A Two Bridges Triathlon Race Report
Life conspired against me. In the end... I have no one to blame but myself.
I let Matthew have two friends sleep over. I finally sent them to bed at 12:30 PM. The last time I looked at the clock was 2:00 AM. The alarm went off at 4:15 AM.
As I was getting ready to load the bikes on the car, my front tire was flat and wouldn't take air. I had to change my tire.
The race director left one little turn off his directions to the event. When I stopped for directions, I stumbled over a raised section of the asphalt parking lot (it was dark). I tore up my hands and my right knee. I got to the race thirty minutes before the start.
I setup transition and had to go to the freakin bathroom again. I was still waiting seven minutes before the start. I finally got done and made it to the race start with three minutes to spare. It was windy at the lake. The waves were 1-2 feet with a strong current. Our lovely race director made us do the entire swim against the current. Lucky us. And if that was 400 meters, I'm a monkey's uncle.
After rounding the first buoy, I began my swim into the current and the sun. I quickly found myself treading water, staring straight into the sun, about 15 yards inside the buoys. After a couple of minutes of that, my fun meter went to zero, and I headed for shore.
After resting for a few minutes I tried again. I started the course over. About half way to the first buoy, I called it a day.
I thought for sure Dee Dee would drown. I was worried about her. I thought for sure the canoe that came in towing two women had Dee Dee in tow. It didn't. She came out of the water in 19 minutes, for a 400 meter swim. That's twice as long as her last tri.
This was Dee Dee's first race with her tri-shoes. As she left the bike area, she fell over and banged her elbow and hip pretty hard. She decided to stop for the day as well.
Instead of basking in the glory of my Olympic distance triathlon, I get to suck on this for the rest of the off season. Go me...
Wes
Sunday, September 30, 2007
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33 comments:
you know, what can you say really, it was definitely not in the cards i think that's the thing about life with it's ebb and flows...not really trying to make a pun there with the water.... it's just life in general is like that and it was just one of those days. hope you all have a good sunday. take it easy
I woke up this morning all hung over from sister's wedding and said "I am so glad I am not doing a triathlon today!" And man, after reading all that I am even more glad that I was smart and did not sign up for 2 bridges.
Sorry you had a crappy day. That is how it goes sometimes. You gotta have the bad races to made the good ones feel even sweeter.
Oh my, Wes. I didn't know about all of the other trials (except for your skinned knee and arm). I'm so sorry - what a rough morning! I think you deserve some pancakes and feet-up time after all of that! I estimated 2-3 foot swells in the part of the swim going towards the sun. Maybe I'm being melodramatic, but it was that unreal to me.
I'm sorry you guys didn't finish, but it is totally understandable - it's not an indication of your fitness, that race was just crazy hard. Jim Rainey said that they aren't doing this race next year, so we will have to find another to beat instead. I'll bet the woman I kept yelling "go Dee Dee" to thought I was insane. oops.
Yikes - what a yucky day. Sounds like a good call to me.
Mama said there'd be days like this...
Don't beat yourself up too much...keep on moving and encouraging DeeDee!!
So sorry your day ended up like that. :(
Your next tri is going to rock -- I just KNOW it!!
Awwwhhh man Wes!! Bummer the day wasn't a better one. But ITA with Nat, the bad ones always make the good ones feel even sweeter :-) You will ROCK the next one!! Take it easy, homie!!
What a total bummer of a day!
I try to remind myself that this is suupposed to be fun. There are times when we have to get ourselves thru a low point, but really, it's supposed to be fun. If it isn't fun anymore...
You're pretty brave, Wes. I mean, half the reason you write on a blog is to share your goals with others, and that also means sharing the DFL's, DNF's or DNS's with us too. Lucky for us, you make it okay to set a high bar, and okay to share when we don't make it too.
I think failure teaches us just as much as success does, so while it may not feel like something to look back and learn from right now, in a few weeks or months, it won't bother you to think about the DNF. It's part of the training experience.
I DNF'd a half mary last Feb b/c of extreme IT pain in my right knee that I'd been ignoring for two months. After that, I started to understand how to listen better to what my body is telling me. That's how I could identify the less severe IT stuff that has been bothering me in the left knee and treat the source of the issue instead of ignore it.
Oh no, Wes! That sucks!
I echo what Wendy (and everyone else said). You amaze me on a daily basis the way you go after things. This wasn't the race, but there will be more. That's the cool thing about this whole tri world, we can keep doing it until we just don't wanna do it anymore. Cheers on getting out there, and to Dee Dee as well!
Sorry! But you know as the saying goes, you can't win them all. And you have won so, so many in the last year. This one just wasn't meant to be. But you will learn from it and grow from it and conquer your next one.
From the sounds of it, and everything leading up to it that day and night before, it just wasn't meant to be. LIFE is what I like to call it. Kind of like what Neese said.
