Reflections of my first Triathlon: Donner Lake Triathlon 2010

So . . . I signed up for the Donner Lake Triathlon as an afterthought. I had originally signed up for the Triathlon at Pacific Grove - Olympic Distance. And then I thought - hey! I need a "warm up" Sprint Distance before I tackle that big race. I looked up all the races coming up in my area and chose Donner because it fit my schedule. Little did I know that I had selected one of the hardest Triathlons out there!

The swim was fine . . . in fact, I think the swim is what people stress about the most. But at Donner Lake, the water was nice and warm and the lake was smooth as glass. It is a lake and so the water isn't very clear. I've been in a grand total of 3 lakes up to this point in my life, and I think with the exception of Lake Tahoe, lakes are dark and murky - accept that.

The run was also fine . . . in fact, it was a nice and shady route. There is a slight incline, but nothing too bad. You run along South Shore drive. At one point, a little girl ran out with her little siblings to cheer me on as I ran past their house. It was pretty cool.

But the bike . . . God have mercy. If you ever decide to sign up for the Donner Lake Triathlon, you MUST be able to train on a freakin MOUNTAIN. No . . . not "hills" but a MOUNTAIN! You bike straight up Highway 40, climbing 1200 feet over 3 miles. It never lets up for even 10 feet. It's UPHILL FOR 3 MILES! And then, you come screaming down that mountain - hands gripping your brakes. I think I shaved 2 years off the life of my brakes coming down that hill. It was a strange mixture of fear and joy, coming downhill for 3 miles after climbing 3 miles.

So, I have a friend who is a very experienced Triathlete who couldn't believe I chose Donner Lake as my first Triathlon experience. But here is the silver lining: all other races will seem like a cake walk in comparison (so I tell myself).

I learned a lot of a little tips from watching the other Triathletes, but that's a post for another day!