The race was …um …..
I’m still processing in my mind what I think of this race. Here is the video of the race:
2013 American Triple-T Recap Video from Rob Lahoda on Vimeo.
After finishing 4 triathlons in 3 days I feel like my mental
block is gone. I’ve had some mental blocks since Lake Havasu.
Of not being
good enough, strong enough.
But since crossing that finish line on May 19th, after swimming, biking
hills, and trail running hills, I have my mojo back.
I meet a woman just before the first swim of the Super Sprint
who raced the same Ironman races I did in the same year: Ironman Coeur d’Alene
in 2009 and Ironman Arizona in 2010. How often does that happen? Never. But in
Ohio, meeting like-minded endurance athletes happens every May at this race
where they come together to launch their race season.
On paper (or a website) 2 Olympic-distance triathlons seems
like a piece of cake. However, the Triple T has other things in mind - the
hills give the ultimate test. The hills are hard, but I bike them. I even have a
technical problem with my bike that I have to dismount to fix twice. I fix it - no problem.
There is a bike crash and we wait for 10 minutes and I watch as they place her on a stretcher and later
learn she was airlifted to a hospital.I hope she is okay. I feel so thankful for my safety on the bike and hope that she will
recover and bike again.
After the 2 Olympic races, I cannot imagine getting back
in that water and in my wetsuit, again on Sunday morning. I doubt having the
strength to do it. Some times in life, you just have to charge forward and go
through the motions. And once I get going, the swim is over and I'm on my bike.
I’m thankful for the laughter with cyclists on the hills and how nuts this particular switch back is today.
I’m thankful for the man ringing his cowbell at the top of
the longest, steepest hill before the end of the bike.
On the last leg of the last triathlon I meet Tony from Cincinnati who
reaffirms my sanity and gets me through the run.The method to the madness of the half marathon: he is running EFM (Every xxx
Mile). This is his 5th Triple T and vows to run the
entire 13.1 except walking the aid stations. I feel defeated from running my pace and walking a lot. I want to walk the hills like everyone recommends but it isn't working for me.
Tony's pace is about 12-13 minute miles, I mimick his feet,
slow and steady. It works on the hills and I just kept going. I tell him about my
broken toe – he is a trail runner too. He thinks that all the falls on the
trail run and the eventual broken toe is due to muscle imbalance and strength issues
in my hips and legs. It is what I said all along but no one agreed or
told me anything I understood. He tells me to keep on with functional strength,
yoga, Pilates.
I get through that run because I walked EFM. At the finish line I feel amazing. I am tired and sore.
Tony’s
teaching and companionship make the day.
After finishing I eat some beans and cookies, and sit in the
cold creek, like everyone else. Tony joins me and instructs me to go to Masters for swimming and to take 2 weeks off before training for Ironman Wisconsin.
It’s simply amazing the people you meet in this sport. I’m
so thankful.
And to Joanne from Colorado who met me in Columbus and raced
with me. Thank you for joining me on this awesome journey.
The volunteers for the race are amazing. The scenery -
spectacular. The company of triathletes is inspiring and makes me believe.
They make me believe.
These are my people.
