HIGH WINDS
HEAVY RAIN
CHILLY WEATHER
... AND STILL COMPLETED THE SPRINT TRIATHLON!

For a formerly morbidly (Class IV) obese guy... even I have a hard time believing that I'm running these triathlons.

I stopped at McDonald's about 3 1/2 hours before the race for some "fuel" (a fruit & yogurt parfait and apple dippers). Conditions were very trying today. Dark clouds loomed large as I droveto the resort area that would host today's triathlon. Just as I pulled into the parking lot, the rain got heavier... right on cue. But today was not going to be ruined because I was accompanied by Denis Collier. You might remember that Denis is my lead trainer. he's my Registered Dietitian and a highly skilled health and fitness professional. Of all the people on my team Denis has worked with me the closest.

Several months ago when I was just considering doing these triathlons, he said that if I decided to move forward with the idea he would do one with me. Denis thought the idea of a guy who used to weigh 313 pounds, completing a triathlon was too good of a story to miss. He wanted to be a part of it.

So as we drove in, we wondered how on earth we would set up our transition area. You see, ordinarily there is an area (called a transition area) to rack-up your bicycle, set out your shoes, and prepare to transition from the swim to the bicycle ride and to the final run. The rain created quite a challenge for us, however. Having, of course, never done a triathlon during heavy rains and wind, I was unsure how to set up my gear. Out of frustration I just left everything in a trash bag, quietly saying a prayer that my equipment (especially my running shoes) would stay dry.

This triathlon was twice the distance of the last one that I ran. It started out with a 750 m swim, then in 19 kilometer bicycle ride, and finishing up with a 5 km run.

Another surprise, which added positively to the experience today, was the presence of Mike Jury, another member of my team. Mike is a conditioning specialist, Massage Therapist and an outstanding triathlete himself. It was Mike who first put the idea of doing a triathlon in my mind. It was his encouragement, insights and advice which convinced me that I was ready and able to train to do this event today. As an aside, seeking out strong coaches who are able to assess your capabilities and inspire you to do things a bit bigger than you think you can do, is an important element to the successful accomplishment important goals, like I've accomplished with my weight loss & fitness improvements. I encourage you to seek out good coaching to help you break your big goals down into more manageable pieces.

The horn sounded... all the athletes (about 300 in all), ran from the beach into the water to begin the 750 m swim. Even though the high winds created a challenging current made even more challenging by the rough waves... the swim was my most enjoyable event of the day.

By the end of the race, the rain even died-down a bit so that the five kilometer run was not only enjoyable... but I beat my best training time by two minutes. I was pleased.

No, it was the bicycle ride that was the greatest challenge of the day for me. The wind and the rain and the chilly weather conspired to reduce me to one shivering and miserable amateur athlete. On at least four occasions I considered quitting the race. Under these uncomfortable conditions, people would have understood... some others did give up. It would have been so much easier to pack-it-in and try again some other day.

Nonetheless, both Denis and I finished the race. We didn't break any land speed records, but that wasn't the point. Just completing the race was my own personal victory. Remember, I was that kid in gym class that nobody wanted and got picked last when we teamed-up for things like basketball. In grade school I would have been voted least likely to ever enter a Sprint triathlon (much less complete one). Yet, here I was... crossing the finish line.

As I observed that I didn't beat very many people across the finish line... Denis made a great comment. He said that I beat everyone who chose not to do a triathlon today. What a great thought!

I feel very blessed and grateful; 20 months ago I could not have even run across the street. Today, I can swim, bicycle, and run for nearly 2 hours and genuinely feel as though I could do the whole thing over again. UNBELIEVABLE!