Oh man that stinks, but there's not much you can do about the ridiculous conditions. If it's not fun anymore...what's the point right?
That which does not kill us makes us stronger, my friend.
And you learn more in 'defeat' than in triumph. You'll learn someting from this and be that much better for the lesson.
Greive the loss, then take the experience for what it is and live tomorrow all the richer.
You ROCK!!
There is absolutely no point wasting your precious day having a crap crap crap time, possibly injuring yourself as well. Bask in your Olympic glory and be gald Dee Dee is safe.
You know, though: it sounds like you quit before things got really ugly. Something was telling you to just not do it. I know it sucks to have a DNF, but at least it's a DNF without an EMS assist.
I would certainly provide ample feedback, though. For sure the events pre-race had a lot to do with your race face and desire to continue. And, if it were me, I would take the next available open training day and just do my own damn Oly tri, just to show Murphy that he can't screw with you.
That really sucks Wes, and from all the reading I've done from you, I bet you're kicking yourself in the tail, just like the most of us would be. But, you shouldn't-- like others, it wasn't meant to be, and it didn't even start off well at all, with the minimum sleep, almost making the start.
It is a bummer, but definately doens't define you and your triathons. Look at all the ones you've completed. You'll kick ass on the next one!!
oopsy,,, too much wine.
I meant to say, almost NOT making the start.
Wes, that was a tough day for sure. But you still rock, we still luv ya, and you will be super pumped to kick ass next year! You had a great year and we had fun following along with you guys! Just glad you're safe(waves sound nasty!). Take care!
Oh, Wes & DeeDee. I am so sorry that you both had such a crummy day. It happens that way sometimes... to all of us. Take care and perhaps go have a romantic date night to make up for it. HUGS!!
Tomorrow is a new day, wake up fresh knowing that now you have a DNF story to tell. It's like that first bike crash...it totally sucks but we all had to do it sometime. You both made the best decision for the day! I know it still stings though..:<( Like the others said the next race will be that much sweeter!!
those days suck!
sorry it how to fall on a race day. :(
i have a feeling you won't be sucking on this one for long though. you'll have something good to chew on soon. :)
Way to listen to your body and know when to stop. You've had an amazing year and a marathon to come, so it's ok!
Dont sweat the small stuff Wes...and in the scope of all your tri's, one day this will be the *small stuff.* You have bigger and better things yet to come...so dont beat yourself up over one bump in the road!
Yikes - the Tri Gods were bot smiling on you guys were they! All those pre-race mishaps too - I don't think the race was to be one for you!
At least you had the sense to call it a day before anything more disastrous had the chance to happen.... and as everyone else has said; a DNF is not a disaster just an opportunity for learning and you're bound to have the odd one creep up and bite you on the bum every now and again.
I love the quote by Rick Pausch, the professor with cancer who gave his last lecture last week. Brick walls are there to show us how much we want things. Use this for inspiration. You want this, and won't let a bad day change your great positive attitude one bit!
:-)
Jodi
Oh Wes, I am so sorry about this. I really don't think it is anything more than just not your day. This happens to me all the time. I will go out for a long run and end up walking a ton because I am dying. Doesn't do much for the confidence but you gotta hang on to the fact that there are good days and in the end, this is a great thing to be doing, for your health, for your kids. Hang in there.
I'm sorry to hear that the race went so poorly, but I completely understand scratching/DNF. I've done it before, as well. The first race I ever scratched was a 5k that was only 5 degrees outside. There's not enough Under Armour in the world to get me to that race.
Relax. Kick back. Have a beer. It's supposed to be fun. :)
Just so you all know I didnt drown I did complete the swim and I crashed hard as hell on my bike right out of transition like a dumb arse. I landed hard on my left elbow and shoulder wrench my neck and said f**k this ! I should of went on. That was the hardest swim of my life . Two to three foot waves head up to breath and bam a wave in the face !! Thanks for the shitty drink of lake water again. I can barely catch my breath now and I got kids and a husband to get too. You wont kick my ass Ill get done and then reality hit, the earth said bam whats that feel like as I hit the pavement. Oh well till next time
I believe this came from Marcy at one point or another....total Suckage!!!
You rock in all that you do, there has to be some room for one down day at some point in time...
I'm glad that you knew when to call it....I would hate that they had to dredge the bottom of the lake for you...they would have to do that for me if I attempted even the 400m swim...
We look forward to other more rewarding reports from you in the future....get back on and ride life like there was no tomorrow!!!
Hey, you can shake this off and come out fighting next year. Sometimes we all have bad days, just like my test.
I'm sure you felt like yelling like YoSammitySam "RikaFrakaDarnTuting" and other explatives that came out of his mouth. But Kudos for even trying to get back in the water with that current. Wind and Water...the elements can be cruel.
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