Waterman’s Triathlon Race Recap
It’s a takeover!
Coach Elissa here with my latest triathlon! It’s been quite the season getting back to racing and I’m loving every minute of it! Kinetic Multisport always puts on a great race and Waterman’s was a fun weekend on the Eastern Shore with a multitude of races. Learn more about Kinetic here.
Accommodations
If your goal is to take a nice weekend trip and explore the area before or after the race, then you'll have an easier time finding a place to stay for this race. Rock Hall, Maryland is a very small (and cute) town so there aren't a lot of big hotels in the area. Most accommodations are classic bed & breakfasts, inns, and of course AirBnBs and most of them have a 2 night minimum. There are several pet-friendly options as well!
Since this race was not doubling as a weekend getaway, we had a hard time finding a place that was both pet friendly and available for only one night. Thankfully Annapolis is only an hour west and this race didn't start until 9am, so we booked a night at the Navy Gateway. There were several other standard hotel options around Annapolis, but it's hard to beat $139/night. Thank you USN and Tim for serving.
Things I wish I knew
The athlete guide had a lot of helpful information in it, although it read as if they had just copied the one from last year and forgot to edit anything. Typical.
The biggest thing I missed was the water entry. I knew we would be swimming in the harbor (yes, it was as gross as it sounds) but I had assumed we would enter via a boat ramp or something. NOPE! We had to cross the start line and jump off the dock.
If I were a good little athlete and actually got in the water to warm up, this would have been a non issue. However, that is not me. I don't usually get in the water before a race.
Jumping off the dock was fine, I didn't let it screw with my head but it would have been better had I jumped in earlier to get a feel for how deep the water was so I wouldn't be nervous about landing hard on the bottom or on a rock. I did scrape my toe on a rock but I didn't even realize it until after the race.
Packing List
Since this was a one night trip and only a sprint, my packing list was pretty basic. There wasn't anything I felt like I was missing, which is always a win!
Here's what I took:
Tri Suit (FREE SANREMO W SUIT SLEEVELESS)
Googles
Sunglasses
Socks
Running Shoes
Sandals
Honey Stinger x2
Gatorade
Water bottle
Run with Coach D sweat towel (perfect for drying off feet!)
Beach Towel
Drawstring bag
Hair tie
Garmin (which I forgot to wear...)
Bike
Helmet
Play by Play
8 am - Arrival & Setup
Getting to the race site was pretty straight forward and the directions were clear. There was plenty of parking in a grass field within a short walking distance of the transition area and race HQ. I picked up my race packed on the morning of the race and there was thankfully not a line. By 8:20am I had my bike on the rack and transition area ready to go. The bike racks were not assigned, although some were reserved for various teams/groups. I prefer to be as close to the middle runway as I can, so I ended up about 3 or 4 bikes from the runway towards the swim entrance. There was a separate gate for the bike in/out.
As I usually am on race day, I was a little nervous about the bathroom situation and my body's internal timer. Thankfully there were plenty of portapotties provided. Pro tip: there are several different bathroom locations and almost no one was using the ones by the transition area's swim entrance. The other areas all had long lines.
8:45 am - Walk to the Starting Line
The swim start required a significant walk from the transition area, with some parts lacking sidewalks. Some people did that walk barefoot, but I was very glad I wore my sandals. There was an option to leave your shoes at the start and pick them up after the race at the race HQ, but since the husband was spectating I just left mine with him.
9 am - Race Start
This race was thankfully a time trial start, so all I had to do was get in line. I really appreciate that instead of a chaotic free for all!
The Swim
Water entry was literally jumping off of a dock into murky harbor water. It was as gross as it sounds! Visibility was minimal and the water was choppy enough to make sighting equally difficult. It didn't help that I later discovered that my goggles were a little gunky inside and they were also tinted. Not the best combination for an overcast day in very brown water.
The water temperature was fine, for me it wasn't too hot or too cold and I did not wear a wetsuit. I really wished the buoys were closer together because I had a hard time seeing them from the water.
Exiting the swim involved climbing a ladder and a 200-meter dock run to the transition area. I am always afraid of running on slippery surfaces, so running on that dock made me nervous. It wasn't really slippery, so that was all in my head.
Overall I was not thrilled with my swim time. Given the conditions on race day, I'm not losing sleep over it.
The Bike
The transition area was easy to navigate, and the mostly flat bike course had clear markings. The ride past fields and through town was pleasant, with minimal traffic (they did not close the roads for this race).
I have learned that I don't like biking as much as I thought I did. I am also still using a hybrid bike for races, which isn't bad but has its drawbacks. I had some non-timed wins here, mostly with regards to my leg stamina and consistency of speed. I'm not complaining!
The Run
The run course was flat, winding through residential neighborhoods. There were two water stations, which I appreciated even though it was only a 5k.
During my previous race I had completely died and rode the struggle bus for the entire run. I was determined to avoid that at all costs for this race, and I'm proud to say that I was able to keep a comfortable and steady pace all the way to the finish line! Unfortunately I probably had a little more gas in the tank, but I'll take the win. (Coach D jumping in - Coach Elissa and I worked on her run training for two months after her triathlon and she CRUSHED the Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 miler - having enough kick at the end to smash paces in the 7’s for the final stretch)
Difficulty
3.5 out of 10
This course wasn't difficult. The course was beginner-friendly, with flat terrain and shallow harbor water, allowing nervous swimmers to stand if needed. (they even put that in the race literature).
Hot Tips
Don't forget to adequately HYDRATE for at least 2 days leading up to your race.
Take 2 pair of goggles with different tints. I wished that I didn't have tinted goggles because it was so overcast that day.
A wetsuit might not be necessary; I thought the water temperature was comfortable.
It's okay not to PR. Focus on other wins and don't get distracted by a missed goal.
The coffee shop in town is a great post-race stop. The coffee is good, but the best part was the bathroom. Single stall room with plenty of room to change!
You're in Maryland. Get yourself some post-race crab!
