The Wanna Be Athlete Says....Part 1

I wrote this piece shortly after the Tri For The Cure, and just found it again.

Eventually the panic set in and the minutes flew by as I began to beg myself to go to sleep. I started to do the math, how much sleep would I get if I fell asleep NOW? Defeated, I got up shortly before 5am and got excited as I dressed. I put my things in the 4Runner, my bike on the rack, and drove away from my dark house. As I walked my bike up the hill, carrying my gear, I became winded. That was the point in which my mind became loud and clear "What the hell am I doing here?" So the battle began between my logical self "Turn around, go home, it is not too late" and my adventurous self " I've come this far, I have the outfit, It will be fine". My feet continued to follow the crowd and eventually, I was in the transition area. I placed my bike on the rack, set my bag down, looked around, and the levity of where I was set in. I am 34, overweight, out of shape to the point that I just winded myself walking my bike up a hill, and have less than an hour before I begin my first triathlon.

My concern grew as the women around me pulled bottled of water and various liquids out of their bags. I pulled out my single water bottle meant for my bike, a mountain bike that quickly looked out of place next to the shiny thin road bikes built for speed. Next came the multitude of bars, sports gels, and other nutritional supplements. I put my single package of Clif blocks in my helmet. I was making a list of my mistakes this far: 1) not enough training! 2) I showed up! 3) not the right bike 4) brought only one bottle of water 5) would have to eat my equipment after depleting my two servings of blocks. I decided to stop analyzing my gear and take a look at the water course. The weather was perfect, the water was clear, and in the distance, far far away were two floating orange pyramids. Mistakenly, and out loud I said "Oh, that doesn't look too bad. We swim in between them and back". My face remained frozen with a Stepford smile as the woman standing next to me corrected my silliness. We would swim to the first cone, around it on to the second, around the outside of both, and then head back to shore. "How exciting. Good Luck" was all I could muster. This new information left me with no choice but to find the Port O Let. As I stood in line, I kept one eye out for one of my co-workers who was also competing. I was so distracted that I blurted out "I'm not sure what the hell I am doing here " in response to something the woman behind me had said, but I never heard. She laughed and agreed. In the distance, the National Anthem was being sung. "And the home of the brave". With tears in my eyes, I decided I was brave and was going to try the Tri.