Time to Tri!!!!!

Ok, so today marked the opening of the triathlon season in our area with the Mini Mighty Man super sprint distance. For the 24 hours leading up to the event, I was filled with trepidation and dread. However, once it was underway, it was a total blast.

Last year, this was the first tri I had ever done. And I was still so new to all these athletic pursuits. Therefore, even though I had not exactly been training, I still figured I could take some substantial time off of last year's 58:57 time.

My strategy on the swim was simple. This is a 400 meter swim in a pool. 8 50 m laps. We enter the pool 5 seconds apart. We seed ourselves where we think we belong. I figured if I got in right behind Jackie Fagan, I could chase her feet for at least a few laps and this would make me work harder. A sound plan. IF I had seen her feet when I got in the water. She was gone like a rocket. And there I was, in the lane with all these people faster than me. The folks behind me were passing me, one after the other, after the other. When Joe passed me on the third lap I could have spit nickels.

Then Dennis passed me on the third lap as well. Right as we were coming up to the wall. Now, if you have never seen this event...let me explain something...the wall is usually my friend...in this case, not so much...it is a bit tricky. Sometimes we're a bunch of us arriving at the same time, all needing some space to touch and turn and push off under the lane line into the adjacent lane. So Dennis pushes off and I'm ready right behind him...only he didn't go where and how I expected him to. So I had to alter how I pushed off or I would have gotten kicked right in the face. As I pulled up, I smacked my head pretty good on the lane line.

Again, an explanation is needed here. If you have never had an encounter with those lane lines in a pool, they are a formidable force. When seen on TV, they appear to be almost balloon like, floating there, light as feathers. This is simply not so. They are immovable. They might as well be made of bloody cement for how much give they have when hit by accident. Just resting your arm over them gives black and blue bruises. So, yes, I have a tender spot right along my hair line now. Luckily, nothing visible to look like an idiot with. And luckily, it didn't really affect me during the swim, I kept right on going.

Last year, when the swim was over, my arms were so tired, I had to try twice to haul my butt up and out of the water. I was determined to not have that happen this year. And in fact, had some anxiety about it...because that is just the way I am! So, I'm in the home stretch...25 m to go...there is some crazy woman flailing her arms all over the damn place, smacking me in the head and arms with every one of her strokes and we are approaching at the same speed. She gets there a second before me. And now I'm pushing up but I've got nowhere to put my foot. I've got a leg out of the water, but nowhere to put it. She is taking for freakin' ever to move her hand. And meanwhile, I can feel my tri top has ridden up over my belly and all the world can see my belly hanging out while I'm suspended there waiting for her to get the heck out of my way! (reality check, perhaps it was 3 seconds, but it felt like 3 minutes) Anyways, she finally moves along, but now I need to bob back down and push up again because my momentum had stalled. And there are people behind me. And my suit is still up. And there is a camera there. I'm just ready to sink into the water forever, I'm so mortified.

But I hear Barbara yelling my name, just over my shoulder, so like a superhero, I haul myself out and yank down my shirt and start running for the door. Let me just say, there is nothing like having someone you look up to be there for you to cheer you on when you are busy looking like an idiot to give you a fresh rush of "can-do" adrenaline! Thanks Barbara!!!!

Out the door I go. Into temperature of somewhere around 40 degrees, sopping wet, bare feet, pulling off the goggles and swim cap. The grass is wet from all the people exiting the pool. And I swear to God, I kid you not, it was actually frosty. Brrrrrr.

Into the transition area I arrive. I find my spot. Jackie is still in the area. So is Dennis. I am thrilled about this. I look over to find Joe. No sign of him. Grrrrr. He is smoking me. And we know he will do the bike in half the time and the run much faster as well. My only hope to measure up was in the swim and he blew past me. Jackie asks me how I did. This is when I realize, I have (yet again) forgotten to push the start button on my watch. Really...I do not excel at any of the technological gadgets. It's pretty pathetic.

To clarify what needs to happen in transition one: put on socks (without drying feet, leaving them muddy and grassy, I hate this with a passion), put on bike shoes, put on race belt with bib number, put on sunglasses, put on helmet, (helmet must be secured before you unrack bike), blow nose (this is particular to me, not the general population), unrack bike. Run the bike out of the area, to the road where you are allowed to mount and ride away.

