Ready or Not... Time to Tri!

Harold Hall Quarry Beach, home of the Batavia Sprint Triathlon

The first triathlon of the year is upon us!
After all the laps in the pool and miles in the saddle and on the shoes, we get to see just where I am in my training. I am looking forward to putting it all together.

From what I have read, the Batavia Sprint Triathlon on Sunday should be an interesting one. The swim is short (only 400 m), but it is two laps around an unheated sand bottom pool. I guess between laps it is so shallow that you actually have to get up and run a bit. They are also doing a staggered start, with participants leaving every 5-10 seconds. I think that is fine as I am sure I will mix it up as it's a tight swim course (and it is two laps, so I will be lapped and lapping). As I still see swimming as one of my weaker disciplines of the tri, thus I like that its is short, although part of me wishes it was longer to give a better test for later. Not that I ever over think such matters.

I still don't have a wetsuit. I know which one I want now (looks like Blue Seventy's Reaction, size S*), but the tri stores in town didn't have it in my size. My hope is to break the first rule in endurance races, don't do or use anything new on race day. Nope, the experience of racing with a wetsuit trumps not. That way if I have to wear it at the Hy-Vee triathlon in Des Moines later in the month, it won't be new there.

*I am not the biggest guy I know, but by no means have I ever thought of myself as small. Despite being on the higher end of all the list size ranges for the small (height, weight, chest size), this is the size they said best fit me at the store. I am a little suspicious, but seeing as they could have sold me the M on the spot, I can't really doubt their intentions. I even tried to explain that I don't plan on being any skinnier ever again, and that I would like to use this for a couple of years, they didn't flinch.

The bike is 14.7 miles, the run 4.1. Very odd distances, but I will just be happy to be out there. The weather looks warm, but with the early start (6:30) it should be fine.

I haven't told Melissa this yet, but I plan on leaving the house at 4 AM for this race. She had planned on coming out with me, but we will see about that (I can't imagine waking up that early if I didn't have to).

Notes:

• Here is a great page for transition areas from Beginner Triathletes.com. Enjoy!
• I know I owe a couple of posts (Jen's story from Everest, Zoo Results). Expect them tonight and tomorrow.