Post-Race

Executive summary:

• Finishing a triathlon is good but it makes you wobbly.
• Food is delicious after a race.
• Kids like drinking from bottle water bottles.
• Kids also don't like to be taken away from sand and their impromptu friends.
• Raffling off an ugly bike does not make us stay through the awards ceremony.
• Having a stranger come up and ask if you did the triathlon is cool.
• Triathlons are a lot of fun and I recommend them.

---

Long Form:

When I crossed the finish line, I was pleased. Although, I didn't feel the same sense of accomplishment that I did when I finished the Bix (I think it's because I still plan to do an Olympic distance and so this was just a stepping stone). I was certainly happy though, both to be done with it and to be able to call myself a triathlete.

They stopped me to take the timing chip off of my ankle. I could barely stand still, I was too wobbly. We were under a little canopy and I could reach the top supports, so I used one to keep my balance. Though, I was careful not to pull the whole thing done.

An aside about the timing chip because I really haven't mentioned it yet. The chip was attached to a Velcro strap. It was reasonably comfortable (for someone not used to anklets). When I put it on, it was well before the race and I just wanted to make sure I didn't lose it. So, I didn't really tighten it at all.

Unfortunately, I didn't remember to tighten it later. It was just too comfortable. When I began swimming, I remembered it because it felt like it was going to fall off my foot. Once I convinced myself that my foot was actually big enough to hold it on, I grumbled (internally) at the extra drag it was producing. But then, I started to struggle with the swim and it was forgotten.

I actually didn't have any problems with it the rest of the way. I don't even remember having to deal with it when putting on socks. The timing chip worked out for me.

Back to the main story. After they removed the timing chip from my leg, I was handed a "finishers" towel and a bottle of water. The towel was a little smaller than a hand towel and had the name of the tri with the word "Finisher" below. I guess I'm supposed to hang that up or something. Hmm... Actually, not that I think about it, that's not a bad idea. Just a couple nails and I could have myself a nice wall decoration...

I hobbled around the food shelter (I just grabbed some grapes that time) and found the family walking back from where I found them last. We talked a little and there were some congratulations. The kids found a weird sand pit whose real purpose I can't even begin to comprehend. They played in it with some other kids. I let them both drink from my water bottle. Johann really seemed to enjoy drinking from the bottle. We have some cute pictures of that. Then, Mrk and I went back to get food.
They had a nice array of fruit; bananas, sliced oranges and grapes as well as a variety of bagels. I grabbed some orange quarters and a bagel quarter. The bagel had some sort of sugar glaze. It was delicious. I wound up getting another later.

We walked around a bit more, my water was gone so we tried some of the "sports drink" that they had mixed up in coolers. I guess it was made from a powder whose company was a sponsor. It pretty much tasted like they ground up some Pez and diluted it in a lot of water. I was not impressed.

After discovering that there wasn't much else there other than food, we went back to the family. Mrk and Mg disappeared, I think Mrk wanted to shower off down by the beach. I wanted to tear get my transition stuff, so we pried the kids away from the sand (Frances particularly wanted to stay and play with another little girl).

Non-participants weren't allowed in the transition area so Arial and the kids waited outside. I packed up my stuff and wheeled my bike to the exit. They were checking body markings to make sure the number on the bike matched. My number was covered by my shirt sleeve and I had my arms full with the bike and my bag. So, I pulled up my sleeve with my teeth. The volunteer checking numbers said that was the first time he had seen someone do that. I thought that was strange.

Arial happened to spot Mg waiting for Mrk at a picnic table. We went over and sat with her. Actually, I stood most of the time. I'm not really sure why but it had something to do with the kids.

When Mrk came, we headed back to the car. When we got there, we heard the announcement that they were handing out raffle tickets. We didn't know how long they would be handing them out, so we hurried a little (after all there was a bike on the line). I got the bike strapped back on the back of the car and Arial put my bag into the car. And we went to get a raffle ticket.

It turns out we needn't have hurried. There was a line for the tickets and even after we got ours, it took a while before they started. While we were in line though, we saw the bike they were giving away. It was pretty much the ugliest, *new* bike I've seen.

