OK so I was obviously a bit MIA yesterday (and Friday for that matter). Apologies… your boy was busy healing his wounds from “competing” (and I use that term lightly 😛 ) in the 2009 Tinman Hawaii triathlon.
Gonna (hopefully) blow this out into a full-blown article on AroundHawaii.com, but until then, I wanted to share some tidbits for those of you who are interested in “competing” in the near future. Enjoy!
Still in good spirits on Heartbreak Hill at the 2009 Tinman Triathlon
* Get ready to invest – if you’re a “newb” like me and going in from scratch, be prepared to shell out some pretty pennies in order to get the party started. Bicycle (mountain bike doesn’t count!), helmet, tri-shorts (specially padded swim trunks that are waaaay too tight), no-blister socks, goggles, water bottle, water bottle holder, miscellaneous bike tools/kits, etc., are just some of the things to think about. And that doesn’t include the $80-100 entrance fee.
* Take it serious – unlike the marathon, there are a lot less “just for fun” participants, as made obvious by my finishing rank! LOL! Being fairly athletic and in reasonably good shape does not equal Tinman success. Not training seriously will not only be dangerous to your health, but frustrate the bejesus outta you (when your muscles don’t agree with what your mind is telling them).
* Train! – I would recommend training each activity/concentration successively, in addition to individually. In other words, it’s good to swim until the cows come home, but you should follow it up with a bike and then a swim. Yes, on the same day.
* Be prepared for rough surf – Before the race, someone told me that the waves were expected to be 3-5 that morning at Queens. Not sure if that was true, but there was definitely a bit of washing machine action going on. Rough water swimming in the ocean is A LOT harder than flat water swimming in the ocean or in your local pool fo sho.
* Buy a good bike! – thanks to my great friend who shall remain nameless, Bari thought it would be a good idea to buy a bike from a Craigslist ad. 8) Come to find out the puppy was from Walmart. Um yeah. So even when I was flying it at full blast on the highest gear, everyone continued to whiz right by me. WTH!?
* Hydrate, esp during the bike portion! – there are NO aid stations during the 20 something mile bike portion of the race. Be sure you have a water bottle or two filled with your favorite fluid.
* Be prepared for a sore bum – after sitting on a teeny seat for that long, your butt and “special areas” (if you’re a man) will undoubtedly get sore. I’m just sayin’.
* Be careful on the bike dismount – if you didn’t train properly (or even if you did!), when you dismount your bike, be aware that your legs will be J-e-l-l-o. This happened to me as well as my unnamed friend Bari, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were actually some who ate it coming off of the bike.
* Transitions, transitions, transitions! – Our transition times were just plain ridiculous. Streamline your in-between time to shave precious minutes off your time.
* Don’t take pictures – unless you’re a dedicated blogger extraordinaire (like me) 😛 , don’t stop to smell the roses. Taking mental notes and photos during this race is not a good idea for your finishing time. Lesson learned.
So thar ya have it! I hope this helped at least a little. A special Mahalo to M for the pre-race tips!
Now that the first time, just-for-fun itch is under the belt, there is no doubt that I will take it VERY seriously next time and own it the next time around.
Talk to me!
* Any tri-ers or racers in general have anything to share with the WWE `Ohana?
* Did this blog make you the tad bit interested in possibly racing the Tinman one day?
* If you were to judge yourself, would you say you’re strongest at swimming, biking or jogging?
* Is there anything that you’d like to accomplish one day? What’s on your bucket list?
World Wide Ed 