No Training, but still Competing.

Gale is still in Canada, and we miss her so much. We know she is enjoying some peace and quiet for once. To make things a little more interesting I had forgotten that I signed up for the Tie-Dy Triathlon in Norman Oklahoma. So I left this morning at 4:30 a.m. (YAWN!) and headed down with Chris Garrett to Norman for my first triathlon of the year. (I haven't done any training this year and haven't competed at all because I have been focusing on my dissertation--or at least I'm telling myself that!)

I was worried right before the race began, thinking what have I got myself into? I should have been training the last few weeks. This is a picture of me before the race. I don't think that I had quite woken up yet. Plus it was freezing cold!



The race started and the water was warm in the Norman YMCA pool. So that was a good start. The swim went pretty well and I felt good, I actually wished I would have put a faster swim time so that I wouldn't have to keep on passing people in the pool.

Then to the Bike--it hurt, that's what I get for not training this summer. I gave it my all but had a few people pass me. During the last two miles the wind was hitting me straight on and I wanted to push harder, but my need for air seemed more important and I couldn't push myself any harder. I did wonder to myself through the bike how the girls were doing at home without me. I figured they were eating cereal in front of the T.V. knowing full well they should not be! They might spill.

Then it was to the run. It hurt---real bad, yes real bad. I think that is the worst I have felt in a triathlon. For the last mile and a half I chased an 18 year old--now how did I know he was 18? It was written on his leg. It also made me feel good that he was number 76 and I was number 62 so he started quite a bit before me. I chased him down and passed him with about 1/2 a mile to go. It felt so good to pass the teenage turd head. He did make a go for it at the finish line, but I pushed him back. So overall I did pretty good. My times were:

500 Yard Swim 7:46
12 Mile Bike 38:49 (ouch! that's bad)
3.2 Mile Run 23:38

Total time including my transitions was 1:12:59 I placed 5th out of 28th in the male 35-39 age group and 20th overall out of 143 men. So pretty good considering that I didn't train.

After laying on the ground for a few minutes I had to race home so Chloe could try out for City Choir and I could get the girls started on their chores! After finishing cleaning things up (Mom is coming home tomorrow and we were determined to have the house clean for her when she returned.) We decided to go to Cheeseburger Paradise. Chloe brought along her friend Jessica and off we went! Myself and five girls. We had a great time. We ate cheeseburgers, dessert nachos (YUM--wish I would have taken a picture!) and then had a visitor on stilts. (check out the picture-think he will give the small girls nightmares.)



All of the girls got fun ballons:


We then went home and just crashed for the evening. I am so happy that Gale is coming home tomorrow.