...just keeping my head above water

Triathlon.
'Tri' = 3; 3 events.

A better name = tryathlon.

I can't remember a time when I was not afraid of water. I enjoy playing in it, it's refreshing. But I am very serious about safety. I warn people, "don't splash me, don't dunk me, don't push me in". People know me as having a lighthearted attitude. That attitude turns ultra-serious if I feel danger in the water.

So today's goals: don't drown, don't quit, don't be last!

Waiting in line I got nervous. Watching folks come out of the  water...looking tired after those 400 yards. 600 participants. I wanted to be at the end...fearful of getting kicked, hit, splashed. There were about 10 people behind me. With a knot in my stomach, I entered and immediately took in a gulp of water. Tasted like aquarium water (not that I really know what that taste like, use your imagination). Once the water was over 5 foot 3 inches, it was all mental. Stroke...stroke...gulp...cough... It didn't take long. I waved at the guy in the water with the lifesaver. He came to me. Thank you! Catching my breath and bearings, I was only ~100 yards in. He told me that I could swim along the rope and stop to hold to the buoys. Good news! Off again. It didn't last long. I wanted to quit. I don't want to be dramatic like I was going under, but in my mind I thought I could not make it. It was the most real feeling I've had in a long time. The next buoy was snuggly pressed against me. A friend who was ahead of me had already gone to the turn around and was on the other side of the rope. "are you ok?" she asked. "I'm going to stop, I can't do this" was my reply.

This is not me.
I wanted to cry.
I wanted it to be over.

...but, I thought about how disappointed I would be in myself. I thought about all the people who wished me luck and I would have to tell them that I quit. And, I thought if I don't finish, next time I won't even get in the water. I'm not that person.

Release buoy. Keep trying. (make sure my lifesaver boy is nearby...)

I rounded the corner. 200 yards down. Only 1 person was in the water with me and she was far ahead.

At this point, I was swimming from buoy to buoy. With 2 boats behind me. They offered "would you like to get in the boat?", "have you had to fish anyone out yet?", "no", "well you aren't getting me...I'm slow and I'm stubborn." Lifesaver boy offered me the lifesaver to use for a kickboard. I declined.

Not a soul in site, I exited the water.
I did it. :-)
At this point, I had already won!

Biking, I caught 1 person.
Running, I caught 5 or 6 more.
I finished strong, felt good, and satisfied my goals for the day.

Happy words for me: 

"There are two kinds of people in the world: those who make excuses and those who get results. An excuse person will find any excuse for why a job was not done, and a results person will find any reason why it can be done. Be a creator, not a reactor."

~Alan Cohen~



Next triathlon is next month...