Black Bear Sprint Triathlon Race Report

A weekend road trip and race with the "Team Z army - from Massachuetts" (?). (We were graciously announced by the race director, but we're from Massachusetts?) It's the Black Bear Triathlon.

The race website described the venue as both beautiful and challenging in the Pocono Mountains. This held true.

SWIM - 750 meters - 16:10

A very pleasant swim. Water was clean and clear. I felt highly relaxed in the water. And I felt as though I had one of my better swims, although checking against prior results, my swim time was average for me. Hmmmm... Oh well, at least I felt like I had a good swim.

BIKE - 17.7 miles - 1:18:30

The bike course was challenging. Some tough climbs, but some fun descents! I am not the strongest climber, but managed to hold my own. I saw some seemingly strong men lose momentum and be forced to walk up some of the hills. Not me! I did err a little on the conservative side though, electing to not stand on the bike during climbs and such in an effort to save my legs for the run. And what's the reward for climbing? Speeding downhill! Although they were relatively short descents, I managed to clock a top speed of 41.8 mph. I feel that I made a good choice sticking with my road bike vs my triathon bike for this one due to (a) gearing --- (wish list for tri bike: compact cranks) (b) carbon vs aluminum frame for comfort, and (c) ability to tuck into drops.

One minor problem during the bike ride: I had a tingling sensation on the outside of both my legs. It did not hurt, but was a strange sensation. Robin (who is a massage therapist) asked if I have had lower back problems as of late and the answer is yes. She suggested that the lower back pain may be adding pressure on a nerve, causing the sensation. Some quick research seems to support this. It may also be caused by a lack of circulation or electrolyte deficiency. I am noting it for now, and see if a trend is beginning.

RUN - 3.1 miles - 31:18

The run overall went well. It was held on well-groomed trails and was mostly well-shaded. My stomach was cramping slightly, so I erred on the conservative side a bit. The cramping was not a showstopper. I consumed about 100 calories during the bike, with Accelerade Hydro. (I use this regularly during training, but first time racing with it.) Too many calories? Too heavy of calories? I know that I cannot race short distance races with regular Accelerade. Maybe this is also true for Accelerade Hydro.

FINISH - 2:09:50 (19/31 Age Group, 122/211 Women)

Race photos can be seen here.