Not-So-Ancient History

In our preblogging days, just three years ago, Vic and I trained for and completed triathlons. That makes it sound like we were on the verge of Hawaii Ironman stardom when the truth is that we didn't place at all and, in fact, finished near the back of the pack. However, we really enjoyed the challenge of triathlons and I credit that physical training for the reasonably decent level of fitness I managed to maintain while pregnant.

We may not have blogged in 2007, but I kept an update of events on a personal website. For those who weren't privy to the exciting details at that time, we repost them here...

August 21, 2007 - Danskin Women's Sprint Triathlon

Swimming, biking, and running in a chilly downpour is great fun!

The Danskin triathlon is really a whole weekend event.

Saturday began at Qwest Event Center with the packet pickup (including race numbers for your bike and running shirt, a timing chip to be worn on your ankle, a swim cap in the appropriate color for your age group or other category, and a bunch of fun free goodies). There was an overview of the course, and a seminar on how to change a flat tire. There were sponsor booths (REI, Trek Bicycles, Danskin clothing, Toyota, etc.) with raffles and giveaways. Oh, and all this was in the company of 3500 other women, plus the two lovely friends I went with (Erinn & Taryn).

After picking up everything we needed, and a few things we didn't (does anyone really need a mini jelly frisbee?), we took our bikes and helmets over to Genesee Park, just north of Seward Park in Seattle. On arriving at the park, we got a good idea of just how many 3500 is. That's a lot of bikes.

We found spots for our bikes, and I covered the seat of mine with a plastic bag, since showers had been forecasted for that evening. A number of women stood at the water's edge, putting in their toes to see how cold it was. We decided we'd rather not know. And we stood in the middle of the transition area and looked around to get our bearings for the various entrances and exits (one each for the swim, bike, and run segments of the race).

Sunday morning came way too soon. By 6:00am we'd all met up -- three athletes, three husbands, and one Japanese exchange student -- and were on the freeway headed for Seattle. Gray clouds darkened the sky, and sprinkles fell steadily. After finding a place to park the car, we left our husbands outside the transition area and headed in to get things set up and get into our wetsuits. The usual plan is to arrange everything you'll need in the order you'll need it. Swim: wetsuit, goggles, swim cap, watch (for timing myself). Bike/Run: towel, running shirt, biking jersey, socks, shoes, sunglasses, helmet. With the rain, it seemed to make more sense to just leave everything in the plastic garbage bag so I could at least start out dry. Turned out to be a good move, although I took a bit more time in the transitions looking through the bag for what I needed.

At 6:45am, the first wave of athletes took off swimming from the starting line, and by 7:45, the first woman had already finished the whole race. Waves of 100-150 athletes were sent off every three minutes, and Erinn, Taryn, and I were in one of the last waves, not leaving until just after 8:00am.




I've enjoyed the swimming aspect of triathlon, so was looking forward to this. The first leg (about 100 yards) went well, but then I got boxed in by a number of slower swimmers doing the breaststroke, and had to either slow down or go way around to avoid being frog-kicked. Having lost my rhythm, I had trouble getting back into a regular crawl/freestyle stroke, and ended up doing the breaststroke myself most of the way.

But I made it the whole 660 yards, and had no trouble (dizziness is a common post-swimming issue for triathletes) hopping out of the water and sprinting back to my bike at the transition area. While I was swimming, though, the rain had increased and it was now a full-on downpour.



The wetsuit came off easily, I threw on socks and shoes over wet, grassy feet, and buckled my helmet. The bike course is 12.4 miles, most of it on the I-90 express lanes across Mercer Island and back. There is one particularly steep, narrow hill, and I'd been training so I could get up the hill without having to get off and walk the bike.

Yippee! I managed to do that, and got a "Way to go, #4234!" from one of the volunteers on the course. Other than a cross-wind coming back across the bridge, the rest of the ride was uneventful until I got back to that steep hill. So many athletes were concerned about slipping on the wet pavement that there was a huge traffic jam. At the last second, I had to skid to a stop and managed to get my foot out of the pedal just in time to keep from falling over. Somehow in the process, though, my chain came loose and I was forced to walk/run my bike to the bottom of the hill and find a volunteer to help me get it fixed. It was a pretty quick fix, and I was back on my bike, working hard to re-pass all the bikers I'd worked so hard to pass in the first place.



I flew by Vic and the other husbands at the end of the bike course, waving and smiling, racked my bike back in its spot, and tossed aside my helmet and bike gloves. After a brief pause to help a freezing cold Erinn get into her bag for a sweatshirt -- none of us could make our cold, wet fingers work very well -- we headed for a quick portajohn stop, and then out on the run course. Taryn came up behind us just as we were starting, and the three of us enjoyed encouraging each other for the first mile or so. I had determined to run until I couldn't make my legs go anymore, then walk for a minute, then run until I couldn't anymore again, then walk, etc. When I looked at my watch early in the run, I realized that I could finish in under two hours if I really tried. I decided to try. I would pick out someone ahead of me to try to catch up to, or choose a landmark to sprint to. The other athletes were all super encouraging of everyone -- in particular, I had to chuckle at one woman fast-walking the course, yelling to everyone what a beautiful day it was for a run. About a half mile from the end, I knew there was a steep hill, and I decided to walk the hill, and then run the rest of the way to the finish line. The last half mile I kept looking at my watch, then at the road ahead of me, then back at my watch, trying to figure out if I still had a chance to make it by the 2-hour mark.

