First and Last Triathlon

Watching the calm ocean before hundreds of athletes enter

1...2..3...Go!  One hundred twenty three was my given number to my first and last triathlon.  It was an unfamiliar environment where I had to watch each person around me so I wouldn’t get lost.  I probably looked like a fool with my basic equipment and money saving techniques.  It started with a few kicks in the face during the swim, and it ended with everyone getting lost in the run.  

I began the race day at 4 in the morning.  I brought all my bags down which was packed with a helmet, wet suit swim trunks, goggles, swim cap, socks, race number, and sun screen.  The prior day, I rented a car and set up the bike rack on the back of the car.  It was surprisingly easier than I expected.  I left the house at 4:45am, and made it to the parking location at 5:20am.  The transition gates opened in 10 minutes, so I started getting my bike ready.  As I started moving all my equipment towards the transition area, I started becoming anxious because this type of competition was unfamiliar.  

Participants preparing their bike transition

It was a sprint triathlon composed of a ½ mile swim, 12 mile bike ride, and a 3 mile run.  Many of the participants had road bikes that cost thousands of dollars with those fancy magnetic shoes that attached to the pedals.  I had my commuter bike and used general tennis shoes.  Other people had full wet suits to help them transition smoothly from swim to bike.  I could only afford a swim short that replicated the the bottom half of a wet suit.  Underneath the wet suits were full tri suits.  I kept my swim shorts for the entire time and put on a tank top when I got to my bike.  Although my gear was not as superior as others, I planned on making it all work in my favor.

The first wave of people start the triathlon

The race started at 7am with the swim.  I probably should have practiced swimming in the ocean, but I took  the risk since all of my swimming has been at the school pool.  The organizers let the participants in the ocean in waves of groups; I was in the 3rd wave.  Once I reached the water, I started jogging through the water until I could no longer stand.  The water was murky followed with several kicks and slaps to the face.  Early in the swim, I was kicked in my face so hard that it lifted part of my goggles up so I was left with swimming the rest of the way with one eye closed so the salt water wouldn’t come in contact with my eye.  I am used to seeing what is under me as I swim, so it was a little frightening as my mind thought about sharks and other sea creatures that could be lurking in the area.  With accidental gulps of water, there was a possibility of drowning but then I would have wasted the entrance fee.  With a few more hits in the face and accidental consumption of ocean water, I finally got my pace down and was swimming with less worry.  

The athletes entering the ocean at 7am

I was finally able to stand and started my jog out of the water and towards the bike transition area.  Once I arrived at my bike, I put on my helmet, socks, and shoes.  I gulped down one clif bar before heading out on the bike.  I never imagined myself being one of those people in a triathlon.  I always was the outsider looking in.  Once I got to a steady pace, it was a beautiful ride along the coast and highway since it was closed for the event.  I didn’t officially do any special training for the biking session since I bike to and from work everyday and that totals to 10 miles a day.  I started getting closer to the second loop of the biking portion, and we were warned about road bumps.  The guy in front of me with his fancy road bike must have not considered the bumps to be dangerous, but it was another story once I saw him crash his bike and roll on the ground a few times.  He was okay, but I think he may have made a few hundred dollar dents on his bike.  During my second loop around the bike path, I noticed that my water bottle holder was becoming more loose.  Eventually, the bolt fell off and the bottle holder was dangling at my feet.  I didn’t want to stop.  I was closer to the transition of the run, and I couldn’t help notice all the kids from ages 7-14 next to me competing in their own race.  Besides the kids, there were also many older people ranging from my age to 70 years old.  It was impressive to see so many people being active and enjoying the event.  

Supporters watching on the coast

The 12 mile bike ride was over, and I finally reached the last leg of the event.  It was my favorite part because I consider myself more of a runner than either of the other sports.  I took off my helmet, tied a bandanna across my forehead, and put on my sunglasses.  I was ready to cruise down the beach.  I can say I was weak on my swimming and biking, but I am proud of the endurance I have built for running.  I was running at my usual speed of 8 minutes per mile and was passing participants every second.  It was my time to shine.  People were exhausted, but I was too excited because running was my sport.  The run was supposed to be two loops totaling to 3 miles which I do everyday.  People were questioning the length because someone’s GPS showed different calculations.  We found out that the volunteers mixed the turn around location with another run, so all the runners were actually running more than expected.  The times were now off.  Many people were disappointed because they couldn’t get an official time due to the major mistake of running distance.  I continued to run at my pace and was greeted by my friend at the finish line with a medal around my neck.  

After I finished the triathlon, I wasn’t as exhilarated as I was when I ran a marathon.  Participating in this event helped me realized my true happiness and enjoyment comes from running.  I enjoy the simplicity of using my own legs to traverse miles.  Although I may not be doing another triathlon anytime soon, I’ll still enjoy biking casually to work and swimming at the school gym.  On to training for the next adventure!  

My statistics from the entire event