It was near the end of June 2009 that I was going to race in my first triathlon. I had went to sign up for a race in July, The Appleman, and found a few others that sounded like something I wanted to try. There was no rhyme or reason to what races I chose other than that they were all close to home. The next set of races that I signed up for were those that a friend was doing. At one point I had two races in one day with one in Salem Ma. and the other out in Greenfield. Maybe I could have used a little better planning and attention.
Up until the end of June 2009, I had been to spin class a number of times, I had swam in the pool for only 20 minute max. or a little over ½ a mile and I had run on a treadmill 3 miles a few times. I was convinced that my first race was something called a sprint that would be around a ½ mile swim, 13 mile bike and 3 mile run. It was not. A week before my first event, it dawned on me that I was racing in an Olympic length event and I started to worry a bit.
The days leading into the event I was taking Entrepreneurial Masters Program classes at MIT, a few of the guys in my class that week had done tri’s in the past and I got lots of info from all of them. None of which made much sense until after I had done a few races. Saturday night after our 4 day long session of time together we all went out on our last night to The Estate in downtown Boston dancing. I was out until around 2 am and had a race that was starting at 8 the next morning. I awoke around 6 to quickly get ready and be at the race around 7 am some 40 minutes away from my home. It was in the low 50’s and pouring rain out, and I was not sure what to expect.
I arrived on time in the parking lot and had no clue what to do, so I just followed what everyone else was doing. I got in line and got my race bag with numbers and stuff in it and went back to my car to get my bike ready. I really had to simply copy everything that the guy in the car next to was doing. Would have killed me to ask a few questions. Next I brought my bike over to the bike rack and transition area where I set it up just like I had learned to do on active.com as well as YouTube.
As race time was getting closer everyone else started putting their wetsuits on, I did not have one and I stated to panic a bit. Could I buy one, did someone have an extra? Could I rent one? There were none to be had and there I was alone in my speedo out in the pouring cold rain. Everyone started to walk away from the Transition area, so I put my dry clothes in my car and ran after them, wearing nothing but my Keen's a speedo and my pool goggles. Down to the lake was a ¼ mile walk down the hill and through the woods over some very rough terrain. There were 300 guys standing on the beach and three of us did not have wetsuits. I felt a sense of camaraderie with these two others that quickly went sour when I looked out at the lake to see where the buoys that we had to swim around were. Holy crap is a mile a long way. How was I going to be able to do this and how can I warm up quickly was all I could think about. The water temp was about 74 and that felt so warm and inviting, after getting in and swimming a bit I did not want to get out. I had to get out for a bit until my swim wave started. I was in the 40-45 year old wave, the second in the water the toughest group of all. These guys have been racing for years, they were all far more fit than me and I was now feeling like I was way in above my head. As the race was about to start for me, I got to the front and middle of my pack. All that I had read had said to stay in the back or off to the side. 100 or so yards into the swim I got swam over by one or two racers, I got kicked, I was out of breath as my body adjusted to the cold water and I would have jumped on an aide boat had there been one next to me. I stopped myself and let all the others swim by so I could get my bearings and senses back in order. I was determined to finish what I had started no matter what it took. I swam a bit, looked for the group and next buoy and kept going. Sometimes I was swimming freestyle and much of the time I was doing the breast stroke to save energy. I got passed by almost everyone, many of the waves behind me had passed me by but I just kept swimming after making the turn for home I knew I was going to finish and I was expecting huge cheers from the crowd for such an accomplishment. I am not sure what my swim time was but I was done and felt like I was totally beat and tired. I stumbled out of the water and found my Keen's to start my walk up to the transition area, how were all these others running at full speed up the hill, were did they get all that energy and endurance?
Once I got to my bike, I had got my breath back and was feeling a little bit better about what was in front of me. It was still raining but that didn’t matter. The first mile out of T1 was up a hill and took a lot out of me, I was thinking I was a strong rider and this was very humbling indeed. I managed my way around the 13 mile course and on the second lap my energy levels and confidence were getting stronger. I was not watching my heart rate, I was not watching my cadence, I was not watching my speed and I had no idea what it meant to watch my power. I just rode with all I had. As I passed what I believed to be another EO member I screamed EEEEOOOOOOO and kept riding feeling strong and secure. As I rolled down the hill into the dismount section I quickly realized I was in trouble as I hit the brakes only to realize I had not set them back on. I dropped my new shoes out of the peddles and came to a grinding sliding stop just passed the entry area and walked back to go over the timing mat. Getting of my brand new bike that was three weeks old and had only been ridden 2 or 3 times, I was shocked at how unstable my legs were. I had given it my all on my road bike and was very unstable on my feet. I got my running shoes on and everything else in order and had stopped long enough to catch my breath again. I didn’t even have it in me to be able to run all the way out of the T2 area before I found myself having to walk a bit. I had a mile straight up that same bike hill to go and that took me a good 20 minutes to do. I had been having knee issues that I now know to be IT Band issues and it was starting to contract and lock up, leaving me with just the ability to walk. I was going to finish this race even if I had too walk the remaining 5.5 miles. It was a long walk that had small bits on jogging in it some that lasted no longer than a few 100 yards. Every step I took while running was as painful as I had ever experienced, but there was almost no pain while walking. All I could think about the whole walk was the desire to run across the finish line. I walked back up to the top of that hill at the end and knew there was only a mile to go. A bit more walking and I would be in sight of those at the finish line. Kimberly was going to bring the kids and I had not seen them yet, I could not let the see me walking and I wanted to run so bad. I ran for a bot and it hurt quickly, I walked some more and the self talk just took over and was killing me. I had to dig deep and just look at the finish line that seemed so far away. All of a sudden I was running again and could feel nothing but truck loads of emotion, I was going to finish this race strong and run across that finish line. As I came to the line I saw my kids and wife, I crossed that line with a huge smile on my face and a lot of pain in my body. My wife was there and as I hugged her I just lost it and started to cry like a little baby, what an amazing experience, when can I do it again.
Tired, beaten down, sore and limping I was amazed to see others who had finished so calm and collected, some where getting on their bikes to ride home, others were playing Frisbee or just sitting around with family. I was just out of it and in another world and wanted a little bit of what they all seemed to have.
It was a few days until the IT band pain went away and at least a day until I was human and helpful around the house. With two young kids I am sure Kimberly was hoping I would have been a bit more helpful after the race and I was sure she was not going to be excited about the idea of another race.
Training has gotten better and race recovery has gotten better, but it has taken a lot of work and guidance from others that have been there before.
Never let the race day be the first time you have gone a new distance, always train longer and harder than you expect to go one race day.
Ask lots of question from those that have been there before, it is amazing how much info others with similar interests have to share and how exciting the sharing experience can be
Prepare your self for battle, with lots of rest and proper nutrition. These races take a lot out of you and simple things can make the race and after race experience much better.
Have fun.
