Dan's Mini-Tri

Hello all of Maddie's blog-stalkers!  I'm here, making my blog debut as a guest blogger, to report on my mini-triathlon race on July 29th, in my hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut.  The race began at 6:30 AM at Tod's Point.

Honestly, I really didn't know what to expect.  I haven't raced competitively since my Glenville Elementary School 5th Grade Field day three-legged race relay.  (Go Team Gator!)   I kinda trained.  I ran a little and biked a little.  But I didn't swim, because I didn't have time to go out to the beaches here in the city.  So I was pretty nervous about the whole thing.

Here's the deats:

Prep: I had an old gift card and I bought pair of really nice triathlon trunks.  I don't know if the investment was worth it, but it made  me look a little more legit nonetheless. I also got a pair of googles from target (great pick up!).  But game day, I showed up and I saw full body wet suits, Olympic-grade googles, and aerodynamic bike helmets that look like they're right out of a Sega game. I saw energy drinks, beverages, Camel Baks, and various ways to hydrate yourself.  Surveying all this opulence, I thought one thing to myself: Welcome home to Greenwich, CT.  However, I had two things NO one else had the cojones to rock: A "USA" temp tattoo on my left calf, and a shark one on my back left shoulder.  ROAR!  Who needs to look like Megaman when I look like this!

 

Swim: We waded into the water (low tide), being 29, I was in the first group comprised of the 29 and under group with the "elite" racers.  Needless to say, I had this Sesame Street song stuck in my head as I looked over the field.  As we got off I'm pretty sure I pulled a triathlon faux-pas: I rocked the breast stroke while everyone else was doing the crawl.  I must have kicked about 15-20 people as I used my sweeping frog kick and arm stroke.  Whatever, haters, that's my stroke.  I don't care how much space it takes up.  Eat my foot!

Transition #1: I was pretty worried here.  I wanted to make sure I was dry before I hit the bike because, honestly, I didn't want to chafe.  I thoroughly dried myself and then thoroughly doused myself with Gold Bond Medicated.  (Mid way through the bike I stood up and let the wind blow down there and I was immediately relieved!  Great investment!)

Bike: I borrowed my friend's bike (Ginormous shout outs to Casey Manrique Gonzalez!).  This thing is sweet.    It's super light and made for triathlons (I'm not really sure what that means, but I believe it).   Palmer Hill Road is a brutal hill towards the end of the leg and because was using bike that must be half NASA, I was passing bodies left and right.  To be honest, I wasn't really pushing myself throughout the race, I was just taking it in.  There was a guy that kept passing me going downhill, and then I'd pass him going up hill.  We went back and forth for a while until I passed him for good around Innis Arden Country Club with about 2 miles to go. (Deuces!)  

 

Transition #2: Legs = Jello.  I started running right after the bike and I needed a couple dozen yards to get my legs under me.  Also, seeing my mom and my wife was pretty cool.

Run: I was listening to two podcasts from the Grantland Network during the bike/Run.  Then, half way through my run, I switched to music.  I repeated one song because of its power.  This may take you back a bit, but I downloaded it after catching a small clip of it from the Opening Ceremony.  Go ahead.  Try to listen to this after 17 miles of pushing yourself and don't get totally amped.  That's about when the endorphins kicked in.   Bodies. Got. Passed.  The amount of trash talk storming in my mind was both obscene and gratuitous.  I was on another level.   That's when it got real fun.  I passed a greenwich time photog at the far point and gave him my serious face.  Seriously, I could not have felt better until.....

the sand.  Brutal!  I couldn't believe they would finish on that!  Really?!?!?  I trudged through--i felt like Frankenstein with every step was more of a clumsy stomp--and got myself to the finish line. Again, seeing Mad and my mom was heartening and gave me a last bit of push.

I'm not too pleased with my time of 1:51:36 but I finished, and finished strong.  I know I can shave some minutes off that.  So there's hope for the future.

Obviously, I couldn't have done this without Maddie so I am so grateful for her love and support and I'd like to formally invite her out next year.  Whadya say, Babe?