I will be either running the Chicago Marathon or the Columbus, OH Marathon. I have been contacted by a non-profit group located in Chicago to run in the Chicago Marathon. They are called Chicago Run and they promote health and wellness in communities throughout Chicago through running programs. They offer free running programs in the "high-need" communities throughout Chicago. Check out their website: http://chicagorun.org/home
I was contacted by one of their staff after they read my interest in running the Chicago Marathon. Well, there are a few logistics to work out, but it looks like I may have a chance to run in the marathon!!
Also, two Sunday's ago, I attempted my second official triathlon and first Olympic distance triathlon. An Olympic distance triathlon consists of a 1.5km (~.9 miles), a 40km (~24 mile) bike, and a 10km (6.2 mile) run. Well, I will tell you one thing, I think I was physically prepared for the race, but I had no idea how unprepared I was for the mental aspect of the race.
It started off with a nice refreshing (sarcasm) swim in the Ohio River. I had practiced and trained for the swim in both 25 and 50 meter distance pools, but never in the open water. In the pool , the water is nice and clear and you lane lines and wave dampeners for each lane. In the Ohio River, you can't see anything in the water and it is probably for the best because after an empty sour cream container and bucket lid hit me while in the water and sink into muck up to my knees, I didn't want to know what was around me. I just knew I wasn't even close to prepared for what was about to happen. We started in different waves, Sprint Distance Women, Sprint Distance Men, Olympic Distance Women, and finally, my group, Olympic Distance Men.
As we treaded water waiting to be signaled to start I looked around at the people I was in the water with. I was surrounded by all types of athletes, younger and older men. It was amazing to see and wonder what kind of stories these people had. Why did they chose doing triathlons? Where they doing this for a charity, or other purpose. One thing I have learned in the sport is that everyone has a reason for doing it. Whether it be for overcoming cancer, weight loss, in memory of a friend, or something else, there is something that is driving these people.
Well, they started us off and I proceeded to experience my first open water swim. By this I mean I got kicked in the chest, and hit in my shoulder as soon as we were allowed to go. I had heard that the start is very unique and new people should try to stay toward the back just to avoid the "washing machine" effect. Well, I must admit, I wasn't ready for what happened. I tried to keep my composure, but had to instantly swim to a nearby boat dock just to regain my breath. I was freaking out. I was swimming upstream and trying to do a freestyle stroke, but every time I lifted my head to get a breath, water would splash in my face and not allow me to get a full breath. The water was choppy and definitely not something I had practiced in my training. The turn around buoy seemed to be miles away, but somehow, I made it there. I had to swim the breast stroke to get there, but I made it and that signified I was only a third of the way done. I thought about that and said to myself, "OK, you have two choices, swim to nearest boat and tell them you quit and are too much of a wimp to finish a swim, or just suck it up, grow-up, and push yourself just as you did everyday you trained."
I chose to just suck it up and give it everything I had. I pushed myself to do freestyle and I figured out how to breath between the waves splashing up in my face. I finished the swim feeling relieved but also a little disappointed that I even thought "quitting" was an option that day. I hopped on the bike and proceeded to push myself even harder because I knew I had been in the water so long. I rode very hard and made my $300.00 craigslist road bike go as fast as it could. I finished the bike in 1 hour and 12 minutes just six minutes from the top ten in bike times. I felt good about the bike but the run stopped me dead in my tracks. The run has always been a strong part of the triathlon for me (at least I thought). After pushing that hard on the bike to try to make up some time from my swim, I pushed so hard, that my legs took over four miles of running until I quit feeling "dead legged." And on a six mile run, four miles into it is just too late. Anyway, I finished strong but mentally fatigued in 3 hours and 4 minutes. But I will tell you, it was an absolutely great feeling to finish knowing that just two hours earlier, the thought of quitting briefly passed through my mind. I am so glad that I didn't quit and knew deep down, that I had it in me the whole time, I just had to "dig deep" to find it - and I'm glad I did find it!
I knew triathlons were both mental and physically demanding, but I had no idea just how mentally unprepared I would be. Fortunately, you can't get mentally prepared unless you experience it so I felt I took a lot of knowledge and maybe a little experience with me that day. My next triathlon is on July 15th, and it happens to be the same location of the first Olympic triathlon. I will do better and hopefully, will be a little more prepared physically and mentally.
So, I learned a great lesson that day. You can train as much as you want and as long as you can handle, but like most things, experience and first hand knowledge may just be the best preparation. So I am hungry to do better, and am excited to see just what I have in me to finish it again.
So, I am in the middle of my training, humbled by my experiences in this sport, but getting stronger and of course, running...
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