Off Jackie goes. This is not good, my bike is still racked. I don't want her too far ahead of me. I'm securing my helmet, almost ready. Unracking my bike, I'm saying good bye to Dennis, wishing him well. As I turn to see him go, I see he is wearing something with long sleeves and I remember my jacket. Where the heck is my jacket? I put it under my bag so it wouldn't blow away. Prop up bike so it doesn't fall. Oops. Prop it again. Where is the jacket????? It's not under the bag...what did I do with it???? Damn!!!! Oh, it is under someone else's bag. Whip it on. Grab bike. Away I go. An outloud pep talk the whole way to the mounting area. You can do this. It's only 6 miles. You'll be fine. It's short and flat and closed. You will not fall. You can do this. You will not fall. You can do this.

Safely mounted, I'm off for a chilly 6 mile ride. It is 3 loops in the park. Legs were freezing, but the rest of me was actually pretty comfortable, surprisingly enough. I merge onto the course safely. Now it's time to get moving! I look down at my speedometer, it is not working. Dear God in Heaven, I forgot to push the button!!!!! What is it with the damn buttons in my life???? And I simply could not screw up enough courage to take a hand off the bars to push the button. I'm such a knucklehead!! Oh well, I'll just keep going. I'm happy to report that although many people passed me handily, I did some of my own passing. And some of them were even younger than me. (I can tell the age from the body marking on the right calf. We all have our ages written on our leg.)

Six wide, slow turns later, I am finally finishing the bike. I have not seen Jackie on the course so she is still out there somewhere ahead of me. Not happy. I was hoping to make up some ground on the bike and be about even coming into the run. Oh well. Into the finish chute of the course I glide. And I do mean glide. Last year, I fell off my stupid bike at the dismount. I was determined not to do that again. Alas, I slowed down a bit early and a bit much. But, I did not fall! Run the bike into the transition area for T2.

The second transition involves the following: find the right location to return your bike, rack your bike, remove your helmet, remove your bike shoes, put on sneakers, in today's case remove the jacket, grab hat and napkins (for more nose-blowing) and put hat on while running out of the corral onto the course.

When I arrive at my spot, I entered the aisle on the wrong side. Nuts. Rack bike, run around to the other side to get shoes changed. Cannot seem to stamp my right foot into sneaker. Grrrrr. Feet are still soaked of course. Looking for Jackie. No sign of her. Grrrrr. No time for nose-blowing now, that's for sure. I'll have to manage that along the course. Off I go.

The run is short. Only two miles. I'm feeling pretty good for just coming off of the bike. It's an odd feeling getting your legs moving in the new rhythm of running immediately following biking. I feel like a toddler just learning to run. But today, I didn't feel too much of that. And my feet weren't too numb. And my knee didn't hurt. And my arms weren't numb at all. This is all good news. Across the field I go, out onto the path. I'm maybe a half a mile into it and there he is coming back, my husband, totally smoking me. Grrrrr. Shortly behind him I see Dennis. Nice job Honey, you're beating Dennis! Well, I want to beat Jackie...where the heck is she? No sign of her. Grrrrr. Must move my feet faster! Lean forward! Think of Brian's chicken. No, that makes me laugh. Think of the Road Runner. Yes, that's right...fast feet!

Down the home stretch where I know Joe will be waiting for me. (It's always good to come home to Joe...figuratively as well as literally!) And today Natasha will be there as well, with Joe's folks. As I come into the shoot, there she is, waving mightily. She's all I see, my gorgeous daughter. And I know I have to look good for her as I finish strong with a smile on my face a mile wide. No matter how long after Joe I finished. And even if I finished after Jackie. Just doesn't matter for that moment when I know my daughter is there cheering for me!!!

Now, for anyone with the fortitude (and the time) to have read this far, I guess I really should share the results. I did not come close to my goal time. But I did beat last year's time. Here's the scoop.

             2012 Time      2013 Time
Swim   11:32               9:49
T1        3:17                 3:44                    (Joe's comment, "What, did you do your hair???")
Bike     21:44               22:53
T2        1:17                 2:04                     
Run      21:09               18:20

overall  58:57               56:47

It was a total blast!!!!