For one, it wasn't a road bike (like you would need in a triathlon), so it wouldn't have replaced my old bike. I think it was made to dissuade people from going into the army. It was army green and had the army star on the chain guard. I think you could make a fine bike with army colors but this was not a fine bike. I can't really describe its ugliness other than to say that it was obvious that the bike shop wasn't able to sell this one, so they decided to give it away.

We didn't win anything but that was okay. Other than a couple gift cards, the prizes were a little weak. They gave away gift bags, and in them was a large container of the Pez-like drink powder and a bottle of gel (with a dispenser). Other than the novelty of having a bottle of gel, those gift bags were suited for someone more into it than I.

Another of the prizes was a pair of men's running shoes... size 9. They also had a women's pair. The guy who one the shoes was just ahead of us and he pointed out the obvious problem with "I don't wear size 9".

After the smaller prizes were given out, they started presenting the awards to the division winners. Since we didn't want to sit through that for the prospect of winning a bike we didn't want, we left.

We decided to go to Applebee's since I knew were one was. It was a fine meal. When we left, a guy in the parking lot asked me if I had done the tri. He had noticed the body markings. That was really cool to be noticed like that.

We parted ways with Mrk and Mg and spent the rest of the day with naps and lounging. All four of us were tired from getting up so early and having such an eventful morning.

In retrospect, I'm glad that we did the triathlon. I want to do another, longer (Olympic distance) tri later in the season. The whole thing was a lot of fun and I would recommend it.

mwz

Run

Executive summary:

• Running after biking after swimming sucks.
• Especially, if you haven't really been training that hard on the run portion.
• A mile is longer than you think. Three miles is triply longer than you think.
• Strangers will lie to you by telling you that the finish is "not much further".
• It is good to have family there when you are suffering.
• I finished.

---

Long Form:

The run course was 5K, with the first 3/4 mile on park trails and the remainder on road. There was a section of about a mile after the trail that was an out and back. Then, there was about a mile and a half of road after passing the exit from the trails.

Mile 1:

When I ran across the timing pad and onto the grass I realized the folly of my mindset. I had been thinking that all I had to do was get to the run and I could just push myself through. What I didn't count on was that I would feel terrible during the whole run.

The first part of the run was through grass, running between a series of flags. That was kinda fun. I don't know why but it sorta felt like I was skiing a slalom course (even though the "gates" weren't staggered and I was running up hill).

I was also regretting that I had brought the sweat rag. It just felt like it was weighing me down.

Arial, Mg and the kids were waiting on that section of the course. It was nice to see them, especially so close (there was no barrier). I tossed them my sweat rag (and I was glad to get rid of it) and we said our hellos. They cheered me on and I disappeared down a woodland trail.

Running on the trail was rough. I had heard that the first mile of the run was the worst because your legs are used to the cycling motion. But the softer ground didn't help.

The trail had a number of small but mildly steep hills. One of them (which we were warned about in the race information) really seemed like it should have had stairs.

I was really plodding along with no real stride in my run. My legs were heavy and I was feeling pretty bad. But then I thought back to doing the Bix 7 (7 miles with horrible hills) years ago. I compared how I felt to how I felt with about 3 miles left in the Bix. I decided that the feeling was pretty similar and since I finished the Bix, I could finish this. That realization helped my mindset a quite a bit.

I was glad to get out to the road. The first stretch on the way to the turnaround, we had to run on the gravel next to the road while the returning people got to be on the concrete. I figured that at that point they had earned it. I was glad to get to the park road where we could get on it.

At the park entrance, was the first water station and the 1 mile mark. That made me sad that I had only run a mile.

Mile 2:

I had a couple sips of water at the first station. I passed up the offer of a wet sponge. I felt I was wet enough (although that was a little foolish).

During the second mile, people started passing me more regularly. I began recognizing the backs of people whom I had passed on the bike. This wasn't too surprising since the people on mountain bikes that I was passing looked like they were runners with the bike as an afterthought.

After I made it off the trail and could see the oncoming runners, I started looking for Mrk again (this time looking for a red shirt). When I got to the turnaround I realized that he must have passed the trail exit before I even came out. Mrk is speedy (at least compared to me).

