RACING AGAIN

Last weekend, for the first time in nine years, I ran a 5k (3.1 miles for those of you who are metrically-challenged). Considering it followed twelve miles of biking and a 250 yard swim, I didn't do too badly (the biking is the part I did quite poorly on). Okay, so it would have been more accurate, and probably quicker to say that I ran a triathlon.

Woo! Go me. And go my brother, too. It's largely his fault I was there. See, entering this triathlon was his idea; one small step in our larger campaign to make sure we are able to survive the hike we have planned with our family (one uncle, one cousin, our father, and us) later this summer. We entered it on the hope that a general fear of embarassment would drive us to exercise and to exercise hard.

Well, it partly worked. I started excercising in March. Unfortunately, I needed ANOTHER carrot to do it - the Back to the Beach Contest at work. I entered THAT so I'd work out for the triathlon so I'd be ready for the hike. Eventually enough things loaded up on top of each other that I had to work out.

And I largely stuck to it. What I did not do, however, is work out as much as I should have.
It was enough, but not enough enough.

I survived the triathlon, even prospered in parts, but I can do better. Which is why I intend to do another one, and another one after that.

I've wanted to run a triathlon for some time now. Although, to be honest, what I really think I've wanted is not necessarily to run a triathlon, but to know I could (and to be able to tell other people). Well I've demonstrated that part to my satisfaction.

I completed the entire race without stopping (except once when someone handed me a cup of water and I couldn't figure out how to drink it and keep running at the same time - something I should work on). There were 500 contestants listed (although fewer than that showed up for various reasons). I was 83rd in the swim (pretty good), 321st in the bike (ouch), and 192nd in the run portion (not bad). That ugly ugly bike portion hurt though, and I ended up 276th overall, 24th out of 26 in my age group (which is not an age-group that bothers to reward casual efforts).

So I now know I can run a triathlon. What I want to know next is, can I run one well? I think so, but I'm just going to have to do more triathlons to prove it to myself. I've learned a number of lessons including practice more, don't kill yourself in the swim (that high place came at a high price), practice more, and don't use a thirteen year old Huffy mountain bike from Kmart to compete in a road race. When I, pedaling steadily, was passed going downhill by a woman whose chain was BROKEN, I realized part of my problem might just have been the bike. Also, I need to practice more.