"triathlete" - can you be called that if you do 1 triathlon? in my book you cannot be but that didn't stop everyone from calling me so after i got done yesterday.
after 14 weeks of preparation, when i stood at the starting line, i was terribly nervous and super excited. as i see-sawed between the emotions, the horn was blown and it was time to go! i endured a few pushes and shoves but once we were about 50 yards into the water, there was enough room. it did not however help me get into my rhythm. the water splashed my face and the bumpy waves made it hard to tell if i was completing my stroke. however, the adrenaline kept me going. i didn't stop. about half way through the swim, my goggles filled with water making it impossible to tell where i was headed. fellow swimmers helped -- as long as i saw someone to my right and someone to my left, i figured i was headed in the right direction. one swimmer even stopped to tell me i was doing ok. this was so contrary to the horror stories i had heard of people being swum over on or being kicked. somewhere in all of this, i realized that the wave of swimmers after my group had started and some of them had even gotten past me. a part of me wished that i wasn't the last swimmer in my group. i plugged along. as i made the turn towards the finishing line, i felt terribly exhausted. i couldn't believe that i had another 150 yards to go. the water filled goggles didn't make it any easier. and just when i thought it was hard enough, i felt the milfoil -- creepy plants rising from the bottom of the lake, entangling my legs. gross! this is what i had feared all along. but, when your body is working hard despite of being tired, when you cannot really see and when you can hear throngs of people cheering little can keep you from powering through. and so, i did, arriving completely wiped. jamie, my dear friend was standing as close to the water as possible taking pictures. as she cheered and i ran to the transition, i saw vamshi. he talked me through transitioning (nobody can physically help you) and off i was on my bike.
for the first 3 miles of the ride, i was trying to catch my breath. finally, my body caught up with my breath and i could pedal along at a better speed. this stretch was clearly feeling like the easier part of the race. about half way through, some more friends found me and cheered me on. it was thrilling to hear familiar voices calling my name. it gave me a boost and i powered through the last 3 miles. as i turned to transition again, vamshi and jamie were calling my name.
helmet and gloves off, i was out running. vamshi and jamie cheered me on leaving me with a big smile for this last part. my legs felt like lead but i remember thinking how much the training had helped. it was not even close to being as bad as my first run after bicycling. after about 1.5 miles my legs had begun loosening up and i thought i could bump up my pace. "hold it", said a nice 1/4 mile uphill stretch. i just couldn't believe that after swimming and biking, one could be expected to do a 1/4 mile uphill section in the run. i had sworn not to stop running no matter what and just when i thought i was going to stick to my commitment, i had to stop. i walked for 10 seconds and then took off again. as i reached the top of the hill, i knew i was onto the homestretch. interestingly enough, the uphill climb had loosened up my legs and i was feeling strong on the downhill. then i hit flat ground and met my inspiration - a 70 year old man who had done exactly what i had. wow! my pace picked up and i felt a special moment. it occured to me that this may be the only time i ever do a triathlon. this was a special time and place to be savoured. i almost didn't want the triathlon to end. this only made me feel stronger and when i saw the finish line, i made a sprint to it. i was greeted with hugs, smiles and a medal. my total active time (not counting transitions) was 1 hour 54 minutes.
i slept for close to 12 hours last night and my legs hurt a little today. other than that, i am beaming from having lived another dream!
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