagined that rough water swimming could be so tough especially just wearing a pair of boardshorts and it surely was. i must have gotten kicked at least three times.
my transition from swim to bike must be a record for the slowest ever. i took my sweet time drying myself and putting on my helmet and shoes. and completing the bike leg on a mountain bike did not help my time either.
when I finally transitioned from bike to run, i was getting tired. 3 miles looked like 10. i must have walked more than I ran. nevertheless, i hobbled across the finish line. I completed my first triathlon and learned a valuable lesson. even if you are in great shape from doing other physical activities, you need to train properly and have the right gear if you intend to compete in a new kind of race.
Wave 19. London Triathlon Olympic 2012
The Olympics gave many great things, including one of the most challenging “Olympic” distance races that I ever hope to see.
The evolution of disappointment at the announcement the swim was cut in half, the shock at seeing 3 foot waves in the dock, the panic of being in a 500 person wave in a force 6 wind that you could barely swim into.
The bike leg brings little respite, and as you progressed you started to feel bad for all the people you saw crashing. No silent triathlon bike handling jokes in this race. Not even to yourself. Just best wishes for all the people you see piled up at the kerb. Crossing your fingers that the next big slide on London’s greasy, diesel covered roads won’t make you join their ranks.
Triathlon as an act of survival. I can’t remember when I stopped caring about my time. Sometime during the swim, most likely. The fear of the swim, the exhilaration of hitting 60km/h with a stonking tailwind, the relief at completion. All things I’ll never forget.
I am currently training for my 1st triathlon. I have done a few bike rides which another is coming up in less than a month and I figured I wanted to give tri a try!
My most Unique TRI experience was my first TRI this past fall. I raced in the Sprint at the HITS Triathlon series at Hunter Mountain NY. Being my first race it was an intense experience and has fueled my love for the sport. Half way through the swim I had a moment of doubt. Thinking I wouldn’t be able to make finish the swim I flipped over on my back and floated for a moment. It was kind of a “Ah-Ha” moment for me. I took a deep breath and started to swim again. I pushed myself to my limits and loved every minute of it. I completed that race with a great time for a first timer and i’ve been training and pushing myself since. This June I will race in my 2nd TRI event, the 70.3 Ironman in Syracuse. A big jump from a sprint but im more than ready!
Triathlon is new to me. With a history of adventure racing and mountain biking I thought the transition would be smooth. NOT! Swimming is something that is totally different. A few Xterras and sprint tris later I’m slowly getting it. But the Xterra World Championship last fall with no wetsuit and big waves was it for me, what an experience, lucky to be out of the water and able to finish the race. Maybe a new wetsuit is all I need?
Best race experience was Xterra USA back when it was held in Lake Tahoe… climbing up 2500 feet on Tunnel Creek Road, flossing the flume trail then going up to 10,000 feet elevation, awesome course and awesome race!
The most unique experience I’ve had so far would be the relay I had with my family this past summer. The Wildwood Tri is right in our back yard. I’ve done this race many times before, but this is the first time with my father and brother. My brother tore his hamstring 4 years ago and was unable to have it surgically repaired, and my father has never been in a race before in his life. He’s 72 years old. For the Christmas of the previous year I bought my father running shoes and my brother an underwater mp3 player. What they didn’t realize was that for their birthdays I bought them entry into the race. My brother did the swim, I the bike, and my father the run. I have never been so proud of my family. Seeing my father finish the race as strong as he did made us all scream and cry at the end. We didn’t place very well, but that wasn’t the point. It was the first time the three of us did anything that tough with each other. Since that day, we’ve been closer than ever. In fact, my father and brother have been training even harder for this year’s race. I didn’t know about it until Christmas when I got my race entry from them. Hopefully we can do this at least a few more times.
I tore my ACL in March of 2011 and had knee surgery in September. While I was in bed recovering in the weeks after the operation I came across highlights of the Ironman World Championship that put the idea in my head to get into triathlon as soon as I was able to. Having this goal got me through the recovery period and months of physical therapy. My first Tri was in May of 2012, only a few months after finishing PT. it was a sprint, and I had originally set the goal of 1hr and 5mins for myself, but as the day got closer I started to second guess myself and started thinking that maybe that was a little too ambitious as it was an extremely hot day and a pretty tough course. I was so nervous that I felt like I couldn’t stop shaking from the minute my alarm went off at 5am until when I got in the water later that morning. Because of that my swim was awful, I was so nervous about my first open water swim that I didn’t even put my head underwater, and keeping my head up caused my wetsuit to rub so badly that my neck was all cut up by the time I got out of the water. Of course I didn’t realize that until I started sweating on the bike, not a pleasant realization. On the bike things started to get better, I found my pace, started pushing hard, and ended up almost hitting a deer. I was going about 25mph on a straight when a deer jumped out of the woods on my left side and ran across the road right in front of me, missing me by less than 5 feet. That could have ended badly but once I was able to shake off the panicked sensation, laugh about it for a moment, and start pushing again everything fell into place. The run was my strongest leg, I pushed hard right off the bike and started making pass after pass, but still having no idea how much time had passed as the only clock was at the finish line and I wasn’t wearing a watch. I picked up the pace as I got closer to the park and the finish and could hear the crowds waiting for me. One last downhill sprint and I looked up just in time to see 1:04:59 as I crossed the line. I had made my goal, and finished 3rd in my age group on top of that. I raced 8 other sprint tris in 2012, and am currently training for my first 70.3, Ironman Italy in Pescara this June. Here’s to hoping that’s my last encounter with wildlife during a race.
My most unique race was USAT Colligate National Champions is Lubbock, TX in 2009. I tried to complete the race in just a tri suit, but I didn’t know the water temperature was 38 degrees. I got 2nd degree hypothermia, and I was blacking in and out. When I completely came to I was being rolled under the finish line on a stretcher under a pill of blankets with an IV in my arm. I also noticed I was naked under the blanks. So, I still got to cross the finish line. Then on the way to the hospital I joked with the EMTs all the way to the hospital. I also tried to get them to take me back to finish the race. My fiancé also almost killed me when she got the hospital. The following year I went back and completed the race.