Success Story | A New Triathlete...

TRYCHARLESTON SWIM START/FINISH

I am excited to share a success story about Wendell, a triathlon training and swim coaching client.  When we first met he had been training for his first triathlon and the only thing keeping him from reaching his goal was the swim.  Sound familiar?  His wife contacted me about a “race ready” training package for him as a birthday gift and we have been working together over the past few months on some swimming techniques as well as ways to improve his form and performance on race day.  It was a success!  He did a great job & accomplished his goal.  I am very excited about his achievement and hard effort.  He not only set, but reached his personal goal for his first triathlon.  Well done Wendell!

Night before the race…Wendell and I met at packet pick up, checked in our bikes and scoped out the transition areas and course a bit.  As we grabbed some dinner we looked at the stormy forecast that was heading our way.  After heading off to our hotels for a short, but good night’s rest we started planning our transitions and going over all the little details that must be decided pre-race.  Since a cold and rainy front was headed our way, it made this all the more challenging. The storms started that evening. Although it was raining on the morning of the race, the thunder storms passed during the night.

Transition Preparation

Race day…We woke up around 4:00am and had a light breakfast before heading off to T2 to set up our run transition area and catch the shuttle for the T1/Start.  It was a cold, dark rainy morning which made many participants back out, but not us.  We put our wetsuits on an hour or so before the start just to keep warm and kept our transition gear in plastic bags to keep them dry a little longer.  Lucky for us the rain let up during our swim and helped make the bike a little more manageable.  The added complexity of transitions is one of the challenges that makes triathlons more difficult than a single discipline event.  The weather turned out nice for the bike ride and run.  It remained cool and the heavy rains passed on through.  The run turned into a mud run as the running path was holding water and although many runners tried to run around the puddles it was easier to give up and run right through them.  The tough "mud" run made this race an even tougher challenge & the finish that much more rewarding.

Set Goals, Train,  & Succeed….

I saved the best for last - Wendell has already picked his next triathlon...Amelia Island, FL - July 2013!

Finisher Medal