The Sharon Sprint Triathlon Recap: Julie Tracy

September 25,2018

I signed up for the Sharon Sprint Triathlon at the very last minute, like three days before. This race was appealing for a few reasons. First, Max Performance puts on a great event. Check them out if you want to try some races. Second, I ride in Sharon, Massachusetts, a lot, and it’s not terribly far away, like 30 minutes. This means no waking up at 4 a.m. Third, I really needed to get used to my time trial bike and to practice transitioning.

I woke up after 5:30 a.m. (not bad for a triathlon, right?) and got there pretty quickly. It poured rain on the way there, but let up once I arrived at the venue. Check in and set up were pretty uneventful. They announced the water temp was 77℉, so you could still wear a wetsuit and be eligible for awards. That’s warm, FYI. Everyone was asking each other if they were going to wear a wet suit. I don’t like wet suits, so I didn’t, but, then again, I am more comfortable in the water than I am driving in Boston.

Swim: 1/2 mile, 12:43, 2nd in age group (12th overall men and women)

The race was separated into different waves (no mass start), and I was in the second group. I went into the water and began there, rather than running into the water to start. Everything went pretty smoothly, I think. It was a little foggy, so sighting was a bit harder than usual. There was a girl with Swedish goggles, so I kind of figured she might be quick. No newbies wear those goggles. Turns out, we swam next to each other the whole time! I drafted her coming into the swim finish, then got kicked in the face by some guy who I didn’t realize had stopped. That’s why she was technically the fastest out of the water. My once-a-week, sometimes-skip-a-week-here-and-there swimming was working. Kind of.

Bike: 12.3 miles, 34:53, 1st in age group (woohoo!)

I think my transition was a little better, but I still awkwardly put on that aero helmet. I didn’t feel that fast really, but I did feel a lot more comfortable since I got a new saddle. I don’t think I get enough time on this bike, so I’m still getting used to it. I had a dude pass me, then he stopped pedaling multiple times. It was annoying because you get penalized for drafting in triathlon. I finally just passed him and said, “See ya later.” The course was pretty flat, and, other than one of the 5,000 numbers attached to me and my bike flapping on my leg, it was fine.

Run: 4.4 miles, 33:35, 3rd in age group (hard to believe)

This went better than expected. I got off the bike, and people were yelling telling me I was the first female. I was like, “Oh, really? Crap.” I felt like I couldn’t breathe for the first mile, but I got over it. I haven’t done many bike-run workouts. I settled into a faster-than-I-thought pace, but my back felt good, so I went with it. A chick passed me easily during the first mile. I didn’t try to pick up the pace because I honestly didn’t think I could hold anything much faster. I could just see her the entire time in front of me. My number kept flapping everywhere again. Seriously, why do we have to wear so many numbers? It’s been hard this year to consistently train for the running stuff, but between the cycling and strength work I have done, I was able to pull off 7:30 min/mile without dying.

Finish: 1:23:33, 2nd overall female, 1st in age group. First to eat all the watermelon. Seriously.

Combined with the men, I am still a better swimmer than cyclist. Sigh. I guess you can’t take the swimmer out of me.

I am very sore right now, but all in good ways. My back feels good, which really boosts my confidence leading into the Lake Placid 70.3. I am a bit behind schedule training for this, but I think the yoga, strength work, and the fact that I have done a few of these before should carry me through. To be honest, there’s never been scheduled training. I just kind of do whatever. Listen to your body, and it will react appropriately. I just assumed I would have done more distance by now.

Hopefully this rain stops at some point, so Camille and I can do another bike ride. This is really what the #LetMeBeYourLungs from Team PHenomenal Hope is all about. She’s probably not going to need me to race for her soon!

– Julie Tracy