Race Review: Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon-Olympic Distance

Okay...here is the breakdown

The Distance:

Swim: 1.5K (about .9 miles)

Bike: 40K (about 25 miles)

Run:  10K (6.2  miles)

The Course:

In and about Fairmount Park...

Swim:  In the Schuylkill...yes, that is what I said...it actually is pretty clean and refreshing!

Bike: A two loop course with 4 killer hills per loop....for the mathematically challenged that equals 8 killer hills on this course.  Let's just say, I wasn't really prepared for that.  Lemon Hill was pain-inducing!

Run:  An easy out and back and then out and back again (in the other direction) on West River Drive.  Flat, although not tons of shade.

The important stuff:

• T-Shirt (because it is really all for the t-shirt, right?):  A heather gray, cotton shirt with a picture of Philadelphia and a guy swimming, biking, running done in black and white.  At first, I was not that pumped about the design.  But the shirt is soft and fit surprisingly well!  I can actually see myself wearing this...
  
• Goody Bag:  Not good, barely any free stuff.  However, the goody bag was a nice, reusable REI bag; so I suppose there is a silver lining.
  
• Transition Area:  Fairly organized, clean, felt secure.  This is definitely a professional event
  
• Bathrooms:  Lots of johnny-on-the-go's in the transition area and at the start, but what about the bike and the run!  I felt like I was going to pee on myself during the bike and just had to push through...I had a long transition 2 time because I ended going to bathroom at the transition area.
  
• Other Participants:  Hard core.  Let's just say, if you are doing an Olympic distance you have to be hard core to a degree.  As a friend who came to watch me said, "All these men have the best asses."  I was definitely one of the most "unfit" in this bunch. In some regards it made me feel pretty badass...in other regards I felt like the over-weight eighth grader all over again...
  

My Results:

My Uniform:  Tri shorts and a Tri Sportsbra ala Danskin (yes, I did the race in just shorts and a sports bra! bold, Suzanne, bold).  

My Bike: a Jamis Ventura Sport (Thanks, Bicycle Therapy!)

My Shoes: Asics

Overall Rank: 1746/1924

Class Rank: 116/132

Swim: 31:55        Swim Rank: 1715

Bike: 1:39:51       Bike Rank: 1733

Run: 1:11:59        Run Rank: 1700 

Finish time: 3:32:36

So, I was super slow...but I'm okay about that. This was my first Olympic distance tri.  Will there be another...hard to say.

Philly Insurance Tri again?  Definitely

Sprint or Olympic? Remains to be seen....

Even consider a half-ironman?  Hell, no

www.phillytri.com