You'll Never Know Until You "Tri"!

July 27, 2013.

A day that will live on in my personal infamy.

The alarm "brinngggeedd" at 3 AM.  Who sets an alarm for 3 AM on a Saturday morning?

I did.  I had an almost 2 hour drive to my first triathlon, and it started at 7, packet pickup and transition closed at 6:45.  We needed to be on the road by 4.  Fortunately, "getting ready" only involved pulling on a swimsuit, shorts, a ballcap and brushing my teeth.

We hit the door at 4:12 for the drive to Baton Rouge in a slight drizzly rain.  I silently whispered for the whole 90+ miles that is would stop.  I don't do "wet" well.  At all.

5:50 AM and the parking lot at LSU's Natatorium was filling. Prior to signing up for this triathlon I had never even heard the term "natatorium".  Ladies everywhere.

I just stood there for a minute.  I honestly had no idea where to start.  Billy asks what he can do to help.  No answer from me.  I watched and saw others dressed as I headed up to the registration tables.  Some pushing bikes and carrying gear, others not.  So I asked him to just get my bike out and put together while I went to get the lay of the land.

As luck would have it, my number (personalized bibs, mind you) had been inadvertently passed out the day before during the early packet pick up.  But they felt certain that it would be returned as it had my name on it.  In the meantime, I could get set up in transition and just check back later.

I headed back to the car.  It seemed so far away.  Billy had "Bella", as I named my bike, up and ready to go.  Riley was quietly sleeping in the backseat.  The rain seemed to trying to hold off, just misty.  I gathered my "tri bag" and we started walking toward the transition area.  Again, I had no idea what to expect when I got there.  I found a friend from Natchez who had been here before and she gave me direction.  I got my ankle cuff with the timing device.  I got marked with my number on my arms and legs.  I found the bike rack assigned to my number.  Staked a claim on what I thought was a good spot.  Another friend that is a triathlete (and an Ironwoman now!) had been giving me tips, both in response to my direct questions and through her Facebook postings, so I spread my towel under Bella and started laying out my equipment, in the order I would need it.

I thought it looked good.  Time to go see about getting my bib and numbers.  Billy would head back to the car with the bag and check on Riley.  No number yet.

I walked to the pool (natatorium - indoor pool), stomach tightening.  I probably had not been this quiet in a long time.  I was just trying to take it all in.  Ladies were swimming laps.  I wanted to, but I was more concerned with my numbers.  Registration was getting close to closing.

They gave me handwritten numbers and the rain was washing them off.  Billy and I ran to transition to put the numbers on my bike and helmet, as required.  Transition was closing.  The lady with the microphone kept saying that "all participants should be out of transition unless the transition coordinator knew why".  We were the only two there so there was no question as to whom the comments were directed.  It was hard to pull the backing off the adhesive numbers with shacking hands.  My nerves were now full blown.  But we did it.  As we were running out of the area one of the registrars came to us with my packet.  There was no time to pin on the bib but she agreed to change out the bike tag.  There was nothing left of the numbers they had written so it was important from an identification standpoint.

I headed to the group of participants to hear the instructions.  They were starting to stretch and warm up.  Billy just looked at me.  Where was he to go?  How did he get there?  What did I need him to do?  I showed him how to get inside the natatorium and explained how I believed the flow of the event would unfold.  He was videotaping this moment in time and didn't want to miss anything.

I stood there as they explained the swim seeding.  We would seed ourselves based on how quickly we could swim the distance.  I saw them hold up a sign for 6 minutes.  To my great amazement, ladies actually started heading that way and lining up.  Who swims 350 meters in 6 minutes or less??  First group went in.  I found my voice and started talking to some of others who, like me, seemed to swim at a more leisurely pace, shall we say.

Groups continued to go in.  7 minutes.  8 minutes.

The first athlete comes running out of the natatorium and into transition.  We all cheered.  My stomach tightened some more.

What in the world was I doing here!?!

They finally got to my time - the last and final group.  We made our way inside.  I simultaneously scanned the bleachers for Billy and the water for all the other participants.  I needed to see how this was going to work.  I had been thinking that I would swim as I had trained - all up and back in one lane - but it wasn't.  We swam up one lane and then back down in the adjacent one.  Zig zagging our way across seven lanes until we reached the exit ladder.  Swimmers only starting seconds apart so there were multiple swimmers in each lane.  Looked crowded to me.

I spotted Billy.  Video camera trained right on me.  Big smile on his face.  Waving to me.  Some quieting inside as I knew he was there.    I get closer to the front.