The last curve is where Vic was standing, taking my picture and putting out his hand for a high-five. I barely had enough energy to veer over to the side to hit his hand, then I focused on the last 100 yards.



Apparently they said my name as I crossed the finish line -- they announce everyone. I was just so glad to be done -- in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 29 seconds -- that I didn't hear my name. But that's okay. I have a medal that shows I finished the race.

About three hours later, after drying off, getting a Red Robin burger, and warming up in a hot shower, I'd already started thinking about the next race :)


Sept 25, 2007 - Black Diamond Olympic Triathlon

Time for another triathlon report... On Sunday Vic and I competed in our first olympic-distance tri. I use the term competed loosely because we weren't out to win the race, just to see if we could finish it and still have smiles on our faces.

So good news -- we both finished!

The men took off a few minutes before the women, so I got to watch Vic jump in with all the other guys and fight for a spot to swim. It was a melee of arms and legs out there! Then it was my turn, and I chose to hang back a little bit when they said "Go" because I wanted to avoid the fight. My spot near the back of the pack was comfortable and I was able to swim at my own pace without running into anyone. That is, until the men came around for their second lap. One accidentally grabbed my foot, but mostly they just went around and I had a few moments of being pulled along in their (much faster) wake. Only two people were slower than me coming out of the water, but I was still happy with how I swam -- steady, without tiring and without having to flop over on my back to rest. Amazing what a few swim lessons will do for you!

The first transition went fairly smoothly. I'd practiced it in my mind, and knew what I needed to do. Jogging from the lake to the transition area was easy, but the dizziness from swimming hit me when I got to my bike. I took a few seconds to regain my balance. Wetsuit, cap, and goggles off. Shirt, jacket, socks, shoes, helmet, gloves, and sunglasses on. Two gulps of energy drink, and my bike and I were off. The bike is the longest portion of the race -- lots of time to think through how things are going, how my muscles are feeling, what I need to do next, etc. I realized that I'd started singing a song in cadence with my pedaling -- great, right? Music can help you keep going, and they don't allow iPods. But the song that inexplicably started playing in my mind was "The Other Day I Met A Bear." Yes, that old camp favorite :) Sorry, now you will probably have it running through your head all day too!

After stopping about halfway through to help a woman who had a flat tire, it seemed like the rest went quickly. I passed several people on the uphills, which was a great feeling. Hills can really wear you out! As I approached the park again, there was a steady stream of people leaving, athletes who had already completed the entire race and were headed home. Wow, it must be nice to have finished that far ahead of so many others. Something to aspire to.

The second transition went really fast once I got my bike through the crowds. The only glitch was that my bike gloves didn't want to come off. I dumped the helmet and gloves, and took off jogging. The trail was a little confusing for the first 1/4 mile, but then I got out onto the main road and followed the line of runners in front of me. About 15 minutes in, I saw Vic coming the other way. He just hiked the entire Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier two weeks ago, and had some knee trouble, so he was taking it easy on the run. He was so fast on the swim and bike portions though that he still beat me by a long shot overall.

It had been my goal to finish the race, with a secondary goal to not be last, and an ideal of finishing in under 4 hours. The first two were met, and the third was really close. We're proud to have done this race, glad that there are no more triathlons this fall, and happy to be looking forward to next year. Who knows... maybe we'll improve our times in short races, or maybe we'll attempt longer ones.


Melinda's Times:

Swim (1 mile) 51:39 (too slow apparently - the cameraman had moved on)
1st transition 6:25
Bike (25 miles) 1:51:46
2nd transition 2:20
Run (6.2 miles) 1:10:26
Total: 4:02:37


Vic's Times:


Swim (1 mile) 33:31
1st transition 7:24
Bike (25 miles) 1:32:33
2nd transition 5:12
Run (6.2 miles) 1:24:54
Total 3:43:35


So you're wondering...

Why is Melinda bringing up events from three years ago now? Um, well, I hear that the best way to stick to a commitment to a goal is to tell other people about it. I can believe that. Who wants to tell people that you've backed out of a commitment for some reason? So here we go: My short-term goal is to comfortably complete at least one short distance triathlon in 2011, my long-term goal is to complete an Ironman-length triathlon someday, and you are now the "other people" that I've told about it. Given that yesterday was the first time in ages that I've swum more than 800 yards, my running is limited to under a mile, and my lovely bicycle has hung on the roof of our garage for over a year, I've got quite a way to go. But I'd love company.