I'm BACK!

Thanks Liz Wall for encouraging me to get back on my racing horse.  When I started this blog many months ago, I was taking bigger racing risks.  I have both fallen off the big race wagon as well as the blogging one.  Last month Liz suggested that we sign up for the Lobsterman Olympic Tri.  I had been intending on doing an Olympic triathlon as it was on my "Summer Bucket List" but the summer was crazy busy and I hadn't really found the time to train consistently.  I had this crazy notion that getting back to teaching would create enough of a routine to get me back into serious training mode.  I did manage to do some long bikes and runs, but didn't get in the water more than three times.  Nonetheless, it was a great race.  Did I go really fast?  No. Did I finish my first ever Olympic TRI?  Absolutely!

How did it go?

The swim was a bit ugly.  I'm a swimmer, this is why I feel like I can do an Olympic tri without including water in my training regimen.  Now I know that it is time that I start training in the water.  I was pretty slow and did way way too much breaststroke.  I also swam like a drunk walks the spotted line.  I might have done 1.2 miles instead of .95.  I got out of the water well after the 30 minute mark and it got uglier before I hit my stride.

At first transition I saw my friend Liz who hopped on her bike moments after we greeted each other.  I couldn't get out of my wet suit. It was a hoot.  I had to sit down, catch my breath, drink a bunch of water, eat a banana and give that big black monster a big pull.  I got it off and managed to waste an entire 4:00 minutes at the transition.  Oh well, it may be just what I needed to set myself up for a good bike.

While my bike didn't feel great, I was faster than usual. The course was unbelievably hilly.  Crazy hilly. There was a headwind the entire way, okay, maybe that is a gross exaggeration. I do recall a half a mile where I enjoyed a sidewind.  There was another rider who I kept passing on the hills and I'd watch her fly by minutes later.  She kept me laughing on the hills, suggesting they would flatten when the run came along. Thanks 40.

I met up with Liz again at the transition. She was having the transition I had after the swim. She suggested we run together. Her goal was to run the whole thing. Since the hills on the run were kind of freaking me out, I had already decided I would let myself walk up the hills and through the water stops as long as I pushed myself to run faster than normal (which still isn't fast) everywhere else.  I started with Liz, but soon she realized I wanted to set a faster pace.  She kindly encouraged me to more on.  The run ended up feeling great.  I managed to average a 9:46 mile which for me is really good.  I loved the sights, the rolling hills, the absolutely beautiful weather. For a while I ran with this great woman who has been doing these tris for a while.  When I said something to her about how beautiful the weather was, she responded saying, "We are so lucky."  It got me thinking about how blessed I am.  I get to race with amazing people, in amazing spaces, under beautiful skies.  I have a family who supports me as I train and race.  I live in a country where men and woman of all ages can race side by side and where I can imagine myself racing when I am twice the age I am now.  Yes, we are so lucky.  Thanks 51 for inspiring such thought.

It was a great day.  Thanks Liz for making it happen. Thanks Jon for being Super Dad.  What's next?