Reflections on a First Tri

1. Everyone should do something, on a semi-regular basis, that offers an occasion for their family to cheer for them. Today has been one of the nicest days of my life: I’ve been basking in the support and adulation of my wife and kids. I know I won’t be the Family Hero forever, but it’s an awfully warm and pleasing way to spend a day.

2. For a group of self-absorbed hypercompetitive adrenaline junkies, triathlon people are amazingly nice. For someone who has been operating near the limits of their cardiopulmonary capacity to spare enough breath to say “you’re doing great!” or “keep it up!” is something. When you’re that short of breath, words aren’t just talk. Same thing goes for giving a bottle of water to the guy who forgot to put his hydration on his bike: thanks to whoever that was.

3. I’ve been blessed to have a great mentor/guru. The man who leads the spin class at my Y is an amazing coach and teacher, in addition to being an accomplished triathlete. I felt really strong on the bike today, and I know that is largely a product of those spin classes. Lots of invaluable advice and inspiration over the past couple years.

 4. The swim bore only a vague resemblance to swimming laps in a pool. Probably only 30 or 40 percent of the time was I actually swimming the way I had practiced; freestyle, bilateral breathing, some semblance of reasonable rhythm and form. The other 70% was trying to swim sideways so I could get around the big guy in front of me who was slower than me (but not enough slower to make it easy to pass him), bobbing my head up and down trying to get some idea whether I was headed in the right direction, freaking out when a big stick was right in my face and looking

a lot like a snake, and so on.

5. I paced myself just about right. I went strong right to the end, but when I was done, I was done.

6. Practicing the bike-run brick was worthwhile, because when I got off the bike and tried to run, and found I could barely move my legs, it was good to know that thenear-paralysis thing is a temporary effect that goes away in about 90 seconds. If I hadn't known that, I might have despaired of finishing in the first 100 yards of the run.

7. The run was on woodland trails, and there had been rain lately. Kind of made me feel glad that my running shoes were due for retirement anyway, and almost made me feel sorry for the people with $700 carbon soled aero shoes. Almost.

8. OK, 34 mph is a bit faster than I like to be going on a bike when I hit a pot hole.

9. Two gear issues: I need a tri shirt that does not sandpaper my nipples off. I am not exaggerating. I also need a bike helmet that stays in the same place on my head. Fiddling around with one’s helmet at 15 mph on the Monon trail is OK; same thing at 30+ mph down a hill is scary.