What made me quit triathlon

Last October, I did my first triathlon. It was an Olympic. I trained hard and did well, but afterward, I decided that I would never do another triathlon. After crossing the finish line, my wife asked how it went. I responded with "These people are masochists." I spent the next hour explaining how everyone who does this is an absolute nutter.

After the pain subsided, I was planning my next triathlon, but it never happened. I had effectively quit. There was only one reason for this, and it was the water.

On the morning of my triathlon, I awoke at 4:00 AM and arrived at the transition area at 5:00. It was pitch black and freezing cold. Shortly after the sun peeked over the horizon, it was time for my group to enter the water. It was dark, muddy and 52 degrees. I crawled across a field of extremely sharp rocks until I hit a gooey muck that swallowed my feet. The shock of the water was unbearable, but the worst was yet to come. At the start of the race, I found myself in the midst of the expected washing machine of bodies. What I didn't expect is how much it would suck to be kicked in the face, have my feet grabbed and to be swam over. It seemed that everyone time I touched someone's feet, a ferocious attempt would be made to kick me. It was pure war and I didn't care for it.

The rest of the race was great, but I found myself with a lot to learn about the art of suffering. I'm back on the horse and am training harder than ever. My first goal was to break three hours. My next is to break into the top 100. I can't wait for my next triathlon, but I don't think I'll ever look forward to freezing water at 7:00 AM and fighting through the washing machine.

Edit:  Fixed the Mac carriage return bug.

Edited by DaveyG 2009-07-25 5:26 PM