At the turnaround, the volunteer at the flag was trying to encourage us. When I was going around him he yelled "There is cold water at the finish line. Go get it.". My first thought was that I didn't need to be reminded that I was running a water deficit. The second thing I thought was that there was cold water at the water station just down the road. I could just go there and get water. All in all, his attempt to encourage me failed.

Right after the water station (where I refused a sponge again), we were back on the highway. But this time we got to run on the concrete instead of the shoulder gravel. I felt like I had earned that.

Near the trail exit, I thought "They must not have put up a 2 mile marker. I'm probably about the 2 and a half mile mark." About 1/4 mile later I saw the 2 mile sign.

Around this time, I realized that I wasn't really in control of my race anymore. I could really only go the pace that I was going. I couldn't stop people from passing me or decide to pass anyone else. I was moving along at a constant pace and that was that.

Mile 3:

The last water station was at the 2 mile mark. I had a couple sips of water. I regretted that not much later. When I made the turn into the park and started to realize that I was still a good distance from the finish. I was starting to get thirsty and the day was heating up. I questioned my decision to not wear sun screen, particularly on my head. Basically, it was starting to suck.

Then, with about a quarter mile left, I saw Mrk coming back to see me. At that point, I wanted some real information about the remaining distance. I yelled up, "How much further, really?" and on queue a woman near Mrk yelled "You're almost there". That was useless information, being as people had been telling us that for the last mile. Mrk, however, understood what I meant and told me that the finish was a little after the bend up ahead.

Mrk ran with me for a bit. It was a nice way to get my mind of the discomfort. We chatted for a bit and got our pictures taken together by a race photographer (which is kinda neat to have and it makes it look like I was right up there with Mrk).

Up ahead I saw Arial, Mg and the kids. Seeing them was great. Especially, since at that point I began to believe that I was actually going to finish. I waved, they waved. There really isn't that much interaction but it is still wonderful to see them there.

I heard from Arial that Frances said "Daddy's running fast". That's nice to know that my daughter thinks I'm fast even though I was not actually running fast in comparison to other people in my age group.

When we had just passed the family, I asked Mrk if he minded if I finished on my own. I didn't want there to be any sort of confusion at the finish since he had already finished (I'm sure he would have bowed out before then anyways). Plus, I did kinda want to complete the tri on my own. I was a little worried that he would take offence but he seemed to understand.

By that point, I could see the finish. There was a husky woman ahead of me (a different one than the swim). I thought about trying to catch her but then I figured that she was about to finish the tri too and I didn't want to be a jerk that tried to whiz by her right before the finish line. I kept at my same pace. In retrospect I don't know if I would have been able to catch her even if I had tried. She must have picked up her speed because I stopped closing.

Of course then, about 30 yards from the finish, two guys zipped past me. I laughed a little at that.

As I entered the finish area, there was a lot of cheering. I thought that was impressive since I was no where near the beginning or even the middle of the finishers. They were announcing the names of people as they crossed the finish line. I didn't hear mine because the cheering was so loud. I think that was better.

Finally, I crossed the finish line and became a triathlete.

mwz

Transition 2

Executive summary:

• There isn't much stuff to do during Transition 2.

---

Long Form:

After entering the transition area, I pushed my bike over to my spot (which was much easier to find since I had my glasses on). I put my bike up on the rack just like Mrk had put his up, hanging by the hand brakes. I figured if it was good enough for his bike, it was good enough for mine.

I took off my helmet and decided to keep my sweat rag tucked into my shorts.

Then, I just looked down at my stuff for a little bit, while trying to figure out if I needed anything else for the run. After a second or two, I decided that the run was pretty simple and quickly walked over to the gate where the volunteer was yelling "Run Out, over here!".

The whole thing took me less than a minute.

And I was off on the run.

mwz

Bike

Executive summary:

• Before the race, it's a good idea to check your bike to see if any of your children inadvertently sabotaged the toe clips.
• When you only train for the bike, you feel pretty good during the bike leg.
• People with nice bikes pass me. People with mountain bikes get passed by me.
• Gels are sickeningly sweat unless you drink a lot of water, which is why it is required by law to do so.
• The volunteers don't like it when you are threatening to crash into them.

---

Long Form:

The course was ~15 miles out and back on a set of highways.

The bike started nicely. I pushed my bike to the guy who signified where I could start riding. My first foot went easily into its toe clip.

