John's First Triathlon ~ Luck of the Irish

My first race at the Luck of the Irish was exactly what I thought it would be.....a total blast! I started to get nervous a couple of days before but I knew I was prepared due to all the training and clinics with Playtri McKinney.

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The swim went well although I had to take a couple of quick breaks to catch my breath and I learned that getting blocked in a lane is a real thing. However, this being my first race, I didn't want to try any aggressive maneuvers to pass and get kicked in the face.

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For my transitions I was fortunate to have an easy to see end spot which helped a great deal since I was pretty oxygen deprived from the swim. The transition went smooth but I did take extra time to make sure I had everything I needed.

The bike is my strongest event and as expected I passed most people on the course at that time. I was a little concerned about the passing rules and the possibility that someone might pull out in front of me, so I utilized the screaming ON YOUR LEFT quite a bit lol. One thing I learned is that it's better to keep a steady pace and not kick it into high gear on the last mile.

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The first half of the run was pretty brutal. The hard push on the bike had my legs totally blown up and I felt like I was wading through a swamp. Fortunately, they began to loosen up and my pace picked up all the way through the finish. Speaking of the finish, I was once again pretty disoriented from a lack of oxygen and went the wrong direction after crossing the line. However, Amber Motsney was kind enough to redirect me and take my timing timing chip off. That's why I call her Mama Bear : )

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Overall it was the best racing experience I have ever had......and I have done a lot of racing in a lot of sports. So you could say the Triathlon addiction is a real thing. I'm already thinking about how I can train better and smarter for the next race. Most of all, I love the people and coaches at Playtri. Training with my friends Amber, Anca, Jodi, Mark, Emily, Ruben, Evan and many more made the suffering a joy. A big thank you to my coaches Eric, Morgan and Anca for always encouraging me and bringing me so far in a short period of time!

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Way to go John! We are so proud of you!!