Saturday morning I participated in the Caine-Halter YMCA Sprint Triathlon. This was the shortest of the local triathlons this summer and a good place I thought for me to venture into the sport. I was right.
Thursday, I was already starting to get anxious about the race. I was concerned about the swimming piece. I didn't doubt I could finish, given enough time, but I wasn't sure how I could participate without disrupting the other swimmers behind me. I also was concerned about the cycling course. I have ridden as many as 17 miles, but never over as many hills as we would see on the course.
Friday, I was almost a zombie because the race occupied so much of my attention. Thankfully, I coached a Middle School basketball scrimmage, that distracted my brain for several hours during the afternoon and evening. I could not remember a time when I was so anxious about an upcoming event.
By Saturday morning I was ready to go. Unlike the half marathon that I ran, where I experienced a real sense of anticipation, the feeling before the triathlon was more a sense of anxiety. The anxiety did not diminish, especially watching the first 100 swimmers get started in the pool. I was feeling a little better after seeing the next 100 and by the time they reached my level, the 330's, I was ready.
I jumped in the pool, and took off. I had a nice rhythm starting off and was feeling really good... until I felt a twinge in my left hamstring. I stood up in the pool, not knowing what to do; I can't stop now, I just started. Maybe I could walk it off. So I tried. I touched the wall and began walking my next lap. After a half lap I tried to swim again, but my hamstring said no. I continued walking. By about 150 meters, I was finally able to swim without any hamstring twinges, but I enjoyed the walking so much that I continued to do it, interspersed with swimming.
Finishing the swim, I hopped out of the pool and began the 200 yard trek to the transition area. I lightly jogged, passed over the sensor the recorded my swim time and entered the transition area. I quickly found my bike, put on socks, running shoes,shirt, helmet and sunglasses, grabbed my bike and headed out of transition to the Bike Start.
In practice I had a hard time getting onto my bike with my running shoes, but had no problems today. The first 200 yards was in the YMCA parking lot going sharply uphill to Cleveland Street. No problems there and very soon I was on Clevelend heading towards a left on Faris and the first of three loops around the Greenville Tech campus.
Turning onto Faris I built up speed going downhill only to head back uphill until you hit Pleasantburg. Turning right onto Pleasantburg you again have a nice, short downhill slope before another uphill ride heading towards the Brunswick Bowling Alley. A right at Brunswick and you again go sharply downhill only to begin a nice, steady climb back up to Faris. It is a gradual climb for much of it, but it concludes with the sharpest climb in the race. It was this climb to Faris that really sucked the life out of my legs.
On my first lap I attacked the downhills to give me momentum going uphill. On my second lap I stopped attacking the downhills just trying give my legs a little rest. On the third lap I just wanted to survive. Headed up the final hill on my third and final lap was the biggest gut check of the entire race for me. Everything in me screamed to get off my bike and walk, but I didn't want to do that. To me, that was unaccaptable. Somehow I made the debate between my legs and my head go long enough so that I was cresting the final hill and my head finally won out.
I headed back to transition and was putting my bike away. In the transition area I was trying to get to my bike rack when a family of four (who are forbidden from being in the transition area) were taking a "self-guided tour." I tried to avoid them but since I was a little wobbly I ran right into the lady with my bike. I mumbled an irritated apology and kept going; dropping off bike, helmet and glasses and heading on towards the start of the run.
The problem is that now I was completely spent. My heart rate was somewhat high and the first 300 yards of the run are dramatically uphill. I decided to walk that part and begin running when I hit level ground. So I walked as fast as I could, (probably about 3.3 mph) and tried to get into a rhthym. Reaching level ground, I began to run, only to have my entire body to tell me to stop. My head refused to listen, but my legs were on strike; they went back to walking.
It was at this point that I met Pam. Pam came alongside me and we began to walk together. She was power-walking and I was trying to keep up. We chatted for a bit and then reaching a downhill portion I told her we should try running it. We did and again I just couldn't keep it up. I told Pam to go on ahead and I would do my best.
For the next mile and a half I would walk for a bit and then when my heart rate dropped into the 150's I would begin running again. I would run for as much as I could, before walking. I followed this pattern until the 2.3 mile mark when my son, Daniel came to join me on the trail. I knew the race was about over and I wanted to finish strong, so he and I began running together. I don't know what kept me running, because I was completely spent. We hit the final hill and I told Daniel I had to walk it, there was just no way I could run anymore. We walked up it, could see the Finish Line in the distance and I began running again.
