Still Tri-ing after all these years

My triathlon ‘career’ began with an e-mail in 2001.

“To a ‘budding triathlete’”, he wrote, alluding to an overly flattering tag line about me on an article I’d written about him ... On September 19th, 2000, my colleague and Ironman athlete Chris Macknie forwarded me an e-mail he had received about the Ottawa Triathlon/Duathlon 2001.

The e-mail thanked him for attending “the inaugural Ottawa Tri/Du last May.” It said the event would be on Somersault Promotions’ 2001 Triathlon/Duathlon schedule - on Saturday May 26th, 2001. It was a 500 metre swim/ 20 k bike/ 5k run.

I laughed.
Nevertheless, that April my friend Kristin and I mailed in (those were the old days) our applications instead for the shorter Try a Tri. She pushed me to do it. I was absolutely terrified.

I wrote at the time: “Well, we have done it! We have swam (swum?) - two laps in a 50 metre pool - and biked 12k and run 5k. I am delighted to have done the swimming; Kristin was particularly proud to have done the running. And we organized our clothes and equipment, and made the transitions! If the marathon is 95 per cent mental and 5 per cent physical, then the triathlon is at least 50 per cent organization and 50 per cent physical.”

Well, it’s seven years later, and I can’t believe I’m still doing this. Coming almost last in the race but first in my age category - 1 out of 2 for women 60 plus - on the 500 metre swim, 22 k bike and 5 k run on May 19th.

And I’ve figured out why the wait for the Sprint Tri swim at the Early Bird seemed so eternably long.

It wasn’t just that more swimmers were added because of the extended Carleton University pool time - and so the slowest swimmers didn’t get into the pool until after 10 a.m.

It was because the weather was so perfect. Last year when hypothermia hovered outside, we were happy to stay in as long as we could. This year, it was great to finally get outside, and then not to have to hassle with additional clothing for cold, wet temperatures.

It was like the Teddy Bears’ Picnic to finally reach the water station the woods for the run turn-around.

Since becoming a faster swimmer doesn’t seem to be an option for me, I think next year I’ll bring a pillow and a sandwich, or go to Tim Hortons for two hours in my body marking and bathing suit. Although it was nice to have time to really get to know the people near me in line.

It’s amazing how interest in triathlon continues to grow, and now the number of nifty triathlon suits in the pool.

It’s great that Somersault now has the competitors’ names large on the race numbers for all the races, so cyclists can bike by me and say, “almost there - Louise”, and I can say, for instance, “Thanks - Barry” as I read their behinds.

And nice shirts!