My First Triathlon - The Pumpkinman

My first race, where I could finally test my mettle and see if all of my exercise would pay off, was the Pumpkinman triathlon in South Berwick Maine in September of 2007. This would also be one of only two triathlons of 2007. It was the first year of the Pumpkinman. I was very excited and nervous. Several hundred people with top of the line bikes and equipment were everywhere. I decided that because of the water temperature that I would not wear a wetsuit. That was a mistake. The swim was a bit chaotic and I was getting kicked and hammered by other athletes. I also started out too fast and was winded after the first couple hundred yards needless to say by the end of the 500m swim I felt somewhat winded. I then had to run up a huge hill to get to the transition. Marnie and Fiona were there to cheer me in which I greatly appreciated being my first race. The bike and run were less chaotic as the field thins out. I had a great time on the bike and knew that the bike would be my favorite leg of the three. The race was a sprint distance tri and consisted of a 500 meter swim, 14 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run. I finished in 1:30:13 just over an hour and a half, was 29th overall out of 208 and 2nd in my 40-44 age group. When I saw the results I was ecstatic and to say the least. I was hooked. Two weeks later and on my 44th Birthday I raced in my second and last triathlon of 2008 the Colby Triathlon. Colby is a college in Sydney Maine about an hour and a half from Boothbay. I had a terrible head cold but decided to still compete. It was a damp and cloudy morning September 22nd and only 2 weeks since my first tri at the Pumpkinman. The Colby was again a sprint distance and again I started out to fast on the swim. I did however wear a wetsuit this time which helped with buoyancy, although loosing time in the transition having to remove it. This race was a bit longer swim at 400 meters a 13.1 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run. I finished 27th overall out of 94 total and 4th in the 40-44 age group narrowly missing out on the prizes for 1st through 3rd. I thought that had I not had a cold I would have been able to perform better. My racing season was done for the 2007 year but I was hooked. I immediately started thinking about the 2008 racing season and expanding my racing, training and triathlete lifestyle. I was ecstatic! What and awesome sport.