About 8 months ago, way back in Chiang Rai, I signed up for the Hickory Knob Triathlon in October 2008, knowing that I would be in the states visiting our mission supporters. Little did I know that I'd be living in the states again going through all this adjustment. The date approached and I really wondered if I should be running this race... Wasn't I going through enough with the move and getting settled? Should I really spend the money on gas, lodging, and meals? Was I really in shape to run this triathlon after putting back on 20 of the 120 lbs that I'd lost?
I decided that these races are a milestone that we commit to, whether we're at our peak or not. If I back out of workouts and events because I'm having a hectic life, what's to stop that from becoming a pattern? That's certainly a pattern I don't need and won't accept. I booked a hotel room and asked my daughter to join me on the trip. I was committed.
We had a great trip down to the event on Friday afternoon. My teenage daughter drove part of the way to practice under her "beginner's permit". We arrived, picked up our packet and were awed by the spectacle of it all. Setup Events was organizing the race and it was highly professional. They were busy laying out the banners, bike racks, tents, and chip readers. It was already a huge event and only a few of the competitors had arrived. I had registered in the Masters Clydesdale class, which was for guys over 200 lbs and over 40 years old. I thought to myself that perhaps I may have competition that I could really compete against. I looked at the registration... Wow! Only 5 in my category... Could I possibly come in the top 3? I committed to attempt it.
Friday night, after the pre-race meeting, my daughter and I returned to the hotel, watched a movie, and went to sleep by 9 pm.
Saturday morning the alarm went off at 5:50 am and I jumped out of bed. I'd had a good night's sleep and I was excited about the day. We had some bagels for breakfast and arrived at the venue about 7 am. There was already an electric energy in the air. The weather was overcast but really didn't look like rain. There was a crisp chill in the air but it wasn't cold. We really couldn't have asked for better weather...
After assembling my bike and racking it, Emily and I walked down to the waterfront to check out the swim area. It was an incredibly steep grade from the swim to the bike transition... I wondered what that would feel like after swimming the 500 meters. We visited with Dee from my work who was running the international distance and chatted with other competitors. The time was nearing and I was getting excited!
At 8:50 am, we all headed down to the waterfront and at 9:05 am, wave by wave we started the swim. I did not use a wetsuit because I didn't want to pay the rental fee of $50. I also figured without it I'd want to get out of the water sooner. Surprisingly, the water temperature was pretty good. It was 73 degrees and good for swimming. Three minutes before my start, I got in the water and waited for the air horn...
We were off! I kept a bit slow and toward the edge. I really didn't want to start the race being kicked in the face. The group thinned out and I was pleased to see that I wasn't the slowest one. About 100 meters out, something in my left knee popped and it hurt. I had to stop kicking with any force and moved to my upper body for more of the swim. By the first buoy, my technique had fallen apart a bit. My goggles were foggy and I was out of breath. I swam with my head above the water and kept taking in mouthfuls of water. My knee was a bit less crunchy but still acting up. It wasn't a particularly pretty swim but quite effective... the buoys kept getting closer and I stayed in front of those swimmers doing the sidestroke and breast stroke. As I rounded the second buoy of the triangular swim, athletes from the international distance were descending on my position. I was awed as I headed to the shore and their speed and grace... one day...
As I got a few feet from the shore, I let my feet drop to find the bottom... nothing but water. A few feet closer I tried again... muck... That's better! A few feet closer... more solid muck and I was on terra firma. I got out of the lake and began my run up that crazy hill. Volunteers helped us get over the 3 foot "step" over some roots and I ran the whole 150m to the bike transition area. Mind you, when I say I ran, that doesn't mean sprinting but choosing to run at a slow pace rather than walking. I was careful to not push my left knee too hard, but keep things at a good and steady pace.
The transition was smooth and quick. It seemed like only a minute or so and I was running my bike out to the road.
I jumped on the bike at the mounting area and quickly found my bike legs. Finally, something I felt I could do well. I was definitely in my element. I headed out quickly and stayed quick. It was fun passing people on fancy road bikes using my Gary Fisher mountain bike with road rims, fenders, and my bike lock on the back. I figure that during the whole bike ride I passed 6 or 7 people and was passed by only 10 or so buff athletes. I averaged 27.5 km per hour on the 10 miles of the bike leg.
When I hit steep uphills, I got out of my saddle and committed to the incline. On the steep downhills, I worked hard to take advantage of my weight and gain serious speed. I passed most of those I passed on the downhills. The chain slipped off once on a steep incline but I quickly got it back on. As I returned toward the transition area I was feeling strong and elated that I was 2/3 done with the race and feeling good. I was pleased that my knee had some recovery during the bike. The motion of pedaling seemed to help it start moving more fluidly and without much pain. I dismounted the bike and ran it into the transition area. I quickly removed my helmet and gloves and began that long run.
Just last weekend, I ran the Lauren's Hope 5k and was pleased that the run had passed quickly and I had run 10:51 minute miles. This weekend the run was a more painful event. The knee pain came back a bit and I had to be careful not to push it too hard. There were crazy hills and I kept running through them all.
I was grateful for the drink station at mile 1, as I'd forgotten my water bottle for my bike and this was my first hydration of the race! I downed a couple of cups of electrolyte mix (Heed) and continued on with the clomp, clomp, clomp of a master's clydesdale. About 1/2 of the way into the run a really fit 70 year old Grandma passed me with encouraging words... I wasn't passing anyone on the run but was being passed by many. It didn't really matter to me though... I just wanted to keep running. I kept my slow but steady pace through the turn-around and began the run to the finish. I was in pain but not bad and elated that I had finished 2 of the 3 legs and closing in on the finish line. I looked at my watch and realized that I was at a similar pace to the prior weekend! Wow! Looking good. As I approached the finish and crossed the line, I was happy, excited, tired, and sore. It had been a great race and I was proud of the effort.
I finished in 1 hr 35 minutes, 5th of the five master's clydesdales. One of them had finished in 1:06, so I'm thinking that they weren't necessarily reformed fat guys. I had some great chats with other competitors and enjoyed the post race BBQ.
I'm not sure I'll ever be competitive but I sure do love this sport. It's helped give me a new lease on life and hold me to task in my weight loss. I'm honored to have this opportunity and it is truly a celebration of life and health.
