From Winning to Survival to Stokedness!

I feel like the man who ran behind the car felt...exhausted!

My first official Triathlon is over. Kai Iwi lakes put on a stunner for the Carters Kumara Tri 2011.

My event was the Adult Short Course - Super Sprint distance (350m swim, 10km bike and 3.8km run)

I am sure the people who designed the course were trying to see how many hills they could fit into one course - it was crazy.

I'd been nursing two sore knees and a sore back after my training regime (Bull-at-a-gate Training). I was nervous and a bit scared that I may not be able to finish. In the above picture I think I was a bit worried (pre-race). My attitude had quickly moved from:

"I'm going to have a crack and win this thing" to "I just want to finish this thing in one peice"

The evening before the race my Dad and I checked out the course. Those hills were steep and long!

I must thank my Dad and Mum for treating us to a lodge only minutes away from the starting point of the triathlon - spoilt eh? Oh, and the bacon and egg brekkie - mmm, fuel for the tank.

0930 hrs - Race briefing and 5 minutes later - the Start.

I was envisaging us emerging from the cold Kai Iwi lakes blue lipped and numb. It was however, a beautiful day and the water - surprisingly warm! Still I think I would have preferred being towed behind a boat on a wake-board - Glass!

The hooter went and I took the plunge, sprinting into the depths. Lead from the front is what the triathlon books I'd been devouring had told me!
You can't win the race in the swim, but you can lose it there.

P.S Highly recommend:

Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run : From Common Man to Ironman by Andy Holgate

Emerging from the water - I can't believe it - I'm first! YeHa! All those lunchtime laps of the hospital pool had paid off.

There aren't any pictures of me on the bike leg. It was tough. Going up some hills I was quoting scripture:

'When I am weak - you are strong!'

I did this to a cadence that kept me going when all I wanted to do was stop and walk.

WARNING - GROSS PART - After slogging up and down these hills my mouth was so dry that my spit had no moisture. Instead of flying gracefully to the side of the road - the highly viscous blobs coated my cheeks despite my best efforts to propel it further! Eww.

Exiting T2 (after the bike) much to my surprise I was still winning. A fact my awesome wife pointed out at the top of her lungs. Thanks my love.

Alas I was in for more hills, the clay beast below being but the first of many.

Still in the lead, one of the race officials directed me the wrong way costing me about 1 minute of precious time and 1 place. I was now in second place and really just stoked to be still going strong. Lesson learned - Don't believe the 'race official', trust the race briefing and directions given then.

I finished!

(see results here)

My attitude had gone from Winning to Survival to Stokedness!

Thank you Lord.
Thanks Jackie.
Thanks Mum and Dad.
Thanks to my encouraging sister for her hard earned Julia Creek Tri singlet!
(all the best for your upcoming one Jul)
Thanks to everyone who prayed for my knees!