Levitating
closing in on that final bridge toward the finish line, i felt featherlight. putting on a smile at that point was not effortless but i sure did. well, didn’t the gels kick in a tad late? no i was feeling that way cos I did not race my first tri—amidst the rain—trying to avoid a nasty fall. i was reaching for the sun, not knowing if it’d ever come out. i was flying high.
of course, there was a flash in the race when it felt so bad that i asked myself what the hell did i get myself into. fun to look back for a moment.
two months ago, the thought of venturing into triathlon popped out of nowhere. i believe it was one of those suit-and-tie, bluestone-lane, excel-and-powerpoint days. reliving that moment, i think parts of me felt off just a few days into the corporate, and prompted me to do something wild and free. have not swum in eight years, but who cares? taking on the indian wells ironman 70.3 a month after the napa debut? lovin’ it.
glad my subconscious was chasing wildness and breaking free, but it was the appeal of reacquainting with three sports—each of which, at some point growing up, i poured my heart and sweats into—that drove me into committing. frankly it’s been nothing short of a chaotic self-discovery, as i over- and under-estimated myself here and there. but man has it not been a blessing tapping into the beauty of each sport in ways different from the past.
i was so curious how i’d adapt that i kept experimenting with variations of techniques, rhythms and intensities. i learned to sight, stroke, and breathe so i wouldn’t be combating the chilly shock or rough tides, but flowing in the water feeling frictionless. i picked up switching between riding on the hoods and in the drops, while adjusting my elbow and shoulder to stay afloat in air. i mixed shorter hops with my longer strides for the run. slowly, i started reconfiguring a body and mind that’s tuned for bursts into intervals and endurance.
the race itself is a totally different beast, though. i wouldn’t say i intentionally skipped every last chance to practice a full tri before showing up at lake berryessa yesterday, but i was kind of glad i underprepared. i visualized racing through the course in the worst possible conditions many times last week, but the real thing always has a way of surprising us doesn’t it.
i was on the verge of cramping my legs only half-way through the bike, despite fueling and refueling like a mad nutritionist to the point where my stomach wasn’t having it. my gear shifting went virtually non-existent, crippling me of any chance to pass a shadow on the bike. these led to a run with a failing lower back, weirdly numb glutes, and utterly unbouncy legs, costing me minutes in my strongest suit as i clawed back positions.
but, on the flip side, i managed to stumble myself into a difficult situation again and had the fortune of working through it while racing against some of the best in the business. there’s nothing like fighting to sharpen that focus while the body is being drained, fixing unfamiliar problems while finessing a familiar flow, and, above all, choosing to have faith while no sign of promise has surfaced yet.
onto the next! but before that, toast—to keep flying high and to the wonders it does…