Jim’s Blog

Jim July 27th, 2008

so, yesterday i did a triathlon at the Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Tennessee. there are several different kinds of triathlons. this was a Sprint Distance triathlon, which means the distances are shorter but it’s all out intensity all the way, hence a “Sprint” triathlon. this is the best kind of triathlon for a newbie to break into the sport. you can go at whatever pace you want. this isn’t true of all triathlons. i have a triathlon coming up where people are disqualified if they don’t get out of the water or finish their bike ride fast enough. if you are interested in training for your first triathlon, you can check out my tri site. 

the day started about 4:15 a.m.; it’s helpful if you can eat your pre-race meal about 3 hours before start time. i got to the venue about an hour early to set up my transition area and do a warm-up. people of all kinds do these things – all ages, all sizes, all personalities. one of the guys who racked his bike next to mine was one of those young cocky types who informed me to be ware because he planned to come into the transition are like a “bull in a china closet.” i was #71 and he was #73, which means i would start my swim slightly ahead of him. his comment was his way of saying “stay out of my way old man.” honestly, people who do triathlons aren’t like this but there are always a few in the crowd. so, i did the nice, polite, respectable thing. i looked him square in the eye and said, “well, i transition like a tornado. so, you might want to scoot your bike down the rack, or hope you get here first.”

the swim took place in a pool. we went in order according to our number in 3-second intervals. you could pass others or be passed by other swimmers going around you in your lane. there were over 450 people in this tri; at #71 i was thankfully near the front just behind the fast swimmers so it wasn’t quite as congested. it takes a lot of physical training but so much of racing triathlons is mental. most people who do them have trained for over the required distances in the actual race. but it’s different in the race. even with all your training. most triathletes have to fight through the voices that say, “are you sure you can do this?” or “this just isn’t your day.”

i finished the swim and hauled to my transition area to begin the bike ride. atomic boy was gone; he had passed me in the pool and was in and out of the transition area before i got there. i hopped on my bike, and was off. about 100 feet into the ride, i grabbed my bottle of sports drink off my bike to take a drink. it had been a little rainy, my bottle was wet, and i dropped it. in the heat of the moment i made a quick decision not to waste any time to stop and get it, and i pedaled on. which means i would have no water for the bike ride. i also forgot my gel, so i would have nothing for the biking portion of the race. i couldn’t help myself but a big smile hit my race as i passed atomic boy on the bike. always remember, it’s swim AND bike AND run. old guys may be a little slower but they don’t give up easily, and don’t particularly enjoy being underestimated by younger guys.

speaking of a “bull in the china closet,” that’s pretty much how i did the bike ride – i charged up every hill and flew down the other side. i made it back to the transition area to get into my shoes for the run. i was pretty spent but i grabbed some water and a gel and headed out into the hilly run. about a half mile into it i began getting cramps in my stomach and my left shoulder was throbbing. thankfully i felt better as the run continued.

i finished! that’s me heading into the finish line. afterwards, everyone hung out, ate food, did a little race talk, and enjoyed post-race festivities. i made new friends, saw some folks i hadn’t seem in a while who i didn’t even realize did triathlons. i even saw atomic boy, and we congratulated each other on a good race. there were 14-year-olds and 70-year-olds, there were thin people and not-so-thin people, tall people and short people, and people of various ethnicities, and religious beliefs or none at all. there were people in perfect health and others who were in remission from cancer. for some, this was their 30th triathlon, for others it was their first. for some, it was just something fun to do. for others, crossing that finish line meant everything for reasons perhaps we can’t understand. but at the end of it all, we were all connected together under the banner of “finishers,” and it was meaningful to share that with each other despite all our differences. every one of us had a different story, every one of us had struggled through the challenges of the race, but we all crossed the same finish line.

pam and jessie were waiting for me at the finish line.

• Triathlon
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