When the alarm buzzed at 4 a.m., I woke up feeling amazing. It was the first time in ages that I’d had a good night’s sleep. Staying at the Harborside Motel in Montauk, I felt rested and ready to take on the day. Merle, the race director of the RJA Memorial Mighty Montauk Triathlon, had invited me not only to participate in the race but also to give a motivational talk, which added to my excitement.
Prepping for the Day
I grabbed my Silo transition bag and my bike and made my way across the street to the transition area. With the sky dull with clouds overcast and the air quiet, I was one of the first to arrive. Scouting out a good spot in the middle, I laid out my gear neatly. Everything was set.
Interestingly, I didn’t know anyone at the race. Usually, I cross paths with plenty of familiar faces at these events. However, everyone I met here was kind and welcoming, which put me at ease.
The weather was looking iffy, so I decided to walk back to the hotel to grab my raincoat. On my way back to transition, I bumped into Rich Izzo of Toughman Westchester. I’d been looking forward to meeting him in person, so we had a quick chat before I got back to setting up.
Getting in the Zone
With transition ready, I slipped on my long-sleeve wetsuit. My training partner, Ray, had advised me to wear booties, so I made sure to put those on too and headed for the water to see if I could squeeze in a practice swim.
The water was chilly but manageable. I was thankful for my wetsuit as the fog hung heavily over the surface, making it hard to spot the buoys. One of the guys reassured me, saying the buoys would come into view once we started swimming.
The Swim
The race began, with the elite group heading into the water first, followed by the rest of us. There was a mix of nerves and excitement in the air as our group jumped in.
Right away, I noticed the chaos of swimming in a crowd. Swimmers doing the backstroke and breaststroke were everywhere, which is a bit of a pet peeve for me. Not only is it dangerous, but it disrupts others’ rhythms. One woman in particular kept swimming in front of me, and finally, I had to veer off course just to avoid her.
Despite the challenges, the swim itself was enjoyable. The water felt great, though I started to get a little hot halfway through and wished I’d gone with my sleeveless ROKA wetsuit. The mile-long swim felt short. I was averaging about 2:30 per 100 yards—not my fastest, but considering the crowd, I was happy with it.
Transition Troubles
After the swim, I made my way to transition. I opted to walk instead of run on the sand, taking the time to catch my breath. An older man cheered me on as I passed, saying, “Great job!” (As he said that, I thought, maybe I should be standing where he is. Am I crazy to be racing at my age? haha)
When I got to my spot, I struggled to pull off my wetsuit. It was stuck on the leg that had the timing chip. For a moment, I considered asking someone nearby to help, although everyone was racing and I really didn’t think anyone would do that. After what felt like forever, I finally managed to wrestle it off and geared up for the bike portion. (If only I had it videotaped! It would make a viral TikTok video!)
Conquering the Bike Course
Mounting my bike and heading out of transition, I braced myself for the hills. I knew they’d be tough, but I felt mentally prepared to tackle them.
During the ride, I noticed my nose plugs had gotten caught in my hair. It made me laugh, thinking it would make for a funny, “pathetic triathlete” post later on. I pulled them out and stuffed them in my pocket, refocusing on the course.
The hills were challenging but not impossible. Each climb felt rewarding, and the views were beautiful, even with the heavy fog obscuring the Montauk Lighthouse. The course itself was fantastic, and I truly enjoyed every moment of it. Passing other riders gave me a boost of confidence, though plenty of others passed me too. Average speed: 14.8 mph.
Crossing the Finish Line
Just as quickly as it had begun, the bike ride was over. I stayed focused throughout and felt strong. But finding the actual finish line turned into an adventure. I ran in circles for a bit, trying to figure out where I was supposed to go. I eventually cut through the crowds and finally crossed the finish line.
Pride washed over me as I realized I had accomplished what I set out to do. Another race completed, another day to remember.
Wrapping Up the Day
On my way back to the hotel, I spotted Merle and stopped to thank her for organizing such an incredible race. The day had been full of challenges, laughter, and triumphs, and I was grateful to have been part of it all.
Montauk proved to be a race I’ll never forget, from the foggy swim to the hilly bike ride and all the little moments in between. It’s races like these that remind me why I love this sport so much. I also love these “hometown” triathlons. They have so much character!
P.S. I placed 1st in my age group. But I didn’t stick around to get the award. It was pouring out and I knew it would take me hours to get home, so I left. It took nearly 3.5 hours to get home, but I’m glad I went.
