Preface: How it All Began
More than two years ago I decided to do a triathlon after a few of my friends from California were preparing to do one. I thought it sounded neat.
Last summer I did a mini-triathlon with my brother’s ward. Unfortunately I was less than four months post-partum and it was pretty much the first time I exercised since Sunny’s birth. That experience was exhausting, extremely taxing, but surprisingly satisfying. I was not able to finish that race, so I knew would have to tri again when I was in better shape.
Chapter One: The Commitment
After riding 75 miles the Bike MS 150 race I decided that I was in good enough shape to do another Triathlon. I heard about the Daybreak Triathlon and decided to train for it since it was so close to home. I started working toward that late in the spring with the help of club HAM.
The distance of the Triathlon was 750 meters (half-mile) Swim, 12 mile Bike Ride, and 5-K Run. I knew I could do the ride and the run, but the swim made me very nervous. I can swim, but swimming actual laps in the pool made me want to die. I figured I could somehow get through the swim then do the bike and run.
My good friends Skyler and Elise who live in So Cal and are practically pro-triathloners advised me to find a Master’s Swim class (swimming lessons for old people). So I did. I found one nearby and took classes and became quite a swimmer. I went from being able to swim one length of the pool to being able to swim a mile without stopping (very much).
I talked several members of club HAM (Missy, Emily and Jen) into taking lessons too, and we all swim way better than we did before. Way to go girls…I’m really proud of all of us. Lessons began at 6am, so we put in some pretty early mornings.
Beyond the lessons in the pool, I rented a triathlon wetsuit and participated in an open water swimming clinic held at my local reservoir. Turns out, swimming in a pool and swimming in open water are two very different sports.
Swimming in a pool is a breeze. Open water swimming is a struggle for your life (until you relax a little and get used to the temperature, then it’s do-able with some practice and a catchy tune in your head (my favorite, The Violent Femmes).)
I also took a triathlon class on Saturday mornings where I did the swim-bike-run combination.
After several months of alternating the early morning bike-run combos with early morning swims and after taking the Saturday triathlon classes, I really felt ready to rock. Special thanks to club HAM for keeping me in my groove of early morning training. I would have slept through it without you.
Chapter Two: Something Bad.
I got a phone call the Thursday before the race from one of my training partners and fellow triathlon participant Jen who said there was some sort of contamination problem at Oquirrh Lake and that they would most likely cancel or reconfigure the swim excluding the open water swim portion. Bummer. I was super ready and excited for that part.
As the story developed, we learned there was a round-worm contamination at the lake. Most likely it is related to a lack of nearby restrooms at the beach and little children “going” where ever. (who just let’s their kids just…go? Come on people this is not India.)
Anyway, swimming in the lake posed a health risk, so the 750 meter swim was changed to a 75 meter swim in the Daybreak HOA swimming pool followed by a one-mile run back to the transition area where our bikes were stationed. Bummer, but at least we’d get wet.
Chapter Three: The Anticipation Builds
Jen and I picked up our race packets together and got our body markings the afternoon before. It was very fun and exciting, even though the air was dampened a little by the parasite.
Next came dropping the kids off at my moms. My kids have a sixth sense where they know the days I am doing incredibly hard things and have a tendency to wake me up every hour on those nights before. So I preemptively arranged a sleepover at grandmas for them.
Steve and I went carb-loading at Johnny Carino’s (mediocre). Then off to bed.
That morning, we woke up at 5:30am, prepared a few last minute things and headed off to Daybreak in a convoy with Jen and my brother Scott. I was totally pumped. I think I may have been the most excited person there.
In the dark we followed the direction of the race organizers and set up our bikes in the transition area. It was so crazy to see that many bikes and bikers in one condensed place.
Then we went to go
find the pre-race meeting which ended up being a whole lot of standing around and waiting. Due to the change in the swim, no one including the race organizers understood what was really supposed to happen and when. But we did get some fun pics so, who cares.
We finally got some instruction and got onto a shuttle bus to the swimming pool.
When we arrived at the pool we got in a long line and took our turn swimming the 75 meters. I was so pumped and excited. You can see from these pics that I was more excited than most. I’m not sure why….you’d think everyone would have been pumped.
There was a 10 year old girl who competed. She was so cute and I’m sure she beat me. Her Dad was following her with a video camera. Too cute.
Chapter Four: The Race is on and Here Comes Pride in the Backstretch
They called 725 (that’s me!) My time started and I pushed off the wall. I did my swim as fast as I could. It was exciting, but way too short. I awkwardly climbed out of the pool ran over to where my shoes and towel were. I dried off a little put on socks and shoes and dripping wet, I was off.
I ran into the transition area where I put on my bike helmet and ate half a banana and sped off.
My new odor-free bike was awesome. I was able to pass people right and left which I was never able to do on my mountain bike.
