Thursday, August 23, 2012
Natural Highs
NOTE: A continuation of the blogs that never got posted. This happened in April! Better late than never right?
Natural Highs: Performing. Being accepted to the exchange student program. Graduating college. First love. Finishing my first race (4.5 Mile Drumstick Dash). Finishing my first Tri. Finishing the TERRIBLE EVIL Tri (Great Floridian). Finishing my first half marathon. (ok... crossing the finish line at any race!!!) Running away from home (to my other home). My house selling. Age group podium.
I caught the racing bug a few years ago. I would blame it completely on The Reverend but then I feel he would get to take credit for a lot of those highs and I just can't allow that. Shortly after arriving in Paradise last year, TicaSis and I participated in an open water swim in the ocean (not my first open water, but first ocean open water... veeeeeery different than the quarries, reservoirs, and man-made lakes to which this Hoosier girl is accustomed). I finished MUCH slower than expected, but given I trained for about a week and TicaSis swam it slower than I was expecting to (she's a MUCH better swimmer than me) I figure I had done pretty well.
As I've mentioned previously, in the last few months I've started swimming at a coached practice at my gym. When this year's race came up I was pumped and ready to go. Warming up, the water was choppy - worse than I remembered from the previous year. I started getting nervous. While swimming is by far my strongest tri event, it's also the one I tend to screw up the most. The combo of nerves and excitement send me out too fast, too soon. I end up not being able to control my breathing and having to flip over and backstroke or, in rare cases, just tread water and remind myself how to breathe. After having this happen a couple times, I've become better at forcing myself to take it easy at the beginning. Standing on the beach waiting for the start, I closed my eyes and focused on breathing and telling myself to take it easy. "It's just 1500 meters, you do more than that in the pool twice/week. Slow and steady."
Airhorn. I lightly jog toward the water. I dive in and start swimming. The area is crowded. The people around me don't seem to have the same theory I do when it comes to starting slow, "maybe I should pick up the pace. NO! slow and steady at least to the first turn." The first 500 meters seem like 800. I get kicked and grabbed too many times to count. I unintentionally kick and grab others too many times too count. The water is choppy. This is hard.... and unless the tide pattern has changed since last year, the last 500 is MUCH harder than the first 1000.
I turn the first corner. The crowd thins a bit. I find my rhythm. I pick up the pace. I'm passing people, some are passing me, but I seem to be passing more. CRAP! Focused on others, not on myself. Moving too fast. Can't breathe. Backstroke. "SERIOUSLY?!?!? AGAIN!?!?! Get your shit together Skipper!!!" (yes, those were the real words in my head). 2nd Turn - last 500. This isn't as bad as last year. I got thi... THERE'S the tide pushing me to the side that remember! Swim. Swim. Swim. Beach. Run. "Running uphill on sand after swimming is worse than running after a 40 mile bike ride." Finish line! Breathe! Medal! Breathe. Breathe. Family. Breathe. Breathe. "Rough. Maybe not better, but couldn't have been worse than last year."
TicaSis and I head for the free massage tent. Find fruit. "No bananas?!?! Again?!?! Don't these people know how races work? Are they so busy exporting bananas that there are none left for us?" Preliminary results are posted. Women 30 - 34. "That looks like my name next to 3rd place. That's clearly NOT accurate. I was in the first wave. The rest of my age group must have been in the 2nd wave."
*Special note for the poor souls who have stumbled upon this post, but don't actually know me: I'm a competitive person. I love winning. I LOVE racing. Regardless, I'm not the kind of person who has ever dreamed about an age group win in any format. In the Tri's that offer it, I qualify for the Athena division. I've won or come in second in that division in every race I've entered except my first. While I enjoy the prizes (often pint glasses!) and glory, there's always been the twinge of - "Congrats! you beat a few other 'big' girls." It's nice, but somehow it's not "real."
New results posted. "That still looks like my name." New results - my name. "Wait... last year I swam this in... I improved by FIVE MINUTES.... I still can't be 3rd." TicaSis was listed as 2nd her division (thank goodness for the age gap, she was in my division last year... and won) and we headed to the awards ceremony.
There had been a total of three events that day, a kids swim, a 1500, and a 3000. The awards seemed to take FOREVER. Eventually they approached the 1500 awards. They honored the Adultos Mayores (senior citizens) that participated and then started age group awards. TicaMom and TicaSis both sneaked toward the announcer to inform him of the error on the registration form (My first name is NOT "Berthoney"). Women 30-34 for the 1500. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. "He said my name! He really said my name!! Walk to the stage. Don't trip on the steps. PLEASE don't trip on the steps. Take the trophy. Smile for the picture. DON'T. TRIP. ON. THE. STEPS!"
The walk back to the car was a bit of a blur. I'm pretty sure I didn't stop smiling and, knowing me, didn't stop talking. Perhaps this seems like an egocentric post, and perhaps it is (but what's a blog for, if not to talk about yourself?). The fact is, I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would pull a legitimate age group win in any type of race. Crossing the finish line has always been a win for me. This... Unforgettable.
