A couple of fellow participants, who appeared to be veterans, got there about the same time as me. There was some lightning and I was cautioned not to mention it or draw attention to it, so that it wouldn't hold us up.
No one mistook me for a veteran. I didn't know how to register. I had to go to my car a couple of times to retrieve things. I didn't know how or where to set up things for the transition area. But as it turned out, none of these things were nearly as big a deal as I had worried they would be. I got my shirt. I got my timing band. I got my number (551) for the run and also marked on my shoulder and calf for the swim and bike. It really was pretty simple once I was there.
A 6:30 I was pacing around the pool because I had been told that we would start swimming but no one else was in the pool yet. After checking around, I found that the swim was not going to start until 6:45ish. Finally around 6:40, everyone began to make their way to the pool and the organizers made some announcements and gave some very helpful instructions.
As instructed, we lined up along the fence by the pool in numerical order. With just a few exceptions, our numbers had been assigned more or less according our projected swim time. When I signed up, I really had no idea how long it would take me, so I estimated 30 minutes for the swim, which put me near the end of the line. I was happy to be there though, so I could watch the people in front of me to figure out how this was going to work.
They started dropping us in the pool, one swimmer every 20 seconds. One swimmer would start; the next swimmer would get in the pool. The timer would count down from 5 seconds and you were off. Tom Sawyer is a 50m pool. The lane lines were up and there were 8 lanes. You swam up and back and then switched to the next lane. 800m later, you had finished the swim.
It was kind of a carnival atmosphere. Everyone was excited and while waiting in line for the swim, there was a lot of chatting, joking and encouraging among the participants. Most of the people there had done triathlons before. Thomas, a powerfully built former marine was in line next to me. Thomas and several others around me were members of the Louisville Landsharks, a local triathlon club. They discussed how they had swims in a local lake to prepare.
The swim has been my biggest concern this whole summer. And really, I think that it was a good thing that I was so concerned. But as I observed everyone in the pool, it was obvious that there were all levels of ability for the swim. The fastest people were able to swim this half mile in around 10 minutes. On the other end of the spectrum, one lady literally walked in the pool the entire way, sort of paddling with her arms as she went. People took a breath at every turn. Most people literally stood up to step over the lane lines to be able to move to the next lane. Had I known this, I would have been much less stressed. It just wasn't nearly as rigorous as I had feared. But I am glad that I didn't know. Had I felt that way, I may not have prepared well enough.
The biggest problem for me in the swim turned out to be getting tied up behind other people. You are allowed to pass and most people are very kind and considerate and try to make it easy for you to do so. But in each lane, there are people coming and going, so timing is an issue. I ended up passing several people and really had no one pass me. In future triathlons, I should be able to do better in the swim simply by being more accurate about my time. Being in the right spot would keep me from being held up by slower people in front of me. For my first triathlon, I think I was right were I needed to be. I could have swum faster, but I think it really helped my confidence to be in a spot where I was able to pass some people instead of having everyone pass me.
From there, you get out of the pool and run to the parking lot for the transition area. As you go, you run over the first timing mat that ends your time in the pool and starts your first transition time. Once again the transition was easier than expected. It was really pretty simple. Put on your shirt / number. Put on your shoes / cleats. Put on your helmet. Go. I probably wasted 30 seconds to a minute just worrying about whether I had forgotten something.
On the way out of the transition area, you cross another mat that ends your first transition time and begins your bike time. The bike wound 14 miles through Anchorage over to Chamberlain Lane and turned around in front of the Ford Truck Plant. Some people considered it to be a hilly ride. To me, it seemed relatively flat. The course was monitored by volunteers and some police but it was an open course. For me that meant that I would slow down at intersections, ready to stop if needed; slow down on turns and curves, and signal my turns. Many people did not think that this was necessary. One fellow passed me in traffic (both bikes and automobiles) and then rode into on-coming traffic to pass autos that he felt were going too slow. I guess I could have logged a better time, had I done this as well but I wouldn't change the way I rode.
Riding back into the park to the transition area, you are instructed to dismount and you walk / run your bike over the mat to end your bike time and begin your second transition time. This transition is simpler. You put your bike on the rack, remove your helmet, remove your cleats, put on your running shoes, and go out of the transition area, again over a timing mat to end your second transition time and begin your run time.
Switching from the bike to the run was probably the hardest part for me. I guess that the breathing mechanism for biking is just different from that of running. After feeling really great on the bike, as I began the run, I just felt out of breath and felt like I was having a hard time getting things going. Also, of all of the events, the run was hardest on my sore knee. After about a mile, things seemed to fall into place. However, I was concerned about food and fluid. There was a water stop at mile 1 and mile 2 on the run. I stopped both times to take some water and walked for a while as I drank it. I really felt like I was running extraordinarily slow. I remember thinking at the time that I thought I was running 12 to 13 minute miles.
The last half mile or so, seemed to just fuel the adrenaline. My knee stopped hurting. Although I was hot, I felt like my breathing was working. AND I could see the finish line. I certainly didn't spring across the finish line but I did pick up the pace.
Since everyone starts at a different time, there is no clock at the end. Based upon my training times, I had expected to finish in about 2 hours. I knew that I had done better than that. But it wasn't until late afternoon that the results were posted to the website for review.
Final results - I finished 71st out of 119 participants! Overall time 1:44:45.67.
- Swim time 21:34.05
- T1 time 3:12.35
- Bike time 47.48.80
- T2 time 1:35.71
- Run time 30.34.70
My mean swim coach (my daughter Ginny) and my trainer buddy Cody Eubank deserve the credit for getting me ready. Ginny and her husband Dan were there to cheer me on as was my buddy Rob Benefiel came out and took some pictures while I was on the bike.
Later that afternoon, we went to VO2 to get a triathlon sticker to put on my truck. Then we had a ceremony that involved alcohol where we put the sticker on the truck, sand the National Anthem and drank an adult beverage.
Putting things in perspective, I know that this was just a sprint triathlon. I didn't set any world records and never will. I am sure I can improve but I have no illusions that I could ever win. But I got to tell you, that was an amazing feeling. It wasn't harder than a marathon but it really felt great.
These last several years have been tough for me personally and financially. Much like that first swim in the Ohio a week or two ago, in all of that turbulance, I lost a lot of confidence. I was making my way along but it was really hard and I was often worried about getting by in life in general.
After finishing this event (especially doing so much better than expected), for the first time in a long long time, I felt like I could do just about anything if I put my mind to it. The little TRI sticker on the back of my truck reminds me of that. And that was the greatest reward of all.
BTW - Congrats to all of my co-participants and thanks also for being kind to me as I learned this process.
Also, so you know, this is not the end. This is the beginning. Next Saturday, I swim in the Ohio River swim and the following weekend, I am in my second triathlon in Bowling Green. Cross your fingers and wish me luck!
Thanks all and have a great day!
David (lazy swimmer BUT now a Triathlete!)
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