I rode to where I thought would be the turn-around only to find the course was longer than I had anticipated….There were two long and very grueling hills to climb. It’s cool, I can handle it. I was able to do with-out shifting all the way down (I still had one lower gear I could have shifted to). It was by far the hardest ride I have ever done.
The decent from the hills after the turn-around was awesome. My top speed was 30.6 miles per hour. It was very scary to go that fast. I just kept thinking about what it would feel like if I crashed and all my flesh came off. Ouch! Not the right frame of mind to be in I know, but I stayed upright so it’s good.
Once I got back into Daybreak I saw my cute little family standing on the side of the road waving to me. It was so fun to see them. I blew them a kiss as I whipped past them. Steve is such a good supportive husband and great dad. He went and picked up my kids (still at their grandmas) while I was out on the bike so they could see me racing.
After a quick ride back into the transition area I hopped of my bike and nearly hit the ground because my legs felt a little more like Jell-o than legs after the gnarly hill climb on the bike. I took a swig of Gatorade and ate an energy fruit chew and I was off on the last leg, the run.
Jen and I ran together. It was nice to have her with me because MP3 players were banned during the race. It was very different trying to run without my normal hypnotic music.
Jen and I talked and sang snipits of Black Eyed Peas, “I got a feeling.” We kept our conversation light and talked about how we were trained and conditioned to run, not walk and we never did. We ran the whole thing. About a quarter mile in, my calves turned into rocks. It was very hard to run, but I pushed on and the sensation went away.
It seemed like a very long run. Longer than all the other three mile runs I’ve been doing.
With about a quarter-mile left there was a lady ringing one of those cow bells (the kind they ring at ski races) It was very motivating and rejuvenating to hear that. We ran a little faster.
After that, the pathway started to fill with people on both sides cheering us on. It was great. It’s so much easier to perform for a group. We picked up the pace even more.
Jen’s longer legs strides took her ahead of me by about 10 seconds. Fine by me, I didn’t want anyone in my shot at the finish line. My BFF Heather, who also is the world’s finest photographer, came to document this momentous occasion for me. Thanks Heather, you rock. Thinking of you (the reader), I wanted a clear shot of me at the finish line. I hadn’t trained this hard over the months to have someone blocking my shot at the finish line.
With fifty yards to go my brother came back for me. He ran with me and told me to pick up my pace even more. I did. I was sprinting with all I had left which wasn’t much. I heard them call out my name and home town over the loud speaker. Sprinting now.
Then I saw my Mom, husband, kids and other brother. It was emotional. I was so excited to have this moment. I have been working for this moment for months and months. There was a real surge of excitement.
I crossed the finish line in 1:38.37. I was thrilled with that time. I was hoping to finish in under two hours and I blew it out.
I wandered around bewildered for a minute until someone handed me a water. I went back and found my family and celebrated. I do love a good dramatic moment, and this didn’t disappoint.
Then back to the real world when my kids started to cry because they saw people eating licorice and they didn’t have any. I got them some licorice from behind the finish line and everyone was cool again.
Chapter Five: The End….or Is It???
I can’t wait to do another one next year or maybe even later this year. It was a real thrill and I love considering myself a triathlete even if it means using the term athlete very loosely.
The real moral of this story is, anyone can do this. It does take some concerted effort, but it’s doable. There is nothing notably athletic about me. I just wanted to see if I could do it, and I’m really glad I did.
CREDITS: This Triathlon Was Bought to You By….
Steve: I made Steve late for work every early morning swim lesson I took(and a few bike-run mornings). He was very supportive despite the cramp it put in his schedule. As always, he paved the way for me to do this and was by my side (figuratively speaking) every step of the way. Thanks honey.
Emily: Who showed up every day without fail and kept me going. I really respect your tenacity Em.
Brittany: For getting us all into the Wasatch Woman’s race. Even though it was kind of a miserable race, it was a key training experience.
Missy: I never would have done Bike MS if you hadn’t kept nagging me about it. I am so glad I did it. It really cleared the path for this. You also deserve thanks for bringing me back from the dead after my first baby getting me to do the half-marathon. That was a real life changer for me.
Jen: For being willing to accept a challenge. Thanks for swimming in the open water with me and not quitting after we thought we might die. Thanks for keeping me going and singing “I got a feeling.” If it weren’t for that, I might have had to walk.
Skyler and Elise: For the great advice and for telling me I could and should and making it look very enticing giving me a new carrot to chase. You guys are super cool.
Jenny E: For being impressed with me when you are the impressive one. Thanks for your support and interest, it’s meant a lot to me.
Heather: For being there to support me posing as an agent of the South Valley Journal to gain key access to non-spectator areas resulting in the awesome pics. You really are the best.
Scott: For beating me by at least 10 minutes even though you barely trained at all. You're quite an athlete even if you are skinny and totally white. You are so very lucky the cancelled the lake swim.
The Skunk: For forcing me to replace all my stuff and teaching me the importance of safety while training. I hope to never see you again.
