Smithfield Sprint Triathlon: A Review

The Cornerstone Striders at the Smithfield Sprint

Well, the 2014 Smithfield Sprint Triathlon is now in the books and I am fairly pleased with my performance. This tri was a 300m pool swim, a 10-mile bike ride and a 5K run. I was a bit apprehensive about the event, because I broke my left pinkie finger during a run on Thursday morning and had to tape it to the next finger for support during the race. Although it was painful at points during the event, I still managed to PR at 1:13:49. Sometimes adversity makes you better.

This is a popular tri, because it's the first event of the Set Up Events Virginia triathlon season. It was sold out several weeks ago with just under 600 participants. It began and ended at the Smithfield YMCA, which was also the beneficiary of the event. Their indoor pool served as the venue for the swim portion of the event.

Andrea on her way to transition after the swim

The weather was about perfect on Saturday with starting temps in the mid-60's. For me, the hardest event was the swim, because I was trying to swim and protect my bad finger. The net result was that my freestyle and comfort level in the water were hampered and it slowed me down. Once out of the water and onto the bike, I felt much better. The bike course took us out from the Y in a westerly direction. For the most part, the bike course was flat with the occasional hill. The was a significant turn and hill combination at about Mile 4, but the organizers had warned us about this. It required you to anticipate the sharp turn and to have geared down to ascend the hill without having to shift. I managed it with no significant problems, although apparently some folks did not heed the warning. There was a bit of a headwind on the return ride, but still pretty easy.

Headed out onto the bike portion of the Smithfield Sprint

I was a bit apprehensive about the run. My last tri was last August in Goochland and the 5K run was really difficult. I had trouble transitioning from the bike, the hot and humid conditions were a bit overwhelming and much of the run was almost cross-country over a mowed field. Net result was a very disappointing time. Fortunately, Saturday's 5K went well. Although the day had gotten hotter than expected, there was no real humidity and the entire course was paved road. It covered some of the same ground that I had run with our Cornerstone Striders group on some of our Windsor Castle Park runs. Mostly flat, with a few gradual hills. I managed to keep a solid sub-9 m/m pace and averaged out at 8:44 m/m. Felt strong the whole way.

Maureen headed toward the finish line after the 5K

In the end, I really liked the Smithfield Sprint. I would encourage anyone thinking about their first tri to consider it. It's a good race to get your feet wet....literally. They also had really good barbecue after the race. Being in Smithfield has its benefits!

Relaxing after the Smithfield Sprint Triathlon