My First Triathlon of the Season – Subaru Triathlon Milton Sprint

Why I chose this race

I signed up to this race and promised myself that I would do a triathlon every weekend (and possibly do 3 Ironman’s) for the whole summer and see how shredded I could become. I just graduated school, finished a cycling & hiking trip in Colombia, and I’m ready to take on more. This race would be the kick off to increase the volume in my triathlon training and put me in that summer shape. The goal is to eventually win some races! The Subaru Triathlon Circuit in Ontario does a great job in making this a great event. I plan on doing all of Subaru’s events this year.

The Morning Jitters

I could not sleep Saturday night and it was probably because of the race. I left the house at 6am from Hamilton and left to Milton Ontario. It was a cold morning and all I kept thinking about was the cold swim. I also did not eat anything or take an energy drink before the race. Normally, I usually take a hefty amount of caffeine to ‘clean my system’. Although I took no caffeine, I made sure to go to the bathroom to ensure my stomach would not be upset during the race. This also eliminates the chance that I have to go to the washroom during the race. I arrived almost 3 hours early. I relaxed, saw the crowd grow and prepared myself. Although I’ve completed an Ironman and completed 2 triathlons, I still felt anxious. The rush of a race is always exciting and nerve racking. I love it.

The Swim

14 minutes, 14 seconds – 1:53/100

I chose to be on wave 5. The last group to start the race. During the same week, I did open water swimming for the first time in Lake Ontario and I didn’t even last 10 minutes. This was a because of the cold water and my shoulders giving out from not training enough in the open water. I forgot how different pool swims and open water swimming is. I am happy to say that although I only did one open water swimming this year, I passed several people and I felt like a fast aero mermaid bro. I was swimming so fast without feeling tired at all. I could have pushed myself but I held back since this is only the first race of many and I did not want to get injured from going too hard. I completed it and I was ready to take on the bike. As for the transition, I took my time. If I improve on bricking, I’ll definitely get much better times.

The Bike Ride

56 Minutes 27 seconds – 31.89kph

Again, I went hard on the bike ride but I also held back just in case. I passed several people and was only passed once by one gentlemen who was going pretty darn fast. I wish I got his bib number to see how he did. The climb was pretty easy since I did it last year with a friend and I was prepared for it. Once that climb is complete, the rest is smooth sailing. The roads are rough so I kept my tyres at 90psi (suggested by my friend who does this area a lot). I was also prepared to descend as fast as possible however I caught up to someone descending and decided to slow down just in case. I brought the road bike with me and I wonder how much faster I would have finished with my Scott Plasma. During the majority of the ride, I was on the lowest part of the drop bar and mostly on the big chain while fighting the wind. It was a windy day but my legs were crushing that road.

The Run

36 minutes, 11 seconds

The run was hilly and there was a mix of tarmac and gravel. This was such a unique race. I was surprised how little I was passed compared to last year’s triathlons where I was passed several times. Not this time. I’m proud of that. I was also able to pass some individuals which is a huge accomplishment for me. I will only keep improving. I have decided to cut my biking workouts to focus on my weakest sport, running. Running was my strongest all my life. I then stopped and focused on other sports. I believe increasing the runs will make it my strongest discipline once I begin taking it seriously again. Also. I only took a couple sips of Gatorade. That’s all the nutrition I had. I need to carb up more.

Final Result

Overall: 159/466 1 hour 52 minutes

My goal was to be under 2 hours. I accomplished that. I saw what I needed to improve on and I will work on what needs to be done. Would I do this race again? YES. I loved it. The volunteers, the water, the climb, and the unique run will make this a must do for next year. Next year the goal will be to do it in 1 hour 20 minutes. I’d also like to say, the recovery meal was a sub from subway. This whole race was magical. Thank you Milton and Subaru triathlons series. Next week. Gravenhurst Olympic Triathlon. Wish me luck.