This race happened back in September so this may be a little late. It only took to 2015 for me to write about it but nevertheless, it's time to look back.
After being half-disappointed about the Ironman 70.3 Timberman race, I needed something to boost my confidence. It has been three years since I competed in my last sprint triathlon (1) so signing up for the family organized race in Long Beach Island was way overdue.
(1) A sprint triathlon is the 5k of triathlons. They may seem daunting at first but anyone who keeps in decent shape and knows how to swim can complete one of these. Therefore, everyone that I talk to who says "I wish I could do that" (and there are a lot of you), here you go. No excuses. The swim ranges from 1/3 to 3/4 miles, the bike, 10-18 miles, and the run finishes off between 2-5 miles. Not really daunting when you break it down. Also, anyone who reads this blog, I would be more than happy to give advice and supply motivation.
A really underrated thing about the Sprint triathlon distance is that it takes a small part of your day. In sprint races, you are out of there by 10:00 the latest and this includes the trophy ceremony, so you can make plans and feel great about yourself the rest of the day. Plus, it doesn't take a lot out of you. Half-Ironmans, Ironmans, and Half-Marathons do damage to you. You'll feel it throughout the day and can be exhausting to say the least. The only thing you want to do is sleep and eat.
Actually, my biggest concern entering a Half-Ironman is having to drive back home shortly after the finish because the worst thing you can do is cram yourself into a car and drive 4-7 hours. But I have no choice, I can't take the time of work and I am definitely not going to fork crazy money over for air fare(2).
(2) This is why I consistently pray for Lindsay's bakery to take off so I can afford to take some extra time off after races. Every book I have come across states the last thing you want to do is get into a crammed car and drive for hours on end after completing a race.
With that being said, besides regaining some swagger, I was mostly looking forward getting on with my day with Lindsay and spending time with her.
Entering the water, I realize I can probably do the entire swim walking on the surface, which probably be enjoyable to watch.
The first portion of the race is conducted in the bay, which is great because I do not want to deal with the Atlantic. Nevertheless, the air-horn goes off and I probably get punched in the face every other stroke. Yet, somehow, I finish the swim extremely quickly. I can honestly say I did not complete seven strokes consecutively without having to stop due to getting struck, getting cut off, or being ran over by a much better swimmer (3).
(3) I forgot I was swimming against Michael Phelps in the Olympics.
I get on the bike and it is flat and fast. So fast, I someone wipe out badly on the first turnaround.
That must have sucked.
The bike course is three loops, which is great so Lindsay can see me multiple times and cheer me on.
Then I experienced something for the first time.
For about 4 miles, I was in first place.
Me.
First Place.
I couldn't believe it.
It was a pretty cool feeling being the first person going around the turnaround and everyone cheering you on. This is something I could get used to. My confidence was beaming.
However, I knew this wasn't going to last. I felt like I wasn't moving fast enough on the bike to sustain the lead. I tried to push more but my body wasn't responding. I still ended up averaging 22.5 mph but I got passed by three people before I unclicked the pedals.
Now to the run.
Boy, did this feel good. I was moving. I was trekking around a 6:20 mile and feeling great. It felt like I was in High School Cross Country again. The only problem. The guys in front of me were going faster. A few, a lot faster. But I knew this was going to happen. My running isn't strong enough to compete with these guys yet. Maybe in the future, but not right at that moment.
I come into the finish line at 56:45 and in 6th place overall and 1st in my age group.
Confidence boost achieved
Waiting for the results, I found something I am going to hang onto forever.
The 1st place guy finished the race in 50:18. He destroyed the entire competition and dismantled me by over 6 minutes. I sat there thinking how I could possibly get to that level and then I found out his age.
The dude is 50!
50 years old.
That is not a typo.
Simply incredible.
Nobody beats father time but few can argue that we as a society are finding ways to excel at top levels for an extended period of time. I just saw a story where a 94 year old man ran 100 meters in 19 seconds and an 87 year old woman doing parallel bars at a gymnastics studio. Now this, a 50 year old destroying the competition. You want to know the second place guys time:
53:12
He beat him by three minutes. Doing the three mile run, that's 2/3 mile lead. That's just insane!
In triathlon, their are 40+ year old professionals and upper 30 year old world champions.
These type of stories give me more than hope. They give me purpose that I can do this for a very long time and do it at an elite level...if I ever get there.
Which is more than enough ammunition for a pathologically competitive person.
Thanks for reading and Happy New Year (4)!
(4) My New Year resolution is to write more and watch less TV. Let's see how this pans out.
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