A Rough Start

Crescent Moon Triathlon. June 7th, 2014

Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck. The importance of such a vessel I had yet to truly appreciate until today. 

This morning I made the drive to Aurora CO for the Crescent Moon Triathlon.  With cloudy skies and a cool wind I knew as I entered the 59degree reservoir that today would not be an easy day for me. The start is always a restless time, moving for position in the water knowing that in just seconds complete chaos will ensue. If too much bumping or shoving happens in running races they start the race over however in a triathlon it's all fair. Today I took the full blunt of the heel of a competitor. Not 200m into the race this heel struck the side of my face causing me to bite my tongue. Instead of staying relaxed I completely lost focus and felt like I was about to drown. I never thought I would need a kayak or a boat or help but today I was humbled. Hugging the kayak, spitting blood and wondering what to do I finally relaxed and worked up the courage to continue. 

Out of the water and on the bike I was still battling a headache and was flat out delirious. I battled the cross wind on the out and back course and did my best to make up the lost time but knew it was not going to be easy. As I hopped off my bike I realized my chain was on my lower chainring. I have no idea if it was like that the entire time or just as I dismounted but regardless I survived and was ready to run.

The run course was a upside down lollipop in direction on trails around aurora reservoir. I decided to not go crazy and just ran 6:10 pace and ended up closing the 10K in 38:03. From the time I exited the water in 102nd place to when I crossed the finish line in 15th I had made up a lot of time and places but nowhere near what I had hoped. 

My race reports the past couple years have been plagued with bad luck. From wrecks, heat exhaustion, flat tires, and today's swim I can't help but feel like I have the worst luck. As a coach I do all I can to convince my athletes they can work their way out of slumps. That bad luck almost always comes to the ill prepared. Taking the same advice is getting very hard after several years of the same pattern. What lies ahead is uncertain but with prayers and hard work I believe I will work my way through this and come out the other side with a COMPLETE race of success. 

Swim 31:04, T1 :76, Bike 1:12.08, T2 :51, Run 38:03. 2:23.24