However, my left foot just wouldn't go in. I looked down and the loop was pulled tight into a tiny circle. Johann had been playing with my bike a little the day before and I suspect that he pulled the toe clip strap. That's what I get for not inspecting my bike properly.

I pulled over, opened up that toe clip and I was back on my way.

The bike leg felt good. I've been mostly training for the bike (doing spin classes thinking that the cardio would help all events), so that was to be expected. It was hard to reserve energy for the run. I tried to stay above 15 mph (although on some of the hills I dipped down). I wound up averaging around 17 mph, so I feel pretty good about that.

It was a nice day for a ride. There was a slight head wind on the way out but it wasn't too bad. The road was a lot hillier than I had imagined it but that made it easier to pass the people that I was catching. The cyclists really bunched up on the hills.

I passed a fair number of people and was passed by a fair number of people. Interestingly, most of the people I passed had worse bikes than mine (and a lot of them were mountain bikes). The people who passed me all had much nicer bikes than I (which made me feel better about being passed). While that is an interesting correlation, I don't think it was the bikes that was making the difference. I think that it is a self selecting group. People who are into biking get better bikes.

I knew that Mrk was ahead of me somewhere because I didn't pass him in the swim and his bike was gone from the transition. After about a mile on the bike I started looking for him coming back from the turnaround. The last time I saw him, he was wearing a black shirt. I hadn't noticed what his bike helmet looked like, so I was looking at every black shirted male that was coming toward me trying to determine if it was Mrk.

Finally, a guy in a red shirt yelled at me. It was Mrk. Apparently, he had a different shirt for the bike than he was wearing before the race. It was nice to see him out on the course. It made the thing less lonely.

My bike isn't the greatest. I believe that it was built in the 80's. It makes some noises when I pedal it. Combining those noises with the knowledge that I haven't had to change the inner tubes since I got it a year ago and I started to worry about whether it was going to make it. I was especially concerned going up hills where I was putting a lot of pressure on the pedals. But it held together and eventually I forgot about my worries.

The bike was on public highways and they didn't shut down traffic. There were a number of cars on the road. I felt a little bad for them. They were stuck in this never ending stream of bikes.

The cars really weren't a problem for me until I got to the turn around. A pickup and a sedan had passed me but didn't pass the guy ahead of me. When they got to the turnaround, they didn't seem to be sure how to get through (there was a cop car in one lane and they were probably on the lookout for bikes). As they slowed down, I thought about passing them on the right but I didn't want to cut them off (and get run over) during the turnaround. So, I hit my brakes a little and went slowly behind them.

That slowdown lost me a bit of time but it wasn't too bad. I was back up to speed in not too long. The people I was creeping up on were a little farther ahead but I caught them eventually and the riders that passed me were going to pass me anyway.

When someone passes you or you pass someone else, you have 15 seconds to get out of their draft zone (defined as 3 bike lengths behind them). During those 15 seconds, you can draft all you want. So I tried it a few times, both when passing and when being passed. Maybe I don't understand drafting but I couldn't feel a difference. It didn't work for me in the swim and it didn't work for me in the bike. I also didn't really like being so close to someone else's bottom. It felt creepy.

On the way back, I used the sweat rag to wipe my brow. I was glad that it actually came in handy. It was warm enough that I was starting to wish that I wasn't wearing the shorts over my track shorts. I think the next race, I may just wear the track shorts. Hopefully, I will be in better shape by then and won't look as funny.

I had my gel with about 3-5 miles left on the bike. Before race-day, I had a couple of them so it wasn't as big of a shock as it could have been. Gels are like eating cake decorating gel. They are really sugary and thick. That's why it's the law to drink water with them.

And drink water, I did. I successfully finished my water bottle by the end of the bike. I was happy about that and it probably saved me during the run.

The last mile or so of the bike leg was in the park where the triathlon was based. That portion is shared by the runners. I was feeling pretty good, so I yelled some encouragement ("Good Job") to some of the runners

As I approached the transition, there was a volunteer hollering that we needed to dismount by the time we got to him. I was cool with that. I slipped my right foot out and brought it over so I was coasting. I was going slow enough that I could stop the bike by hopping off.

