Triathlons!
Monday, August 18, 2008
So I signed up for two triathlons this summer. The first such races of my life. I finished the second yesterday, and now I want to do more.
The first one I signed up for was the Sylvania Olympic Distance Triathlon. My first tri in my life was to be just a bit bigger.
I got up early (for me), and drove the 50 minutes to the suburb of Toledo, Ohio. Of course, I was late. The transition area was packed and filled up. I had to shimmy my way in. Then I registered, and got my stuff. In a hurry I got myself ready (put on my friend Ron Hardin’s wetsuit; lots of credit to him) and made it down to the beach. I didn’t know what to expect.
Luckily, I saw a few friends. There was Stephen McKenna, whom I swam against in a few Masters meets. Then I saw Adrienne O’Day, whom I coach at Masters and who with the help of her husband Ken, helped calm my nerves the night before. Then I saw Matt West, whom I also coach in Masters. So I stuck by Stephen and Matt whom I knew were in my wave. I had no idea what any of this meant 5 minutes ago. Soon, we all got down to the starting area, and a cannon set us off!
Holy moly. I was suddenly in a melee. I lost Matt, and only saw Stephen’s feet. It wasn’t as bad as I expected, and yet it was more confusing than I imagined. I guessed that I was one of the faster swimmers in my age group. But I had also never swam outdoors before. I wasn’t confident. Soon, however, the crowd thinned out. I could make out Stephen ahead of me, and Matt, I think, farther up. Then Stephen got a bit lost, and soon, I was ahead of him too. But I’d lost Matt. I’d look up, and all I’d see was empty water. Then I started seeing more people, but they were from the groups that’d started ahead of us: the “collegians”. I passed a few here and there, and was seeing no one from our group, so I figured I was in the lead. I was wrong, but I wasn’t too far off. Matt has apparently won something close to thirty of these races, and he was way off ahead. 
Then I got on the bike. I thought I’d really do well, but I didn’t do nearly as well as I expected. I’d done one group ride, and for some reason, I was averaging 24 mph over 19 miles easy. I expected the same. However, I couldn’t get my bike to go faster than 21 mph on average over those 26 miles. My legs just didn’t work. I still was fast, and posted the 6th fastest time in my age group. I didn’t know it then, but that’s when I got passed by Stephen in his fancy yellow bike.
Matt West & I after the Sylvania Olympic Distance Triathlon
Then came the run. I wasn’t too tired, so I expected to move. About a minute in, my knees stopped working. I was in terrible pain. I wanted to stop. I had no idea what hit me. It wasn’t my lungs/heart or muscles. It was purely a skeletal pain. I pushed through, slowly. It took me 1 hr, 5 minutes and change to finish that 10k run. My knees were shot. I was an open sieve. I got passed by EVERYONE. But I was happy. And I knew I’d have to go to the doc to get that checked out.
I finished, and in spite of it all, I was still 11th out of 20 in my first try. Check the results.
We were gone at BBI for a week where I really tested out ideas about running. I’d watched myself run, and then swim, and I saw what I was doing. I think.
Take a look at this video of my run. I need to make it right side up, but still. Watch my knees. I’m running with my knees all together, almost passing over the same space in front of me on the way up. Then my feet land as if I was on a tightrope. I run/walk like I’m on a runwalk, and it doesn’t work. That’s got to be at least part of the reason I felt so much pain.
So in BBI, I try to walk a bit more like John Wayne. I do few runs, and nothing hurts. Then again, I’m on soft ground, but I feel a lot better.
Then, exactly a week later, I’m off to my second ever triathlon at Island Lake. This time, though, it’s a sprint, and that plays even less to my strength, since swimming is an even smaller portion of the race compared to the other events which have also been shortened.
I’m late again that morning, but this time, I have to start in the first wave, and there’s a bus to take, and there NO SPACE at all in the transition area to set up. I’m so annoyed. And what’s worst, is that cocky me knows that I’m going to be one of the first out of the lake, and that my stuff will be out of everyone’s way quickly. I set up, and luckily, the meet is backed up 15 minutes, just enough for me to go to bathroom and change.
I see Matt West again, and a few other familiar faces, most notably person in charge of the pool I coach at through the city; my “boss” Dan McGuire. He’s a great guy, with kids the same age as my kids, and he lives in Canton, and I see him at the pool with his bike on occasion. His bike is a sweet piece of metal I do covet quite badly. At least in my size. I also see Tom Phillips, who I’ve raced and lost to in the pool, and he seems just happy to be there, and my good friend James D’Amour (who did the 1.5 mile open water swim). It’s nice to see Dan, Tom, Matt, and James again. This time, I stick with Matt, and he introduces me to his dad and sister who are also doing the event. WOW. I just hope my mom and dad come watch, let alone participate.
Soon, we’re all at the ready, and we’re off! A melee again, but this time I really watch Matt. He’s off to the side, taking it easy, out of the melee, and soon he’s in front again. I stick behind the melee, until they can’t keep up their own pace, and soon I’m off too, but behind Matt. I pass Tom quickly, and soon it’s clear water except for Matt’s kick in the near distance. I inch up closer to Matt every few meters, but then, just as quickly, I loose track of where I am, and Matt’s in front by 30 seconds. I try to keep straight, and finish off the swim just as they’re starting another wave. It feels good to be one of the firsts out.
My transition is slow as I put on socks on my wet feet, but I’m off on bike. I try my damnedest to pedal pedal pedal, but I keep hitting a wall. I get passed only twice, and I feel good. Mental note: I can still go harder, I just have to learn how.
Then comes the part I dread. The run. I’m off to confront my fears. Immediately, I feel different. No more knee pain. I feel like my heart is going to come off it’s frame, but no knee pain. I immediately get passed, but I’m no open sieve like the last time. I feel stronger, but not strong yet. I finish strong, not beat up like last time.
Once I check the results, I see I’m only 28 seconds off a third place TROPHY, but I’m quite happy with 4th out of 17 in my age group. A much better placing! Again, I’m fastest in my swim, but I’m also 3rd fastest of all swimmers that day, and my bike split is a bit faster by speed, but my run has improved by 2 minutes per mile! I’m greatly impressed. I know that I can go faster. Oh my, I’m hooked. 
The best part of it all was that beyond Melissa being there, my kids and my parents were there too. Melissa has been so supportive and loving that it’s given me the ability to try these triathlons, which are by far the most expensive, inaccessible sport I’ve ever done. By the end, my kids were so proud of me, and I was too.
That’s it. I’m hooked.
The best part of it all was that beyond Melissa being there, my kids and my parents were there too. Melissa has been so supportive and loving that it’s given me the ability to try these triathlons, which are by far the most expensive, inaccessible sport I’ve ever done. By the end, my kids were so proud of me, and I was too.
That’s it. I’m hooked.