I've got a little story of my own. I call it, "Everything that could go wrong, did." The day started off normally. I was excited about my first tri that I had been training so long for. I got to the race site and got my timing chip and everything, then set up all of my gear at the transition. As an uninformed newbie, I wasn\'t quite sure what to wear. I brought my swim team swimsuit, a pair of soffe shorts that I ran in, a cotton tshirt, cotton socks(do you see where this is headed?), and my running shoes and a different pair of shoes for the bike. The bike(my sisters bike) was a general mountain type bike you can buy at walmart, so no clipless pedals. Oh, and did I mention I made a last minute bike switch the NIGHT BEFORE the race and never tested this one out. More on that after the swim. Got in the water and started the swim.

Got kicked in the shoulder a couple times, but once everyone spread out it went well. Finished the swim feeling great.

Got to T1 and put on my shoes and shorts and got on the bike. Not even a mile into it the bike broke. Not even kidding. It got stuck in gear 1, so the entire 12 miles I was peddling like crazy and going nowhere. Remember I told you I was wearing Soffe shorts? Yeah big mistake. Started chaffing REALLY bad on my inner thigh. I actually have a scar from it.

Finally finished the bike and headed to T2. Switched into my running shoes and put on my shirt with the race number. I had had tendinitis on my left foot the past couple of weeks, and the minute I started running it came back. The rest of the run was pretty much a run/walk. And after all that, I finally finished.

So there\'s my story. Looking back at it now I laugh. And I never, NEVER wear Soffe shorts when biking or running anymore. lol

Sarah from Texas

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Hi Sarah,

Thank you for contacting TraitahNewbie.com and congratulations on finsihing your first triathlon!

Experience will always be the best teacher and it looks like you had one great leraning experience. Give yourself a pat on the back for seeing it through and having the scars to prove it! Once you are healed, you should try Women's Padded Classic Bike Shorts for your next ride. We're sure it will make the ride go a lot smoother and keep you a bit more comfortable for your next triathlon!

Be well,
~Niki

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