Unfortunately, my other foot was stuck (darn that left foot). I hit the brakes and swerved off to the left. The volunteer was a little freaked by that. I think he thought I was going to crash (I wasn't sure that wouldn't either). If there had been someone coming up behind me on the left, I probably would have. But, I brought it to a stop and extracted my foot. I quickly pushed the bike into the transition.

Final Thoughts:

The bike was a lot of fun. Probably the most fun leg of the tri. Passing and being passed was interesting and I felt strong doing it. I was very relieved that I had made it passed the point where mechanical failure could ruin the race.

mwz

Transition 1

Executive summary:

• It is nice to see your family when you are racing.
• A rotund woman beat me up the hill to the transition... badly.
• Glasses are useful when looking for your bike.
• Wet feet don't want socks.
• I like to start paragraphs with the word "I".

---

Long Form:

When I came out of the water, I saw Arial and the kids. They were cheering for me. Well, Arial was cheering for me, Johann was looking at me and Frances was playing in the sand. I waved at them and they waved back.

Then I had to climb a hill between the beach and the transition. The chubby lady who came out of the water just ahead of me, zoomed up the hill. I felt like I was trudging but I forced myself up there. But in all fairness, I think I had been swimming for longer than her.

I took a couple steps in the wading pool to get the sand off of my feet. It felt like I was going to slip but I didn't.

Since I didn't have my glasses, I found my row by counting from the far end. When I got to the end without finding my stuff, I realized that I hadn't been able to see all of the rows and was one row off.

I found my bike and set myself to the task of putting socks on wet feet. It wasn't easy even after drying them with a towel. Putting on my shirt wasn't great either. I was still wet but I figured (correctly) that I would dry on the bike.

Apparently, by this point Arial and the kids had come to watch me in transition. They had plenty of time to walk up there during my long T1. I didn't see them but they were in the background of a picture Mg took.

There were people getting ready for the run but also people getting ready for the bike. I took comfort that I wasn't the only one there.

I almost forgot my shorts. That wouldn't have been that bad but I had my gels in the pockets. I had to put them on over my shoes.

I tucked a sweat rag into the waistband of my shorts, put on my helmet and unracked my bike.

I wheeled my bike past a couple people getting ready for the run and pushed out the gate.

And then the bike began.

mwz

Swim

Executive summary:

• I look like a dork running through the water in in my track shorts and swim cap.
• The water was nice and warm.
• I felt good initially and passed someone.
• Then, I was passed by more people than had signed up for the race.
• A good portion of the swim was spent alternating between the crawl and the back stroke.
• A race volunteer in a kayak almost tried to rescue me. I gave him a thumbs up because that's just how I roll.
• When I finally got a good rhythm, someone kicked me and that was the end of that.
• Being beaten by a fat lady is both mildly humiliating and "inspirational".

---

Long Form:

The course was a 600 yard triangle in a lake. There were three legs to the swim; out to the first buoy, across the lake to the second buoy and back to the shore. The second leg was the longest.

Leg 1:

The guy told me "Go" and I jogged to the water. I ran until the water was up to the middle of my thighs and dove in.

After seeing the pictures from this point, I found that I was pretty much guaranteed to look like a dork running into the water. A swim cap is not the most flattering head ware and even the most athletic person looks a little silly running through water. Compound that with my near-naked (track shorts only), flabby body and the end result is really quite sad.

Once I hit the water, that didn't matter any more. The water was warm and I felt strong. I didn't have a wet-suit to distract me and I thought I was doing well. I passed a guy who was doing the side stroke. I felt great.

It turned out that I wasn't quite as prepared for the swim as I had hoped.

Unfortunately, before I was halfway to the first buoy, my breathing started to get more difficult. I tried to breast stroke but I was still having trouble catching my breath. It was around then that people started to pass me.

I flipped over on my back to catch my breath but that let me see a swarm of people behind me. That kinda scared me so I flipped right back. I tried to press on, alternating between crawl and breast stroke.

I tried to draft off of someone at this point but someone else had the same idea and cut me off. I then tried to draft of the next person but it was confusing and by the time I had worked it out they were gone.

Soon, I realized that I wasn't going to make it to the end if I just used the crawl and breast stroke. The swim seemed very long at that point.

