“The Third Time’s a Charm”
I initially signed up for Danskin two years ago, prodded along by Kristin, who kept telling me I could do it. She said that Danskin was different and it didn’t matter how fast you finished – and that even people who never train and are not in great shape can do it. So I signed up…lots of excuses and two years later, I still had not completed this race…until now!
This was my third outdoor triathlon and it is my third in the rain, so the night before when it started to pour and I had given up hope at having a decent race day, I felt dejected and actually thought if my bike wasn’t already down there, I am not sure I would go through it. I got up at 4:00 and drove to Tina’s dreading the moment I would have to get out of the car with the heater and deal with the rainy and cold day ahead me. My original goal was to complete this in 2 hours or less, but given the weather, I gave up on that and just decided to have a good race and not worry about time. I was going to try and enjoy it, the way so many were while we were waiting to get in the water. I did not want to be last though…I had sworn everyone in RTH to one solemn vow that they would keep Sally Edwards away from at all costs! I know she is a great woman and I love that she comes in with the final participants, but I did not want to be one of those women! I knew if she came near me on the final leg of the race I would burst into tears! They all had instructions to get in between me and Sally Edwards if it came down to that!
The swim was good but Tina and I were in the last cap group so there were A LOT of people in the water by the time we were able to start and they were the friends and family division so they all wanted to stay together. I felt so good initially and I was making great time and then I hit a bunch of women (I think it was the wave before ours); they were having some kind of party, just floating and laughing, I just kept navigating between them. On the way to end, I came up in between two girls who were talking and said I am going in between you – thanks and swam between them, just as I took off I heard them say “some people are in such a hurry” and I laughed to myself under the water thinking, well it is a race they didn’t put timing chips on our ankles for nothing…I hit my goal of 16 minutes on the swim, but know that I could have done better with less partying in the water…oh well that is what Danskin is about!
I had one of my infamously long transitions though, I could not get my wetsuit off my feet to save my life…it has never been that hard for me (I think it was the long run from the water, it seemed glued it to me). Just as I was getting my bike shoes on, I heard “Go Teresa” and saw Kristin coming in from her bike. A helpful volunteer approached me just as I grabbed my bike to run out and said “oh, let’s wipe off the handlebars, wait here and I will go get a towel” and I was like “no, my handlebars are fine I have to go”!
The bike was surprisingly good for me, I was the most nervous about the bike coming in and The Hill…my biggest fear was someone getting off in front of me and me not having enough time to un clip and falling over. So it happened, two people above me a girl just stopped and got off her bike and the girl in front of me stopped too, I frantically started to unclip, just then they both moved and I just started pedaling fast and I ended up getting up the hill! I was going to drink my whole bottle of water during the bike, but it was too windy and wobbly, I took my water bottle out once and never again. I made pretty good time and the tunnels were a very nice break from the pouring rain, but then it was back out and into the rain again…They made us all dismount to come back down the hill, but I was fine with that.
When I came in from my bike and looked at my stopwatch I realized I was right on track to make my two hour goal, so I went on the run with a purpose of getting in under 2! I was tired and dehydrated from not drinking enough before or during the race and started slowly; eating some of the sport beans they were handing out and stopping to drink a few cups of water they offered at the first water stop. Now I started to feel better and started my slow run. I hit the first mile right on pace, then the second, still on pace but getting close…after the big hill (which I did walk up halfway) I started to run faster, thank goodness the last part is mostly downhill! I wasn’t exactly sure how far I was, I wanted to yell to people on the sidelines “am I within five minutes” since my watch was showing 1:55! Then I turned into the park and really started to pick up my speed, I wasn’t jogging, I was running in! I saw Patty yelling for me, then I entered the finish and heard Ang, Shaun, Connie, and Jodi yelling my name…then I crossed and stopped my watch and looked down…1:57 – yea I did it!
I really want to thank RTB, RTH, Tina and Kristin I never would have dreamed I could really do this and I know I wouldn’t have without all of your support! I have lost weight, lowered my blood pressure, I have more energy and I love the person I am today. I feel as complete and fulfilled as I have in my entire life!
So I can definitely say for me “the third time is a charm” and I really believe it was meant to be this way. I was meant to achieve this accomplishment – this year – with this group – everything is exactly the way it was meant to be! Maybe even the rain! Hey, since I have only raced in the rain, it is all I am used too! This also proves my theory that you only fail when you stop trying!
I saw a lot of women with a shirt and I saying that I really liked “The miracle isn’t that I finished, it is that I began in the first place”! This journey has given me so much and I wouldn’t trade any of my training time with you guys for anything. I love swimming in lane 6 and I love spending every Tue/Thu with them. Thanks to Toby’s clinic, I really am starting to love running! My whole life until now has been spent saying “I don’t run”, I can’t do it and I believed that! Now I am going to run my first marathon in June 2008! Guess what, I DO run! Oh yeah, I swim and bike too!
1 comment:
Congratulations !!!!
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