The pedal broke seven miles into the bike.
That was not the only problem.
I had done almost no actual bike, run, or swim training. My transitions were terrible because all the gear was new. The pedal failure took another chunk out of the time.
I finished in 1:15.
Respectable enough, given the above.
The race was a sprint triathlon on Long Island. A few days before it, I forwarded the spectator information and said I would be home by noon if nobody wanted to come watch. The note was casual because the preparation had been casual too.
I had been lifting and doing some running after work. That is not the same as training for three sports in one morning.
The race still went well enough to make me want another one.
By the next day I had registered for a triathlon in Washington, DC. I wanted to get closer to 1:02 for a sprint sometime that season. The response to a broken pedal and bad transitions was apparently a more specific time goal.
That was normal for me. A result did not have to be good to become useful. The race showed exactly where the free time was hiding. Practice the transitions. Use gear before race morning. Train on the bike. Try swimming.
Basic stuff.
I also liked that triathlon made excuses visible. In a road race, fitness can cover a lot. Three sports plus two transitions create more opportunities for poor planning to collect its fee.
I paid it, finished, and signed up again.
Next time, ideally, with two working pedals.