I swallowed my pride and swam on my back. My breath was still fast for awhile but eventually it calmed down. I then alternated between crawl and backstroke. I was still pushing forward when I was on my back. It isn't fast but it does make some progress.

While I was on my back, I saw one of the guys in a kayak yell something to me. I couldn't hear him but I turned over to look at my surroundings. It turned out that I was dangerously close to cutting on the inside of buoy one (I probably would have hit it).

I immediately fixed my direction but the kayak guy was still coming up to me. In retrospect he was probably going to rescue me. I gave him a thumbs up (mostly to thank him for correcting my direction) and he waved and I made my way around the first buoy.

Leg 2:

The back stretch was not the greatest. I was still alternating between crawl and backstroke. Many people passed me. I tried to stay on the inside and out of the way (I wasn't going to go to the outside because I had enough distance to swim as it was).

During the last quarter of the second leg, I started feeling a little better. I tried drafting again but couldn't keep up.

Finally, I got the the second buoy.

Leg 3:

After the second buoy, I could see the end. I really started to hit a rhythm with the crawl for about 10 strokes before someone kicked me. I went back to crawl/breast stroke (I didn't want to flip on my back so close to the end).

The last leg seemed to take forever. I could see the goal the whole way and it wasn't getting closer as fast as I thought it should.

When I got reasonably close to shore, I decide to drop my feet to see if I could walk. The water was up just above my waist. I tried a thing where I used my arms to crawl but pushed on the bottom with my legs. Eventually, I got up and ran.

Just ahead of me was a rather chubby woman. I'm reasonably certain that she started behind me. To be honest that hurt my pride a little but she beat me fair and square.

Final Thoughts:

The swim was a rather odd experience for me. It seemed to take forever. It felt more like I was stranded out in the middle of a lake than I was in a race.

But I finished it and it was good to get out of the water knowing that I had that under my belt.

mwz

Pre-Race

Executive summary:

• A pork tenderloin sandwich with onions is not a good night-before meal, particularily onions.
• It's hard to sleep the night before a race even though you know that you have to get up at 4:15. I woke at 2:20 and was awake for a full hour.
• Body markings are cool. You can show them off to people when you tell them that you did a triathlon.
• If the water is too warm, don't care that you spent a lot of money on a wet-suit.
• Trackshorts alone make you feel more naked than clothed.
• Going shoeless in a portapotty is gross but at least I was able to jump in a lake shortly after.
• Waiting on the beach 50 minutes before the your race begins allows you to get really nervous... and then not so nervous... and then nervous again.
• Family helps with the nerves.

---

Long Form:

The night before the race, we met up with my brother, Mrk and Mg, his wife. The race was in a neutral city between our two homes, so we met there. The place we had supper was very meat heavy. So, no carbo-loading for me. I had a pork tenderloin. It was delicious.

After packet-pickup, we came back to our place for the night. I still had to pack my gear. Mrk helped me attach the bike rack to my car, which was good because the instructions were inscrutable.

He also helped me make sure that I had everything I needed for the race. It turns out there is a lot of stuff that you need to keep track of; goggles, bike gloves, wetsuit, shoes... I went through the race in my head and tried to figure out what I would need at each step. That worked pretty well but I should have just used a checklist from the internet.

We managed to get to bed around 10:30.

At 2:20 am, I woke up. I was nervous and that made me worried that I was sick. (I had the same feeling on my wedding day, when I woke up thinking, "I hope I'm not hung over". I wasn't). The onion taste in my mouth (from the tenderloin) didn't help things at all. I wound up brushing my teeth three times that morning to get rid of the taste.

I went back to bed but I was so nervous that I just rolled around. The last time I remember seeing was 3:30. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I new it was 4:15 and time to get up.

I felt pretty good when I got up. I grabbed some cereal (bran flakes) and watched a little bit of Red Eye that we had recorded.

Then, I woke up Johann and got him dressed (Arial had set out clothes the night before. He was so adorable. He barely cried while I was dressing him.

Arial had gotten up by that point and she got Frances dressed while I loaded the car.

We managed to get out of the house a little after 5 am (we were shooting for 4:50). We arrived at the race location a little before 6 which turned out to be the perfect time because people we were able to park right next to the start. Any earlier and we would have had to park about a block away in another lot, any later and I don't know where we would have had to park.

