Chilli Success

I completed my first triathlon today.  I did it with style.  I did it with panache.  I definitely did it the hard way.  You'd think that most people would try a sprint triathlon the first time.  I'm not talking about those professionals who run, say 10k and think, "Gee, a marathon might be fun," and go out and win some big marathon in their first attempt.  No, I'm talking about your regular person, above average in athletic terms, but an average person.  No, I chose a triathlon that included kayaking in place of the swimming.  I've never been in a kayak other than a debacle with a sea kayak in Belize.  Most of my small watercraft experiences end with my being responsible for it's tipping over or falling sideways over a waterfall, things like that.

Suffice to say, when my wife informed that she wouldn't think any less of me if I withdrew before I left the house, you might understand where she was coming from. 

I got to the event, got my kayak, paddle, and life jacket and took it over to the boat area.  After a 20 minute wait in line for the port-a-potties, the race got started.  I decided to let people get ahead of me so I didn't have to deal with the jostling to get to my bike.  Having gone on 3 (now 4) bike rides in the past two weeks and past 6 years, I didn't figure on needing to be out front so I could be in the lead.  Luckily, one person was still behind me because as I started to peddle, my new-fangled bottle cage slid down the frame and got in the way of pedals, the chainring, most anything that helped the bike move forward.  I got off and was about to attempt to rip it off when the last person offered help and actually had a set of allen keys.  Five minutes later, we were back in the race.  I hadn't even made it out of the parking lot before that first malfunction. Things were going well, I was making really good time, and then I hit the hill that is said to separate the men from the boys.  I guess I'm a toddler.  I didn't even make it to the steep part before I got off and walked.  Most people couldn't make it up, so I wasn't alone, but I was thirsty, not having any water because I left the bottle and cage in the grass by the starting area.  At the top of the hill, they had a drink station, and then there was a huge, long downhill as a reward for making it that hill.  Soon after that, it felt like I was coasting slower, pedaling was harder and I looked down to see my front tire was about half way flat.  I had five miles left and hope nothing would happen, but it definitely slowed me down.

Then I got in the kayak.  As a volunteer pushed me in, he asked if I was ready.  "Ready as I'll ever be,"  I replied and I tried my hand at kayaking for the first time.  It was really windy and at points there were whitecaps on the lake.  When the wind came from any directions except in front, it kept turning my boat and I had a really hard time moving forward rather than sideways.  Eventually I sort of got the hang of it and during the lulls in the gales, I got a pretty good rhythm going.  I can see why people like kayaking.  Working my way around the lake (about 2.2 miles) I thought we had a straight shot to the finish when I came around a bend and had about 15 more minutes of paddling with a really vicious wind.  But, I made it, didn't tip it, and stayed relatively dry.

Starting the run was an exercise in reversing rigor mortis.  My shuffle would have done a zombie proud, but I slowly loosened up so I was able to actually lift my feet of the ground.  I didn't go any faster, but I managed to avoid all of the tree roots and stay upright.  A few old men passed me, but I did manage to pass one person in the last mile.

Overall, it was a lot of fun.  I'm planning on doing it again.  I'd like to actually be in shape the next time and not lose 10 minutes to bike problems.  Accounting for the 10 minutes, I finished in about 2 hours 58 minutes.  I think I could take a half hour off of that time.  So there's my goal for next year:  2.5hours or less.

I need a nap.
Or a massage.
Probably won't get either.