Big Pool Triathlon! Survive and Thrive!

You can count on a few things in my area of the world in June. It's going to be hot, it's going to be dry, and it's going to be windy. But sometimes, Mother Nature looks down on us and gives us a break. We thank

Racing for a Cure at the Big Pool Triathlon

God for every beautiful day knowing how rare they can be. So how is it that for the third year in a row the weather for the Big Pool Triathlon was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

Being woken in the middle of the night by thunder and lightning before a race is never a good feeling. Hearing the rain pounding for hours is not a good feeling either. As I finally crawled out of bed the rain was just letting up and the storm was finally moving on. The rain gauge showed 5.2 inches of rain, an almost unheard of amount in our area and the highest one day rainfall ever recorded in the month of June. As I went through my regular pre-race routine I wondered how this would affect the race. Would the water be extremely cold? Would the bike and run routes need to be altered because of flooding? Would they start on time? So many questions and not a lot of answers.

I didn't feel I needed to get to the race extremely early but when I pulled into the parking area I realized my

My Dumpster/Transition area

mistake. I ended up without a spot on the few bike racks available. The next best place to set up my transition area was next to a Dumpster. At least it was a clean Dumpster. I soon realized it might work to my advantage. The bike racks were really close together with not a lot of room between to maneuver. My Dumpster was next to the grass which meant I could run from the pool to my bike without getting onto the pavement covered in loose rock. Score one for the Dumpster Queen!

I am always happy to see a lot of friends at the races. Casey A. was there, along with Susan E. who has decided to try for a Half Iron Man Triathlon. Yolanda R. Karen B. and Stacey K. once again are doing the event as a team, each taking a turn at a different segment each year. I recognized several other people and some of the really good athletes in the area were there. I love the spirit and positive attitude of everyone at these events.

Susan and I, finished and smiling!

As it turns out the weather was perfect! The rain actually warmed up the water in the pool since they didn't have to top it off with well water. The route was basically unchanged except for one spot on the run that would require us to side step a small flooded section of the path. There was some gravel washed over the road in one area for the bike ride but otherwise we were clear and good to go. The temperature was in the 60's and NO WIND!

We were off and swimming and I was feeling good. I didn't have to rest or alter my stroke and breathing at all. The water was cool but not OMG cold like I expected. I didn't pass anyone but the only ones who passed me where those who registered late or didn't turn in an accurate swim time. I was a little wobbly as I ran to my bike but felt alright. The only problem I had in transition was getting my helmet snapped. My time was just what I thought it would be so I was happy heading into the bike.

With no wind there would be no coasting in either direction so I tried to push as much as I could. I set my sights on the rider in front of me and set off to catch her. My run is so bad that this is the only area where I can pick up any ground. Then out of nowhere, zoom! Casey A. passed me like I was standing still! She is so powerful on her bike. She has gears I've never even heard of!

The bike ride went well and the transition to the run went pretty smooth. My legs didn't feel too mushy and I

Karen, Stacey, Yolanda. What a great team!

kept my walking to a minimum. The lady I passed on the bike soon passed me on the run. Then some others passed me. Then still more passed me. I started to feel a little down but then I looked at my watch. I was ahead of the pace I ran at a 5K race just 3 weeks ago, and this was after swimming 400 meters and biking 12.5 miles! I decided that it didn't matter how many others passed me, it mattered that I was competing.

It mattered that I was there at all. Last year at this time I was hurting bad. I was slowing down. I had no energy. My hands were sore and swollen and my fingers didn't work. My hips, knees and feet where in constant pain. I was diagnosed with RA and started treatment. This was my first triathlon as a RA warrior and I was going to finish and finish with a smile.

My friends cheered me as I crossed the finish line and my Hubby treated me to a celebration donut. We talked and compared notes, and enjoyed the camaraderie that forms among athletes. I was tired but strangely energized by the thrill of accomplishment and the spirit of sportsmanship. And miraculously, my time was not very far off the mark I set last year. Another Big Pool Triathlon and another beautiful memory.


PS: SMALL RANT!
The organizers of this triathlon, the YMCA, are doing their best to ruin what should be a great event. I have never heard of any triathlon EVER lumping the men and women into one group and then only awarding 1 place per age division. This is totally unfair to the many talented women who entered as a man won each age division as you would expect. By only awarding one place in each age division it eliminated so many others from a rightfully earned feeling of accomplishment. I would not have won my age group among the women but I might have placed 2nd or 3rd. (At this time there are still no official results posted.) By offering no recognition they have taken away the incentive for many who know they are not the best but want a reason to keep trying. For this reason I may not be doing this race next year without assurances from the YMCA organizers that they are making changes.

Never a Dull Moment

I will have to say that while I'm training the darnedest thinks keep happening. Nothing major, but little things that keep throwing me off. It's only 10 days until the Big Pool Triathlon and little glitches keep popping up.

Today was a perfect example. I had planned to do a brick ride/run at distance, 12.5 miles bike and 3.1 miles run. It's been in the upper 90s here so I was planning a morning session. However, last evening our AC in our house went on strike and wouldn't keep the house cool. First thing this morning I called the repair service and they said it most likely wouldn't be until after lunch. Perfect. Plenty of time to get my ride in, practice transition 2, and then work my way through a run/walk.

When I was almost 5 miles from home my phone rang. You guessed it. The repair man was on the way to the house and would be there in 15 minutes. Yikes! I turned my bike around and hauled my tush as fast as I could for home. I kept expecting to see the repair truck passing me by on the highway as I pedaled harder then I have for a long time. Turns out the repair man was a little late and I beat him home by 3 minutes. Whew! That's the hardest I've worked on the bike in a long time. But it also meant no brick workout this morning. After checking my Garmin it turns out my "hauling tush" speed isn't a whole lot faster then my regular speed. Sad but true.

This just underscores the little things that have been cropping up. My swim cap split as I was putting it on at the pool. My sock kept walking down my foot during a run. Flats, I've had a few. I threw my back out on a run. My goggles kept filling with water one evening. On one run everything felt wrong. Hips, feet, knees, hair, bra, EVERYTHING! Maybe Karma is trying to tell me something.

But I'll get through. It will be OK. I'm past the stage of trying to push to the limit. I want to do well, but am not willing to risk my body to impress anyone. But my competitive spirit keeps rearing it's head and I don't want to embarrass myself. I also know that by being prepared I can enjoy the day without too much pain. I can do the distances, but not as well as I would like. I also haven't been able to work on transitions at all. Looks like I have my work cut out for me next week.

This afternoon I'm going to the Big Pool to swim and get used to the 50 meter distance, then get my 3 mile run in around the zoo. That is if nothing else goes wrong. In the mean time I'll sit in my nice cool house and check my gear one more time. Maybe Karma will be on my side for once!