Literally and figuratively.
I'm pretty sure I woke up at least 20 times throughout the night. I'm not sure why, other then maybe the fact that I've not been away from home for a long time. As a matter of fact, I think that other than one night at Roo's trail race last fall, this was the first time since Tremblant. And on those other occasions I wasn't away alone. It's funny but when you think it would be nice to have a couple of days to yourself, it doesn't always turn out that way. I was definitely a bit lonely. It may also explain why I woke up in a dark mood, and the only thing I can say about that is 'thank god for my triathlon!'
Because of course once I got my act in gear and started prepping for the race, I felt much better.
As to the race itself I can call it a huge success because at 58 years old, I can still swim 750 metres, bike 30 kms, and run 7.5 kms. all in succession. I think that's pretty good. The fact that I was quite a bit slower than expected needs to remain irrelevant.
The intent was to relax and enjoy the day, but certainly I relaxed a bit too much in the water. I didn't think I was gonna set any records, but my wetsuit felt extremely good, and I thought I was doing okay til I got out. Normal in the pool would be about 15 minutes, but today it took me almost 18.
The bike ride was fine as well although I froze my proverbial balls off, and the run was okay. Age however is clearly taking a toll.
Despite all that "okay" news, I am a bit chagrined to report a very sore left achilles. This issue has totally surprised me, because up until 2 weeks ago I have never to my recollection had any problems with the left foot/ankle. As of right now it is very uncomfortable to even walk, and jogging is totally out of the question. I am icing, and ibuprofen-ing, and stretching, and I even went to the drug store and bought a good compression sleeve.
Tomorrow will be a test of my resolve, and by that I don't mean suffering through the pain. I mean, will I have the courage to quit if it's clear that it's the smart choice. I considered asking if I could switch to the swim/bike option, but I chose not to do that. If I were to switch then I would no longer even have the opportunity to do the run, and the worst that can happen if I choose simply to quit at that point, will be that I show up as a DNF. The only thing that hurts is my ego, and as most who know me can tell you, it is robust enough to handle a few disappointments. :)
So that's the race report. I finished 7th out of 16 in my age group, and 121/st overall out of 288, with a time of 1:55:34.
The one thing I have to remind myself of, is that although I may be slower in the short races, it does not necessarily equate to the same in longer events. Let's see what tomorrow brings eh? Whatever it is, I'm gonna be okay with it. You know why? Cause the only
swim 750, bike 30, run 7.5
"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark."---Rabindranath Tagore
I'm pretty sure I woke up at least 20 times throughout the night. I'm not sure why, other then maybe the fact that I've not been away from home for a long time. As a matter of fact, I think that other than one night at Roo's trail race last fall, this was the first time since Tremblant. And on those other occasions I wasn't away alone. It's funny but when you think it would be nice to have a couple of days to yourself, it doesn't always turn out that way. I was definitely a bit lonely. It may also explain why I woke up in a dark mood, and the only thing I can say about that is 'thank god for my triathlon!'
Because of course once I got my act in gear and started prepping for the race, I felt much better.
As to the race itself I can call it a huge success because at 58 years old, I can still swim 750 metres, bike 30 kms, and run 7.5 kms. all in succession. I think that's pretty good. The fact that I was quite a bit slower than expected needs to remain irrelevant.
The intent was to relax and enjoy the day, but certainly I relaxed a bit too much in the water. I didn't think I was gonna set any records, but my wetsuit felt extremely good, and I thought I was doing okay til I got out. Normal in the pool would be about 15 minutes, but today it took me almost 18.
The bike ride was fine as well although I froze my proverbial balls off, and the run was okay. Age however is clearly taking a toll.
Despite all that "okay" news, I am a bit chagrined to report a very sore left achilles. This issue has totally surprised me, because up until 2 weeks ago I have never to my recollection had any problems with the left foot/ankle. As of right now it is very uncomfortable to even walk, and jogging is totally out of the question. I am icing, and ibuprofen-ing, and stretching, and I even went to the drug store and bought a good compression sleeve.
Tomorrow will be a test of my resolve, and by that I don't mean suffering through the pain. I mean, will I have the courage to quit if it's clear that it's the smart choice. I considered asking if I could switch to the swim/bike option, but I chose not to do that. If I were to switch then I would no longer even have the opportunity to do the run, and the worst that can happen if I choose simply to quit at that point, will be that I show up as a DNF. The only thing that hurts is my ego, and as most who know me can tell you, it is robust enough to handle a few disappointments. :)
So that's the race report. I finished 7th out of 16 in my age group, and 121/st overall out of 288, with a time of 1:55:34.
The one thing I have to remind myself of, is that although I may be slower in the short races, it does not necessarily equate to the same in longer events. Let's see what tomorrow brings eh? Whatever it is, I'm gonna be okay with it. You know why? Cause the only
swim 750, bike 30, run 7.5
"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark."---Rabindranath Tagore
"Flowers grow out of dark moments."---Corita Kent
Love
Peter
You are incredible!! Told you it would be a great day.
ReplyDeleteLove, gail
(Great timing for my late reading, eh)