Sharni Boag

I had signed up for Mooloolaba Tri, it’s in March. The Olympic distance of swimming 1.5km, cycling 40km’s and running 10km’s. I started my training, not the most solid and disciplined styled training, but it’s been… something. The last few weeks I really delved into the research of what to do, how to do and what’s better to do. Really anything about triathlons and beginners. 

A few things that I repeatedly heard or read.

1. Start at a sprint or enticer distance 

2. Don’t race in anything you haven’t trained in. 

3. No matter how prepared you are for your first race, something unplanned will happen. 

Louder for the people in the back: NO MATTER HOW PREPARED YOU ARE, THINGS GO WRONG. 

There were many other points I frequently came across, however these three have stuck to my mind, firstly because it’s the reason I last minute signed up to the sprint distance triathlon in Robina, and second, I’ll let you read for yourself. 

I packed the car up, ticked off my items to make sure I would forget nothing. I set the alarms for the morning so I knew when to get up, and even one for taking my pre workout. I was going to be prepared as best as possible. 

I bought the road bike the week before. I didn’t ride it, expect for two nights pre race, I took it for a 2km ride so I at least knew how to change gears and what it felt like. Despite the lack in experience on a road bike, I felt quite good on the cycle leg of the race. I was slow, but I knew to save my legs for the run too. Though, my seat I quickly learnt was not the right height. It was a bit low and my legs suffered more than they needed to. 

I had heard enough about tri suits, I knew I needed to have them for the race. So lucky for me I bought a pair of tri pants the night before the race off marketplace. And extra lucky, they were a great fit. If I had of decided a couple of weeks earlier to get a kit, I would of been more comfortable in the race. I was going to do the swim in my singlet, sport bra and snazzy tri pants. I was talked out of that, as a wise organiser had mentioned the singlet would be a drag in the swim. The swim was hard enough, it was a great choice ditching the singlet, but uncomfortable baring my belly.

So anyway, the race. Being a sprint distance, it was a 750m swim, 24km ride and a 5km run. I was pretty slow on the swim. The people in my age group were so far in front, such guns. I already knew I was a poor swimmer, but this has shown me that it’s the leg of the race I need to place majority of my focus on. Buuut, But. I didn’t stop. I just kept swimming, I got swam over from the age group that started after me (even though I was to the far right, as suggested in all the videos) but oh well it was only once, I even got clocked in the back of the head from some fella going for a sprint finish I guess. I was stoked to be out of the water. I jogged to the bike racks, listened to the videos, I had a great landmark to find my bike easily, chose to take time and put socks and shoes on, put my helmet on and grabbed my bike to begin the next race leg. And I was off, my legs were a little sore from the swim. So a didn’t go as hard as I could, I took it easy and enjoyed the ride. I did two laps, came into the transition, dismounted and stared the trek to my little bike rack section. This is the part where I understood what people meant by jelly legs. This is why you do brick training. Which I had been doing in small sessions, but nah, I’m upping those a bit now. 

I racked up, took off the helmet and replaced it with my visor. And to the run a went. 

It was about 50 metres into the run I was reminding myself of the number of laps of each leg I needed to do. 1 swim, 3 bike and 2 run. Wait 3 bike. 1,3,2. That was what it was. 3. Shit. 

I had missed a whole bike lap. It was about 8km. 

I kept on running. There is it, the part where no matter how prepared you are, something goes wrong. And mine was a big wrong. I did the first run lap, missing the turn to sweep back round to start the second lap and crossed the finish line. I hear my race number and name being called and the announcers state I have crossed the finish line. All I could think was I needed to talk to someone. I was confused and really hoping I could go grab my bike and do another bike lap before finishing with the last lap of my run. 

I couldn’t do the missed bike lap, but I was able to turn back around and complete my last 2.5km run. I was bummed, I crossed the finish line again. Happy with what I had competed. Happy I didn’t stop and happy I showed up. But gutted I didn’t properly finish the race. 

It’s now the day after, I’m signing up to do the extra mile, getting those missed 8kms in and then some. 

I’ve learnt that, I’m buying cleats, because cycling is harder than I thought and it’s harder when the pedals in your road bike are for cleats, while you wear joggers. I’m buying a tri kit, because I don’t want to bare skin in the swim ever again. And finally I’m writing the lap numbers on my hand, in permanent marker. 

What I else have I missed that I should add to the list of do’s and do not do’s for a tri? Even tips for being a better cyclist would be great 😊 

I hope I made you smile with my wild experience.