Twin Cities Triathlon: Registration, Course & Schedule

Six hours after the race and I’m still riding a runner’s high. I think I’ve been hooked on a new sport. The day was a blast — the rush from the swim, the challenge of the bike course, and a tough but rewarding run.

I woke up at 5:15 a.m. and was eating overnight oats by 5:20. I wasn’t very hungry but forced myself to eat because I knew I’d regret skipping breakfast later. My sister and I arrived at the race site at 6:30 and had our transition area set up by 6:45. Then the waiting began. The sprint triathlon was supposed to start around 7:35 a.m., but we didn’t enter the water until about 8:00. The Olympic-distance competitors, who began upstream at 7:15, had to pass the sprint start point before we could be sent off. With their delayed start, our swim began later than scheduled.

The Swim

The 500-yard swim down the Mississippi River was described as “fast and fun,” and that description was accurate. The river’s current worked in our favor and gave us a significant push. During the entire swim I felt unstoppable — even if I paused, the current would carry me downstream. That helped me post a surprisingly fast swim time of 5 minutes and 29 seconds.

The organizers sent swimmers off in three-second intervals, which eased the anxiety and kept me calm. I alternated between breaststroke and front crawl and managed not to get kicked or swallow water. The only tricky moment was at the finish: I didn’t turn toward the bank soon enough and was pulled downstream past the exit. I had to swim against the current to reach the steps, which was harder than it sounds. A lot of other competitors overshot the finish too — it was a common challenge on that course.

The Bike
The bike leg turned out to be the most surprising part of the day — far hillier than I expected. I’d almost chickened out on renting a road bike at the last minute, but I’m glad I didn’t. Riding a road bike made a noticeable difference in speed and comfort. Most of my training had been on a mountain bike over flat terrain, so the long uphill stretches on race day were a real change of pace.

I appreciated not being jammed into a tight pack. The race enforced a single-file rule for safety, which reduced my anxiety and let me find a sustainable rhythm. I ended up pacing with another rider who seemed experienced; I suspect I finished the run ahead of him because of my strong 5K time.

My bike split was 53:27, averaging just under four minutes per mile. Since I’ve never trained on a road bike before, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I’m curious what my time would have been on a completely flat course. One downside: there were no mile markers or clocks on the bike course, so I had no way to gauge distance or time while riding.

The Run
Transitioning from the bike to the run was the toughest part for me. After a minor calf cramp on the last hill of the bike, my legs felt like jelly when I first started running; it took three to four minutes to settle into my pace. The 5K course included two steep hills over a bridge — an out-and-back route — so the terrain was more challenging than I expected.

Despite the hills, my run turned out better than I anticipated. During the bike, a scrawny ten-year-old passed me on a hill, which became my motivation: I kept telling myself to “catch the kid.” I closed the gap during the run and overtook him with about half a mile to go. He sprinted back past me in the final moments and beat me by a half-second, but that felt like a small victory anyway.

My 5K time was 25:25, averaging just under 8:15 per mile. I’d been aiming for about nine-minute miles, so I was pleasantly surprised by my pace.

Overall Race and Results
Overall, the race left me feeling both challenged and accomplished. My final time was 1:27:44. Standing on the podium was an unexpected highlight: I placed third in the 20–24 age group. I’m not sure how many women were in my age group, and frankly that didn’t matter — it was exciting to earn a little recognition and a hat that says I placed third in my age group.

Me and my sister

Sister and Sisterboy

Before the race we connected with several other female athletes. It was inspiring to see motivated young women competing — we all finished within a few minutes of each other.

Sister, me and Liz

After the race I wasn’t especially hungry right away — I had a few orange slices and a banana about 20 minutes later. For lunch we met friends at Whole Foods and I celebrated with a large, nutrient-packed salad from the hot bar. I tried a bit of everything; the curried cauliflower stood out as particularly good.

I’m very glad I did this race. I almost backed out at the last minute, but finishing made it worth every uncomfortable moment. For me, it wasn’t about the clock or winning; it was about proving I could do it. You can accomplish what you set your mind to — never tell yourself you can’t.

What’s your favorite place to celebrate after a race?
Do you have a memorable or motivational race story — maybe about chasing someone ahead of you?