As we neared the cheering crowds, I could tell Daniel wanted to pick up the pace. I would have loved to, but I just couldn't do it. We reached my family who were madly cheering for me; Daniel fell off and I had the last 200 yards to finish on my own. I was scared for a second when this person came speeding up behind me only to realize it was my younger 8 year old son, Andrew, cheering me on. He ran with me until I rounded a turn for the final straightaway. I kicked my legs as hard as I could and crossed the finish line! More relieved than anything else. I allowed the volunteer to take my timing chip off and then looked for water and shade. I was finished with my first Sprint Triathlon!
Finishing the swim, I hopped out of the pool and began the 200 yard trek to the transition area. I lightly jogged, passed over the sensor the recorded my swim time and entered the transition area. I quickly found my bike, put on socks, running shoes,shirt, helmet and sunglasses, grabbed my bike and headed out of transition to the Bike Start.
In practice I had a hard time getting onto my bike with my running shoes, but had no problems today. The first 200 yards was in the YMCA parking lot going sharply uphill to Cleveland Street. No problems there and very soon I was on Clevelend heading towards a left on Faris and the first of three loops around the Greenville Tech campus.
Turning onto Faris I built up speed going downhill only to head back uphill until you hit Pleasantburg. Turning right onto Pleasantburg you again have a nice, short downhill slope before another uphill ride heading towards the Brunswick Bowling Alley. A right at Brunswick and you again go sharply downhill only to begin a nice, steady climb back up to Faris. It is a gradual climb for much of it, but it concludes with the sharpest climb in the race. It was this climb to Faris that really sucked the life out of my legs.
On my first lap I attacked the downhills to give me momentum going uphill. On my second lap I stopped attacking the downhills just trying give my legs a little rest. On the third lap I just wanted to survive. Headed up the final hill on my third and final lap was the biggest gut check of the entire race for me. Everything in me screamed to get off my bike and walk, but I didn't want to do that. To me, that was unaccaptable. Somehow I made the debate between my legs and my head go long enough so that I was cresting the final hill and my head finally won out.
I headed back to transition and was putting my bike away. In the transition area I was trying to get to my bike rack when a family of four (who are forbidden from being in the transition area) were taking a "self-guided tour." I tried to avoid them but since I was a little wobbly I ran right into the lady with my bike. I mumbled an irritated apology and kept going; dropping off bike, helmet and glasses and heading on towards the start of the run.
The problem is that now I was completely spent. My heart rate was somewhat high and the first 300 yards of the run are dramatically uphill. I decided to walk that part and begin running when I hit level ground. So I walked as fast as I could, (probably about 3.3 mph) and tried to get into a rhthym. Reaching level ground, I began to run, only to have my entire body to tell me to stop. My head refused to listen, but my legs were on strike; they went back to walking.
It was at this point that I met Pam. Pam came alongside me and we began to walk together. She was power-walking and I was trying to keep up. We chatted for a bit and then reaching a downhill portion I told her we should try running it. We did and again I just couldn't keep it up. I told Pam to go on ahead and I would do my best.
For the next mile and a half I would walk for a bit and then when my heart rate dropped into the 150's I would begin running again. I would run for as much as I could, before walking. I followed this pattern until the 2.3 mile mark when my son, Daniel came to join me on the trail. I knew the race was about over and I wanted to finish strong, so he and I began running together. I don't know what kept me running, because I was completely spent. We hit the final hill and I told Daniel I had to walk it, there was just no way I could run anymore. We walked up it, could see the Finish Line in the distance and I began running again.
As we neared the cheering crowds, I could tell Daniel wanted to pick up the pace. I would have loved to, but I just couldn't do it. We reached my family who were madly cheering for me; Daniel fell off and I had the last 200 yards to finish on my own. I was scared for a second when this person came speeding up behind me only to realize it was my younger 8 year old son, Andrew, cheering me on. He ran with me until I rounded a turn for the final straightaway. I kicked my legs as hard as I could and crossed the finish line! More relieved than anything else. I allowed the volunteer to take my timing chip off and then looked for water and shade. I was finished with my first Sprint Triathlon!
2 comments:
As I read your post I cried once when I read about Daniel running with you and then again when I heard about Andrew. You are loved and we are so proud of you!
Hey Paul--great recap of your triathlon. I really felt like I was there... through your writing. Glad to hear you finished strong!
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