I hear the instructions.  Goggles on.  Getting closer.  "You're next.  Ready?"

No, but here I go!

I slide in the water and find my way.  I start out pretty well in the freestyle, until I get to the crowd.  I decide the breaststroke is going to be my friend at this point.  I can keep my head above water, see better and adjust quicker for other swimmers.  At the end of the first lane I realize I am not going to like going under the ropes to the next lane but it is what it is, so I do it.  Down the next one. Under again.  Back up.

I'm doing it!

I pass a couple of ladies.  For some reason that makes me feel a little better.  Not that I want to "beat" anyone, but that I'm staying within myself, doing what I had trained to do and focusing only on me and my swim.

I reach the final lane.  I see Billy right there.  He follows me all the way up the side.  I want to smile I'm so happy but I have to focus on swimming.  There are two young men at the ladder to help everyone out.  They grab my arms and I'm off!

The floor is slick and the mat isn't much better but I'm out of the building and headed into transition.  I had left a towel hanging on the fence and I grab it as I run by.  The transition area is freshly cut grass on wet feet and I hate that.  I'm trying not to obsess about getting my feet clean before shoving them in my socks.  Shoes on.  Jersey on.  Helmet on.  Bike off the rack.

Off I go!

The ride had to be the longest 12 miles of my life.  It felt as if we were riding into the wind in both directions. I pedaled and pedaled and pedaled.  Riders headed back in tossed out words of encouragement.  "you're almost there!  gets easier on this side!  keep up the good work! you can do it!"

I made it a point to do the same when I had made the turn and was headed in.

Then the rain started.  And it was hard.

But I pedaled, and pedaled.  Finally, I can see the turn back towards the main LSU campus.  The policeman directing traffic shouts encouragement.  I turn.  Headed back to the main road.  Pedaling.  Looking for Billy. I see him.  Standing in the rain, watching for me.  (Side note, he told me later that one lady yelled out to him that he was the best husband EVER for standing out there in the rain.  I agreed wholeheartedly).  He turned for a minute and almost missed me, but the video does show me riding in front of him and then off to the dismount line.

I try to follow the directions but one thing I don't do well is dismount off the bike.  But that is another story for another day.  I do manage to get off the bike in the proper area and head back into transition for the final leg.

Being a novice in all areas, I don't have special biking shoes - no clips or cages for this gal!  So all really had to do is rack my bike and change the helmet to a ballcap and I was off.  Slowly.

Yes, I did walk a little during the run.  As my friend the Ironwoman as said, no shame in my game.  I walk very quickly.   My time ended up being almost the same as if I'd run the entire 2 miles.

I am, however, determined to RUN across that finish line.  I told myself that.  I would swim the whole thing, bike the distance and run across the finish line - even if that was the only time I actually ran.

And I did.

As I came around the corner and headed across the parking lot, I could see the finish line.  That big, beautiful finish line.

And there came the emotions.

I willed myself to keep them in check, if only for a few more minutes.  I was afraid I'd fall if I allowed my eyes to fill with tears.  I can see Billy off to the side.  Running with the camera.

And then I hear my name.  Deanne Tanksley of Natchez, Mississippi.  I had done it.

My first triathlon, completed.

And then the tears fell.

Again, no shame.  Only pride.  Pride like I'd not known before.  Billy "interviewed" me and I came out of the finish area.  There were no words I could get out.

We had to wait until a specific time before we could go back into the transition area and retrieve our belongings so we walked around.  Eating my snack.  Waiting on times to be posted.  And then the announcement came.

Coming across the field toward the finish line was the physically challenged participant.  There was absolutely nothing handicapped about this young woman. I had seen her in the bike portion, and again during the run.  Her teammate was nothing short of extraordinary either.  There behind her the whole way.  Amazing.  The music played Alicia Keyes' "This Girl is On Fire!" as she (they) crossed the line and the crowd roared.  More tears.  She'd been in a car accident the previous year and was told she wouldn't be able to walk.  But that didn't stop her from participating in a triathlon.  Her specially-designed wheelchair gave her all the freedom she needed to get it done.

The sponsoring organization for this triathlon is the RocketKidz Foundation.  We participants - Rocketchix. This event is for ladies only - all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities.  On that day, we are all triathletes.

We are Rocketchix.

(Official time:  Swim 13:16  T1 4:39  Bike 1:09:55   T2 1:48  Run 26:56.  Finished 32 in my class, 280 overall.)