Mrk and I got body marked with our race numbers and age. There was hardly a line and so it was very quick. As it turns out, body markings are neat. They are like a badge that says "I recently did a triathlon."

It was around this time that we discovered that the water was too warm to wear wet-suits. That bummed me out because wet-suits make it easier to swim. Plus, I had put out a fair amount of money for it (more than my bike). Slowly it dawned on my that I didn't really have a true swim-suit and that I was just going to have to wear the track-shorts that I was essentially planning to wear as underwear.

We then set up our transition areas. They had assigned numbers alphabetically which meant that Mrk and I were next to each other. That was really nice. It would have been lonely setting up otherwise. Instead, we were able to complain about the lack of wet-suits and discuss how we were going to find our spots and other such things.

Eventually, the time came to strip down to my track shorts. Keep in mind that I do not have a beatifully chisled body. I would dare say that my body is not really attractive at all. Fortunately, there were other guys in similar condition also running around shirtless in too-tight shorts.

One thing that really made the near-nudity easier to deal with was that I had to leave my glasses at transition. When I don't have my glasses, it is like I am in my own world. In a way it's like when a child covers their eyes to hide, it is irrationally comforting. If I can't see, maybe no one can.

We had to go down to the beach at 6:45 to hear the opening instructions. A touch before that, I joined the giant portapotty line. Mrk gave up his spot in line to join me in the back. He is very considerate.

I just have to say that going into a portapotty without shoes is disgusting. I tried not to think about what I was standing in and I wiped my feet on the grass a quite a bit. Later on, I swam in a lake.

While I was in line, I ate a gel (you are supposed to have one 15 minutes before the race). Since it is required by law to have water with the gel, I needed water. Arial found me water far above the beach (but it was better than no water at all).

We hurried down to the beach only to learn that the instructions were being broadcast over their speaker system. The real reason they wanted us down there was to chear on the elite starters.

So Mrk and I waited on the beach. I occationally waved at Arial and the kids who were watching from the grass. Arial wore an orange shirt so I was able to spot her without my glasses.

On the beach, we noticed that everyone else had brightly colored swim caps (provided in the packet. Ours were black. I'm reasonably certain that someone hoped we would sink and not be recovered. Arial says that she saw a couple other black caps but I didn't (granted I didn't have my glasses).

Finally the race began... but not for us. It was a time trial start, which meant that one person started every "3" seconds. They were using chip timing so it wouldn't affect our times. At three seconds a person, it should have taken 30 minutes to get the whole field started but with 30 minutes gone, only about half had started. That kinda sucked.

While we waited, the announcer talked. And talked. He started by doing play by play of the leaders. But when they got out of the water (about 7 minutes later), he started to just tell us how much better the time trial start is over the traditional wave start. It was almost like he was being defensive.

I was able to make out the leg markings on the guy in front of me. It said "70". It took me a bit to remember that that was his age. My next thought was that he had lied but when I saw his face, I believed him. He was in incredible shape.

Around 15 minutes after the start, Arial, Mg and the kids came down to the beach to hang out with us. That was nice since it made me a bit less nervous. Frances played in the sand and Johann walked (and bounced) on the beach chairs that had been flattened to provide some sort of crowd control. At one point he walked three chairs away. Arial had to run after him.

We got up close to the start, where the mob of people funneled down to a line. It was then that I started to crash from my gel-induced sugar high. That was not idea.

Soon, 35 minutes after the official start, Mrk was next in line to go. We said our good lucks and he was off.

3..2..1..

My race began.
mwz

My first Triathlon

I completed my first triathlon this last weekend. Mrk, my brother and I raced together (by that I mean we were in the same race and that he is way faster than I (but he is my big brother)).

In the following posts, I'm going to record my experience in the next few posts. Each section will have a summary of things I found interesting and then a longer, boring section with all of my thoughts.

The second, long section is really written for me to read years later. Skip it guilt free.

mwz

Eye Brow

One of these days, when I am shaving my head in a sleepy haze, I am going to mistakenly shave one of my eye brows.

So, if you see me sometime and I am missing half of an eye brow, you will know what happened.

mwz