August 28, 2008

I Am So Doing This Better Next Year

Many of you have asked about my last triathlon of 2008. I am now mentally and emotionally recuperated and can share with you the break down.

5:45am I wake up, take a quick shower, don the suit, and feed the cat.

6am Mike wakes up, grabs some homework, and is set to go. I eat a banana.

6:15am We are in the car. I apologize for being an asshole the night before. Mike is not mad at me anymore. We realize no one grabbed the camera. I figure I look exactly the same and I'll be doing the same stuff so whatever. I wonder if I fed the cat enough.

6:45am We arrive at the lake and don't park where they tell us to. Mike helps me put my wheel on my bike and walks with me to get marked up. The sky is blue, zero humidity, slight breeze- perfect.

7am I have 103 marked on my arm, hand, and leg. It's cool because I was 100 for my first race. I check in my bike and set up my transition spot. I don't realize the spots are marked and I set everything up in 213's slot. I pick up my crap and find my spot. It's near the water in the middle of hundreds of other bikes. I wonder if the cat snuck out of the apartment.

7:25am Mike and I set up a great view for him to see all my transitions. We hang out and enjoy the weather but hate the "warm-up" country music. I comment how glad I am that they haven't played Kid Rock's "Sweet Home Alabama" rip-off. I hate that guy.

8:00am The first wave gets in the water. I realize I need to use the bathroom but it'll take too long with the suit and my heat is in 10 minutes. There is no turning back. I hope the cat's litter is clean so that she won't pee everywhere.

8:14:30am I get in the 73 degree water and wave one last time to Mikey. He waves and smiles back.

8:15am My heat begins. I strategically placed myself so I'm not swimming over anyone. I pass a few ladies and swallow some lake water. Thank goodness my cat got a haircut- she won't be hot today.

8:26am I realize that I'm swimming too far to the right. I try to readjust only to swim off to the right again and again. The third heat is starting to catch up with me. I have to do the side stroke to make sure I get back on track. I'm that far off. I end up zig-zagging the last few hundred yards of the swim.

8:36am I'm out of the water. One minute and 46 seconds later I'll be on my bike. A lady stops her bike right in front of mine and I run into her. That happens with my cat all the time- she's always in my way.

8:40am The bike chain falls off. I hop off the bike and pop the chain back on. Now my hand is covered with chain grease.

9:30am I start to cry the hills are so bad. Who knew a fifty foot incline over 1/3 mile over and over again would be so painful? The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that I will finish this bitch and Mikey will hold me and let me weep in victory.

10:00am A state trooper doesn't stop traffic for me and I have to stop my bike on an incline. I start to tear up because I'm so close. The bad-ass looking bikers stop traffic for me and let me go. F the police. I miss my cat.

10:10am I make it to the transition. Thirty-five seconds later I'm running uphill. Uphill!?

10:25am Two old ladies (I'm talking 65 minimum) behind me are jogging and having a chat. They're going to pass me. While discussing what's for dinner, they pass me.

10:31am I can hear the music from across the lake. The asshole DJ is playing that stupid Kid Rock song. I really hate that guy.

10:44am I come up on the last stretch. Mikey's right there, "You're going strong!"

10:47am I'm finished! I almost fall over to take my chip off. Mike comes over and I start to cry. He hugs me and tells me how proud he is of me and that I did great. I walk around some, grab my stuff, and get in the car. He picks me up a bottle of water and I eat my banana. Onward to feed the cat.

I know that for next year I need to train for the bike much, much more. I swam slower than expected, but I did zag a lot. And I ran at a great pace. I've got to say- when you're in the back of the pack, your race companions are awesome. Every time someone passed me, they cheered me on while they pushed themselves. I finished 176th out of 191 and I was 5th in my age group of seven other ladies. That's all I could ask for.

3 comments:

Tina Winston said...

I'm so proud of you for going through with it. I mean, you finished and you accomplished your personal goal. Two triathlons in one summer? You are superwoman! :)

Anonymous said...

Very cool. The world's first cat-centric triathlon blog! Oh and doing/finishing the triathlon was pretty neat too. Remember what I said about vicarious thrills, and keep doing this stuff for your old dad!

Anonymous said...

While you are completely awesome, I need to give some love to Mikey...what a sweetie.