Balance, and the Lack Thereof....
08/28/2017
Balance
Penticton - Part Two
“Everything in Life is About Balance”
and
“The Key to Keeping Your Balance is Knowing When You’ve Lost it.”
ITU Multisport World Championship Festival. What exactly is that? Here’s the scoop: 5 events over 8 days. Multiple event racing encouraged. Anyone racing in 4 or more events considered a “Multisport Legend”. All-in-all, my kind of racing! This was the lineup:
Saturday (8/19) - Draft Legal Sprint Duathlon (5k run/ 20k bike / 2.5k run)
Monday (8/21) - Standard (Nondraft) Duathlon (10k run/ 40k bike/ 5k run)
Wed (8/23) - Cross Triathlon (1.5k swim / 31k bike / 8k run) - off road
Friday (8/25) - Aquathlon (1k swim / 5k run)
Sunday (8/27) - Aquabike/Long Course Triathlon (3k swim / 120k bike)
(Long course triathlon adds a 30k run)
So, I raced Saturday, Monday, Friday and Sunday (the aquabike). And between the races I did some training, some eating, some meeting up with old friends and making new ones, and a LOT of catching up on sleep. It was interesting to stay in Penticton from the beginning of the racing to the end. There were a good number of other athletes doing the ‘Legend Challenge’ who were also there for the duration. But for the most part, the athletes came and went. The duathlon crowd. The cross crowd (a whole different kinda racing - my hat’s off to them, just wow). The aquathletes. And the long distance folks.
Aquathlon morning was - chilly. And the swim - was choppy. Although I was happy with my swim I came out of the water quite a bit behind the lead women. I put down the best run that I could, and ended up 4th in my age group, 10th female overall. And you know, I am very happy with that. I like to say that, as long as I race to the extent of my abilities that is all I can do -and I feel that is what I did. I grabbed my USA flag from Tim Yount, and proudly carried it across that finish line. No matter what, I enjoy every finish line - each one is the summation of countless hours of training and dedication, and each one should be treated as a treasure!
Aquabike. 3k swim. At least the water was smooth and calm. This was an interesting change because all the other races up to this point were relatively short. Standing on the lake shore looking out at the buoy line, the turn buoy was not even visible. Enter the mental game. I caught myself before I even dwelled on that, and instead turned my focus to the swim training I had put in, finding a steady pace, and making each stroke count. Exit the swim, onto my favorite, the bike.
The first stretch of the bike was flat - a good opportunity to get the legs going. Then there were 2 loops that were just absolutely beautiful, around a lake and through some countryside, complete with some climbs. I confess, I did take it in. I raced hard, but had to appreciate the absolute beauty of seeing the racers in front of me winding down this road through an absolutely gorgeous day in such a picturesque setting. How lucky to be able to be a part of it. By the time the hills came around on the second loop, my legs were starting to feel it. I got a couple of those ‘warning twinges’ in my quads that caught my attention and I knew if I pushed them too hard they would end up in full-blown cramps, not my favorite.
The aqua bikers started after all the long course athletes, so although I passed a fair number of women, a lot were those who still had to run afterwards, and I had no idea where I was as far as my division went. So, I went as hard as I could, without cramping. One of my long standing mantras is, “Every second counts.” I say that to myself and think, if someone finishes one second ahead of you, can you be satisfied knowing you gave all you had and did not have another second in you? Up the last climb, I passed an aquabike girl. She passed me back. I had to fall back the required distance, then she slowed and I passed her back. Just before the downhill I passed another aquabike girl. At the bottom of the hill she passed me back. I again fell back. I knew we had one more uphill and then it was downhill to the finish. What I did not know was whether I could push as hard as I needed to without cramping. Well - one way to find out. I passed her at the bottom and gave everything I had left to the top of the hill. The aquabike finish line was actually on the road before transition. So, bottom of the hill, sharp right hand turn, then maybe 50 meters or so to the finish. I rounded the corner, went as hard as I could, and finished 2 seconds behind the winner of my age group. Yep. 2 seconds. But, you know, I did all I could to make every second count. That’s racing.
A couple really cool things about that aqua bike race though . . . the overall female winner was over 50 years old. That just rocks. And, even though our race finished on the road, we were still able to go put on running shoes and do a token run through the finish line. So, the top three of us ran in across the finish line, together. I thought that was really special. So, second age group, third overall, world chamionship multisport legend status achieved. I really could not ask for more.
The courses were great. The competition was fierce. It was everything a World Championship Festival should be. I like to race, and I like to race a lot - but by the time Sunday rolled around (despite all my catching up on sleep), I’ll admit I was tired. And, for me, it was a little too long to be without my family. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret doing it, it tested me and presented me with new challenges to focus on, I learned a lot, and I really enjoyed getting to spend time with Team USA staff and racers.
Congrats to all who raced, be it one event or ‘Legend’ status. I truly enjoyed meeting many of you, and racing alongside all of you. The time and dedication and courage involved in participating in a World Championship is not to be taken lightly, and is certainly something to be proud of. I hope to see you and race with you again soon. And if it is ever something you have dared to dream of - I encourage you to try!
In closing, I do have to say that one of the most important things I came away with after this adventure was this: For me racing is about balance - the racing with my family and the rest of my life. In this case the balance got tipped towards the racing side, and my heart really started aching around Thursday. Initially my father was to meet me in Penticton and do the aquabike race with me - and for a number of reasons he was unable to. Without him, and without my husband and kids, there was just a big ‘something missing’. I was too gone for too long I guess you could say. So, be forewarned - the next Multisport World Championship Festival I certainly hope to attend, with 2 little kids and an Elvis in tow. Bring it on.
There are too many people to name, but for everyone who took the time to chat with me, share a meal, a bike ride, or just give a high five or a hug after a race - thank you. My ‘Team USA’ family certainly helped get me through while I was missing my other family. And here are some pics of a few of those people:
I failed to get a picture with a few people that deserve a mention . . . Kate, Emily and Josh I really enjoyed hanging out with you guys after the race Sunday (for those of you who keep up, Kate is my friend I see EVERYWHERE and was mentioned in one of my stories about the Memphis in May race this year; I found her at the swim start and tried really hard to stay on her feet unsuccessfully, lol).
Also my racing soulmate Ellen Hart - she not only achieved legend status, but LEGENDARY status for racing in 4 events and was undefeated in her category for ALL FOUR. Incredible.
Thanks for reading!
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