The Great Blowup: Longleaf Triathlon Recap

I’ll get right to the point:  I panicked.  I got stung.  I walked. I finished in 4:02:04, just 2 minutes 5 seconds shy of my goal for the day #goddammit

BUT – I finished  with a smile on my face in the end.

First up, the swim:  1.5K/.99mi: 42:44

Apparently I still don’t like lakes.  I was nervous going into it, but I was really not prepared for just how much I’d panic.  The water was SO murky – and as soon as I tried sticking my face in it I freaked out.  And by “freaked out” I mean “sucked in water through my nose and mouth”.  It seems totally counterintuitive to me – you’d think I would uncontrollably breathe OUT to…you know…prevent drowning…when I put my face in.

I made it through the distance by alternating through breast stroke, back stroke, side stroke and a variation of free with my face above water.  By the time the last 100 yards or so rolled around I could finally do the freestyle stroke.  Just in time to get out.  

I didn’t know it at the time, but I was pretty much right on target for my “realistic” goal (based on training times) even though I felt so awful out there.

Bike: 37K/23mi: 1:35:49

After a loooong trek from the lake to transition & then the actual transition (total of 5:06) I headed out for the bike, knowing I’d have no problem with the 23 mile course.

The first few miles had a lot of no passing zones, so I was able to get myself calmed down after that rough swim.  I took in some fuel & hit it hard once the course opened up.

And then it happened: I GOT STUNG BEHIND MY EAR after a bug got stuck between my head & my helmet strap.

I saw it coming from far away…like slow motion…and then I felt it get stuck, buzzing around.  Then I felt the sting.

Now, I’m not allergic to the point that my throat closes, but I’m very sensitive to bug bites & usually swell up A LOT and have really intense itching and stinging.  (I actually STILL have a spot on my foot from a time I got bitten by a fire ant…in June…)

I had no idea what to expect from this sting – I don’t even know what kind of bug stung me – and I therefore had no idea if it was safe for me to keep pushing my body, or if I needed to drop.

I stopped at the first volunteer I saw to see if I could get some hydrocortisone cream. After being sent to the sprint bike turnaround, I hopped off my bike & the volunteers there called around to find the medical cart or the doctor.  I was standing still, off my bike for about 7 minutes and every single rider remaining in the International course passed me.

I got sent down the trail about 3 miles & found the medical cart.  The volunteer looked at the sting, lathered me up w/ some cream and sent me on my way towards the doctor further down the trail.  I was standing still for about another 2 minutes.

I finally found the doctor on the trail & she gave me a good once-over, making sure I didn’t have any tightness in my chest, my heart wasn’t racing (more than in a usual workout anyway), and that I wasn’t swelling up like a balloon.  I was standings till for another minute or two.

My neck was stinging like a bitch, but she said it was safe to keep going, but that I should stop if my heart starting racing uncontrollably or if I felt tightness in my chest.

By the time I got going for good, I was about 5 or 6 miles behind the other competitors.  I raced the rest of the bike course completely alone. I felt so unbelievably alone!

I didn’t see another bike out there, and my mood dropped more and more as I went.

By the time I reached transition again I was crying & felt completely defeated. 

I stood in transition, staring at my feet, thinking about how much I wanted to quit.

But I changed my shoes & went out there.  T2 time: 1:52

I went straight for Ryan with tears streaming down my cheeks and said “I just want to stop SO BAD” while burying my face in his chest.  He assured me I was doing a great job, took me by my shoulders & turned me back towards the course.

Run: 10k/6.2mi: 1:36:35

The next thing I knew, I saw this written in chalk on the ground:

“FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED”

I knew right then that I would finish, even if I was the last one to cross that damn line!

I tried running – but as soon as my heart rate would pick up I would panic, thinking I was having some kind of delayed reaction to that effing sting. Is this “racing uncontrollably”? Is this normal? Am I going OK?  Am I going to pass out?

So I resigned myself to walking.  As much as it was hard mentally to walk, it was harder mentally to deal with the irrational thoughts going through my mind.

I had a lot of runners coming in for their finish tell me I was doing great & to keep it up.  I felt like a moron.  Luckily though, they all passed by me by the time I hit my mile 3 & then it was just me & my thoughts from there on out.

I wasn’t happy – but I was PROUD.  Proud for pushing through even though I was so worried about that sting.  Proud for not completely giving up.

I ran in the last .10mi or so.

And then, sweet jeesus, I was D.O.N.E.

Total time: 4:02:04.  Slower than what I wanted, but 10 min faster than my “holy shit this sucks” time estimate, so not all is lost.

I FINISHED WHAT I STARTED.