A little late this week on this post as I got caught up in an Ironman Triathalon experience this past weekend. If you’ve never witnessed one of these events in person, I highly recommend it! It was a bit serendipitous, but Barry and I had the pleasure this past weekend to witness Ironman Tremblant up close. I’ve been running with triathlete Allana for quite a few years now and I’ve heard about these things, I’ve seen the gear she needs and I’ve heard about her preparations. OMG the preparations! Just listening about the stuff needed to train, let alone the race, is exhausting.
You know how different things are when you actually get to witness something you’ve heard about for years? It is actually crazier than I had imagined !! Allana has a Mary Poppins bag and it is amazing what came out of that bag. Every time I turned around, more stuff appeared. At one point, I mentioned out loud that it would be nice to have some tin foil and she pulled a full roll out of the magic bag! Who travels with a full roll of tin foil? Triathletes apparently…
And if you think running gear is expensive, it is nothing like Triathalon gear. One high quality top is more expensive than what I wear from my ankles to my shoulders on race day. Their bicycle wheels and tires are more expensive than car’s and need to be changed way more often! And the rules…there are so many. There are of course the safety ones, the littering ones, the be-polite ones and the no-taking-aid-from-anybody-but-official ones. Pages and pages of them… How to keep all of that straight when you’re in race made is a special talent in itself.
Besides our Sherpa duties for Allana, we also figured it would be good distraction on Race Day to volunteer. Barry manned a water stop on the bike portion and I had the best gig of all in the bike to run transition area for the relays. I got to guide the transfer of the ankle chip and was thankful for my French and English skills, as both were needed. Runners were waiting for their cyclists and this gave me lots of time to chat with them and let them know about the course they were about to run. Most of them had not run the course before and some were first time marathoners. I had run the course the day before for my long run so was able to talk them through their race plans. The athletes are given these red bracelets to give to volunteers and I was honoured to be given a few of them….what a very cool idea!
While I learned so much and enjoyed every minute, I can safely say that I am more convinced than ever that I will NEVER do a Triathalon….of any distance. For those in the never-say-never camp, I’m OK if I’m proven wrong as it will mean a cataclysmic event will have happened to have changed my mind. But I KNOW this is a NEVER kind of thing. Though I do wish that running gear would integrate some of the tri-gear features. Especially in running shorts (what ever happened to good compression shorts with the lovely sticky patch on the bottom) and pockets in the the back of the tops (great spot for extra gels which would come in handy for the New York City Marathon in November ;)). We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t seem to get better running gear?
One of the vendors and sponsors of the race, Base Performance, had some really cool shirts with funny sayings that got me thinking about this week’s post. … and yes I do have their permission to post photos of their merchandise;) Of course I needed one with meaning for me….
Life is Short….run fast! – How could this not appeal to me! I’m a runner and I want to run faster and faster even as I get older and older…. Unfortunately this one only came in XL and apparently they won’t be making this one any more. A bit sad, so need to continue the search.
But did you die? This was perfect for me…..I’ve said this to myself and to my coach many times. Especially after workouts I thought I’d never be able to complete or paces I’d be able to sustain. You know that sinking feeling you have going into a workout because you’re warm-up was so difficult, then you just launch into the workout, somehow you complete it successfully and then you mutter: I didn’t die! I figured I had a winner, but my triathlete Allana was distracted by something that made her laugh hard.
That’s a horrible idea….what time? Allana and, later, every triathlete I bumped into, LOVED this one. As in, serious laughing when they saw it. This one didn’t resonate with me as much yet I felt with these interactions, that this was the gear to get. As a runner of a certain age, even though I do push my limits, I tend to be cautious (ish) with my training. At least I can say that I start with good intentions and want to follow the plan. I usually do what I should and sometimes I overreach, but this usually occurs in the moment. Not something I plan.
One of the things I witnessed from these super athletes this weekend is that they embrace that horrible idea and figure out how to get it done. I’m not sure they know what a limit is. What does a triathlete do to mix things up or do something new? I can only imagine that it falls into the “WOW” category and they don’t even think twice about launching into it. They don’t question IF they can do it, they figure out HOW they’re going to do it.
As I question myself about this awesome yet fearful experience of another full marathon in November, I need to embrace this attitude. Thank-you Allana and thank-you Base Performance for my weekly inspiration to not question the “if”, but to execute the “how”.
I will say NEVER to a triathalon, but to #TCSNYCMarathon: what time ?
