I am hooked on triathlon

Me and Lou at the finishline.

I have always enjoyed endurance sport. Having a big event out on the horizon makes it easier to train and stay motivated to get out the door and log time training. I like training.

But before this weekend I had always thought of myself as a trail runner. My previous events have all been in Colorado running around in the mountains. Slow pace with a ton of ascent and incredible scenery. I had an image of myself as a “mountain athlete” and I was pretty happy with that internal image.

Then we had twins and decided it was high time to get out of the mountains and head back to Michigan. I wasn’t sure what that meant. I needed to find something to place on my horizon.

I discovered The Dirty Mitten. A triathlon with a bit of “mountain” in her. Swim, bike, run yes but gravel road and trail running. I started training for my first triathlon which meant getting my swim form figured out and finding a bike.

I borrowed a bike from a father. I got into the pool a few times and did laps. Before the race I was most concerned about my swim. I had done open water swimming in my youth. As a boy scout each summer I would complete the mile swim but it had been over a decade since those days. However, after my second pool session my swimming onfidence was high and I realized the bike would be my weakness.

I only biked three times before the event. Each time on a different borrowed bike. Riding through training literature I discovered I needed to focus on spinning my pedals and maintaining a high cadence just like running but I would definetly be entering the race without enough strength or practice on the bike. So be it.

On race day it was a new stress of setting up my transition area, getting sharpie all over my arms and calves and preparing myself to get into 68 degree water without a wetsuit. I wathed the olypmpic distance start and jogged about waiting for the event to start.

We were set off in pairs every few seconds into the swim which was great! I had been dreading the idea of the mass start carnage and that didn’t happen. We swam out towards the first turn bouy and I immediatly realized I was going way to fast and I had not trained for route finding in the water. I became overwhelmed and had to deal with an adrehnaline rush and mild panic attack in the water. Making the second turn I was able to find my stroke and pull myself into the swim finish and get up to my first transition.

I had trained for the transition from bike to run (sort of) but I was not prepared for the odd dizzyness and nasua of coming out of the water and running to my bike. I took a few extra seconds to calm myself down got my helmet on and put on my shoes and headed out on the bike.

The bike quickly became my difficult leg. Riding my dad’s bike was what I had available but it is not an athletic bike. It’s a cruiser. My body was a giant wind brake and the weight of big bulky steel frame was considerable. It was a lesson in training prep and better tools. Ultimately tho the ride was beautiful and fun. The gravel road was a unique experience and I really enjoyed the ride.

The ride was an out and back and I was very happy with my performance on the way out, but I had not brought along any race nutrition and on the way back I was not able to maintain my power and pace and my left leg began to spasm. I was really racing!!

Getting back into the second transition I only had to rake my bike, remove my helmet and put on my race belt. I took off hard. Running was the event I was most prepared for and I attacked the course. The run was fun. Not as much of a trail run as had been billed but still it was all natural surface and undulating terrain. I came into the first aid station and grabbed some gateraid to mentally help me deal with my left quad, which was in full spasm at this point. I just needed to buckle down and run it in. It was only a 5k.

At the socnd aid I actually took a pause to really drink some gatoraid. I could feel my right quad begin to tweak as well. I checked my watch and noted I was just over 2.5 kilometers into the run and I just had to suffer it out as fast as I could. I picked a target in front of me and went off to chase them down.

All in all I was pleased with my run performance given the state of my legs. I crossed the finish line with both legs in full spasm and got my finishers trophy and then nearly callapsed. I pounded a water bottle and ate a banana and walked in slow circles to get through the spasms.

I finally checked my watch and I was blown away. My goal had been to finish in under 2 hours and I had thught 1 hour 45 minutes was an aggresive goal. I crossed the finish line in 1:33:41. I had crushed my goal!

Now a few days after the finish line with the final race results in I am totally hooked. Among the male contenders I ended up placing 18th overall - 14th in the swim, 25th in the bike and 3rd in the run. There were 44 of in total so I am pretty pleased. I took 3rd in my age group!

My biggest take away is I need to devote way more time to the bike. Here’s to the next race!