Sunday the 13th was my 5th triathlon. I think I must now be a confirmed "tri-geek". I have a collection of books, I am creating a training journal, and I finish one only to plan the registration for the next TWO triathlons. My insanity has ratcheted up a notch and I am adding jogging in the mix so I can try to reduce my average 5K time to the "golden" 30 minutes. I am considering doing a 1/2 marathon in January, that will be 13.1 miles and since I don't run at all now, that is a new (and major) fitness goal that I am considering. I do not want to trash my knees........
For those of you who want the details of the Patriot Tri, read on:
Friday night the 11th I went to the Fox football game in Capitan, and then I drove to Albuquerque. I got to the hotel about 1:30 AM and got up at 7:30 on Saturday morning since I knew I would need to be in bed early on Saturday night. I went to the bike shop and dropped my road bike off for a tune up since I've had it a month and that is what you are supposed to do after putting 400+ miles on a bike. They were kind enough to agree to have it done by 5:30 even though they were slammed with repairs and other scheduled work. I had errands to run, and then out to Rio Rancho for packet pick up about 1:30 in the afternoon. That went smoothly and then back to Alb. to have lunch with friends.
When I went back to the bike shop at 5:30 I ran into my friend Marcy and her son Jeffery. Marcy had to get her bike tuned up and our fortunate meeting turned into a dinner invitation at Lisa's house. Marcy, Lisa, Jeffery and I were all planning on doing the tri on Sunday, so dinner together was so much fun. We had a fantastic pre-race dinner of whole wheat spaghetti, some incredible chicken and fresh tomatoes from Lisa's garden. Of course the conversation considered all of the usual tri geek topics like training plans, next races, breakfast plans and our strategies for the following morning. It was so much fun.
Back to the hotel, and I only had to check my gear three times instead of the usual 5-10 repetitions to make sure the number is REALLY on the bike, that I REALLY have my bike shoes and tennis shoes in the van, that I REALLY did pack my race belt and three water bottles. I was in bed and sound asleep by 9:30 and glad to get up at 5:30. Off to the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center and then setting up my stuff in the transition area by 6:30. I lined up with Marcy and Lisa to get our body marking done and since I just had my 50th birthday it was the first time that my age in triathlon years equaled the number on my leg. Triathletes are "aged" just like race horses, so once the new year rolls around I will become 51. I LIKE the symmetry of being aged like a race horse; neigh, whinny, whinny.
This was a seeded start, so while the race began at 8, I was near the back of the line and didn't get into the water until about 9:15. In this triathlon you swim up and back in one lane, and then move to the next lane. An advantage to being near the back is that fewer folks were around to swim over you in the pool. I was thrilled with my time in the pool, since I cut 5 minutes off the previous time in Socorro! Then it was run like crazy in my flip flops to the transition area to get geared out for the bike ride.
In the pre-race meeting we were warned that this was a very hilly route-- no kidding! The first seven miles were almost all uphill. At the top of the last hill the volunteer was dressed like a demon (trident, horns and a red t-shirt) and she greeted everyone with, "Congratulations, you are leaving hell now!" That was welcome news since I was really working hard. I made great time and my pace was significantly faster than the last race in Socorro, 12.4 mph vs. 10.6 mph. YIPPEEE. The 14.1 miles took me only 5 minutes longer than the 12.4 miles in Socorro, so I am happy with the improvement in the last six weeks.
Back to the transition area to put on the running gear. My "theory" was that I should run up the hills and walk down them. Unfortunately my body was unwilling to comply with this fantasy. Of course you should know that I use the term "running" VERRRY loosely. My fun is more like a staggering, lurching, jogging pace. I also only use that special skill in a limited fashion. I was wearing my heart rate monitor, and would run until my heart rate went over 200, and then I would walk until I got to the 150-160 neighborhood, and then run again. My technical adviser ( a young man who really does know how to run) later told me that this was not very clever and I should STOP IT RIGHT NOW. Okay, I will not push myself that hard. I kept thinking, "I'm not going as fast as I could if I guy with a knife was chasing me, so I should try to run a little bit more." Evidently this is not a good strategy for running. Go figure.
About 1.5 miles into the 3.1 mile run I begin to have cramps in the toes of my feet. I was unwilling to stop to try to work them out, so I just kept plugging away on the course. Occasionally I would pretend it was a guy with a chain saw behind me just to keep the old feet moving. I was able to run across the finish line, a brand new experience for me. I was also pretty sure I was not the last person to cross the line and later results did verify that I was 347 out of 350 participants. Marcy, Jeffery and Lisa were great encouragement and I just sat down on the asphalt to drink some water. If I didn't think folks would have mocked me, I would have laid down. I was worn out. Then the announcer said that they were waiting for Patricia Miller to come across the finish line because they wanted her to tell her story. Yes, good friends like Marcy, Jeffery and Lisa made sure I got up and went to the microphone. I told about loosing 230 pounds & celebrating with the Jay Benson triathlon, and now I could not stop. I invited everyone to the Billy the Kid Dirty Triathlon we will have in Fort Sumner out at Sumner Lake on June 12, 2010 (put it on your calendar).
Then it was back to the line to get the fantastic massage therapist to work on my still cramping feet, and then off to Subway for some lunch. I love Subway. It is the perfect fuel after a triathlon, and I am not paid to advertise for them! I wanted to just hang out at the pool at the hotel for a while and read my new book, Cycling Past 50 and Beyond, but there were some scary wasps, so I just took a great shower and got dressed to go to a mall. I decided I wanted a new lipstick, so off to Sephora for a make-over in the lipstick department. I had a very nice time, and I will be glad to show off my new lipstick and gloss. I'd also wanted to see the new Harry Potter movie, so off to the theater for a matinee and then a quiet dinner at a delightful Thai restaurant. I had meetings in Alb. on Monday, so it was early to bed and then out first thing in the morning.
On Monday night, Marcy called to see if I would consider a 1/2 marathon in Phoenix in January. I am thinking hard about it. I've got several new books on triathlon training, and I am thinking I may be able to get in shape to run more than I walk in the 1/2 marathon. I've already sent in my registration for the Jingle Bell Triathlon (Rio Rancho on Dec. 6th) and the Polar Bear Triathlon (White Sands on December 12th). I know two in a one week period could be a little on the edge, but hey, what is life without some excitement?
Thank you all for the support and encouragement. I am having such a good time, and sharing it with you all enhances the experience. Think about joining us in the adventure. Truly, if I can do it, so can you.
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