Since I hadn't been near a swimming pool more than twice in the past 6 months, I was a little nervous about the swim. Competitors were sent into the water three seconds apart in a time-trial like situation. Needless to say, within a minute, people were bunched up and clawing over each other. The effort to swim was quickly overcome by the instinctive desire to remain afloat and not drown. Things didn't calm down until about halfway through, as people started to spread out. Aside from the slow start, I pulled myself out of the water with a time that was a bit faster than I expected and made my way into the first transition.
This is what happens when people stop being polite, and start getting real...I was the only person in the transition area, which was a little strange, since normally it's a mass of humanity, people running to their bikes, still soaked from the swim and trying not to hurl on each other. This time, it was just me trying not to hurl on myself. I threw on my cleats, ran to the timing mat, and headed off on the bike course. The course itself was the most technical mess of twists, turns, and hills I've ever encountered in a race. I didn't really settle in until the second lap (of 5). The bike course was open to car and pedestrian traffic, which was somewhat of a nightmare, as I had to actually pay attention to where I was going. Being on a college campus, it was pretty entertain riding past kids who were making the walk of shame back to their dorm rooms. Seeing spandex-clad idiots flying by must have been quite the sight for a still buzzed coed. Pedestrian traffic, was the least of my worries. People in cars, however, were another story. For some reason, drivers freak out when they see more than one person on a bike coming at them, and like a deer standing in the headlights, the usually tend to make the dumb decision over the rational one. Twice, I nearly ran into a car that pulled out in front of me going full speed. Drivers think they are doing me a favor by trying to "get out of the way" but as soon as they pull out, they look in the rear view, see you barreling down at them, and they panic. And when people driving a car panic, what's the first thing they do? Hit the brakes. Not a good scene, but I managed to avoid the carnage, and made it into the second transition with a good amount of juice still left in my legs.
Surveying the damage in T1...As I threw on my shoes and jogged back out onto the course, I realized that for the first time in recent memory, I felt like I might be getting into decent shape. Usually the cramps and stomach pains start just a few minutes into the run, but this time I took it easy for the first mile and let my body adjust. At the halfway mark, I felt strong and picked up the pace, and I finished the race strong, passing a few people along the way. Most surprisingly, I didn't even puke or dry heave once along the final straightaway, which for those who know my penchant for doing this, is completely amazing. Maybe I'm finally learning how to do this without completely destroying my body in the process.
After the race, I cooled down and stretched, and waited for Pete. He did great in his first triathlon, and finished right in the middle of the pack. Most importantly, he didn't sink or drown during the swim, which is every new triathlete's greatest fear. Good work, buddy.
We gathered up our gear, stole some free food at the post-game tent, and blitzed the awards ceremony (1st place in my age group!...that'll be the first and last time that ever happens, but it was a cool surprise). Mission accomplished...I was happy with the performance, and hope the strong start will lead to bigger things. The next race is the Hagerstown Duathlon in three weeks, so I have a little time to relax and re-adjust between now and then. Good fight, good night.
Results:
12/65 overall (estimate)
1st place, age group
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