Fitness and shit

[Porkchop]

So I ran my first tri Sunday, it was the Buckeye Challenge at Buck Creek State Park in Springfield. I was up sharp at 4:15am Saturday morning to eat some breakfast and get out the door by 5. I was at the park by 10 till 6, and holy crap was it dark. I didn't know whether I was walking into grass or the lake. Got my packet, race numbers, and timing anklet. Got my bike and gear all set up in the transition area. Went through morning ceremonies and it was almost time to race. Women's Mini were in the water first, and then it was the Men's Mini. I decided to do Mini over Sprint distance so I could worry about getting through the day and transitions, but I'm glad I did.



The water portion was 250 yards in the water. Not too long at all. Unfortunately I started to swim above my pace trying to keep up with the guy in front of me, and my breathing got all out of whack. I had to really calm myself down and get back to pace. Made the distance and ran out in front of 150-some sprint distance athletes all yelling and cheering us on. It was a weird experience. The worst was getting out of the water all soaked and out of breath, and having to run barefoot up this freaking hill to get to the transition area. The picture does the hill no justice, it was steep as hell.



The bike should have been relatively cake at 8 miles, seeing as I work in a bike shop. Unfortunately I was out of the water in between packs and had no one to tow with. I had passed quite a few people that were slower than me and all of the sudden I was climbing a hill and I wasn't going anywhere. I looked down to make sure I wasn't big ring and I noticed my rear tire was squishy. Oh no... not a flat on race day. I jumped off and the tire seemed to be holding air, maybe 95psi. Tire normally runs at 105-115. I was just praying it wasn't a slow leak and going to get a pinch flat. I made the turn around and just put my head down and went for it. Thank god it held... (I forgot my pump at home and borrowed my Mom's to take to the race. Later I found out that her pump reads about 8-10psi low. So that accounted for my tire being in the 90's, and I actually wasn't getting a flat.)

I made it back, the run was only 2 miles. The first half out ran almost downhill the entire way except the last 1/8 of a mile. Made the turn and got a drink and it happened... cement legs. The whole front half of my thigh felt so heavy from biking. It was so painful and hard to run, especially the last 3/4 of a mile was all uphill to the finish straight. I walked a bit and just sprinted the last 1/4 mile to the finish line.



I crossed the line and heard my name being called over the PA. A girl put my medal over my head as another took off my timer. I had been passed by a few Elite level athletes in longer races on the run, and a few were yelling as I came down the finish line. One walked over to me and shook my hand, and said to me "Congratulations, you are now a Triathlete... no one can ever take that away from you". In the culmination of everything I almost walked away from him bawling. That statement from someone so fit could have meant more to me than any medal. I walked into the hospitality tent for the racers to compose myself and get a drink, and went back out to collapse on the hill and cheer some more finishers on. A bit later I heard that the results for Mini and Sprint finishers had been finalized and racers should visit the timing table. I walked back in and got to the table with the computer screens. A lady asked my number and she handed me this...



I had finished 2nd in my category!!! I ran Clydesdale which is the heavyweight segment. Of course my time at 1:25:22 was farther down the men's Mini leaderboard, but in my segment I had podium-ed. I couldn't believe it. Icing on the cake baby......



I'm hooked. The first thing I did after getting home and soaking in the hot tub was look when the next race is. I'm not going to lie, every second of the race sucked. Racing is painful. Those of you who have raced before know what I'm talking about. But it just makes me want to train more so I lose weight and it's easier. Inevitably this is getting me to my goal of losing weight. I hate dieting and going to the gym, but by inserting competition, I have tricked myself into wanting to train. Odd psychology...