A triathlon is an endurance sport.And competitors in last Sunday’s Nation’s Triathlon definitely endured.
We endured the pelting rain.
We endured the mud in West Potomac Park.
We endured standing around in the chilly rain for more than an hour, in nothing but our wet suits, shivering while waiting to start the race.
We endured the one-mile swim in the Potomac River, trying not to get kicked in the face by hundreds of other swimmers, all trying to swim as close to the orange buoys as possible.
We endured biking 24.8 miles on the wet, slick roads.
And we endured the 6.2-mile run, our quads burning and our legs sapped of energy as we neared the finish line.
But we did endure, 4,600 of us.
The rain started pouring overnight, and continued pouring as we trudged into West Potomac Park before dawn to prepare for the race.
I quickly forgot the goals I had made. I had hoped to finish between three and 3 1/2 hours, but now I just hoped to finish safely, without a flat tire or bike crash on the rain-slicked roads.
As I waited to jump into the Potomac River to begin the swim under the Memorial Bridge and back, the rain had dwindled to a light drizzle. It was chilly and wet — but no matter, I was going to get wet anyway.
I ran through slippery mud from the swim to the transition area to pick up my bike and put on soaked shoes and a wet helmet. Fortunately, my bike shorts stayed dry in my waterproof bag, which I foolishly left open when I started the bike ride.
During the ride, I looked down to see rivers of water flowing down my legs into my socks. It rained frequently as I biked along the Clara Barton Parkway and Rock Creek Parkway, road spray hitting my glasses and mud covering my bike. Fortunately, the course did not include any big hills, so speeding in the rain — and more chances for crashing — wasn’t an issue. But I had to slow down to almost walking speed during the turns to avoid slipping.
Despite the conditions, I finished the ride in less than an hour and a half. After the challenge of putting on my wet knee brace (remember, I left my bag open in the rain), I ran through the field of wet grass to begin the six-mile run in soggy socks and shoes.
But the mist was kind of pleasant, and the rainy day meant there was no sun beating down on me to further sap my energy.
After my legs loosened up, I started to feel pretty strong, and my surgery-repaired knee felt fine. With about three miles left, I realized that I had a chance to break three hours — if I picked up my pace. I wouldn’t be able to wait until the end to sprint. I would have to start immediately.
So I increased my speed slightly, and stretched my run intervals to 7 minutes from six minutes.
I knew I was nearing the finish line when a volunteer on the course yelled, “Come on, just 500 meters.”
I yelled back, “Do you promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
That little pick-me-up got my legs moving even faster, and then I could hear the cheers and see the finish line ahead.
I passed a couple of other runners, and then crossed the finish mat.
2:59.25.
I wish I could write “and then the sun came out.” It didn’t. But my spirits rose anyway, just knowing I had endured and reached my goal.
