Paul Bunyan Triathlon

Months ago our good friend Momo decided that she was going to compete in the Paul Bunyan Triathlon in Bemidji on July 25th 2009. 1/2 mile swim in Lake Bemidji, 12 mile bike followed by a 3 mile run. Since Lindsey and Momo were attached at the hip in our middle and high school days Lindsey decided she wanted to do it as well. Therefore Lindsey asked me to do it and initially I said I would. After jumping in the Hyslop pool in March I decided maybe this wasn't for me.

Long story short, it is a week before the event Lindsey and Momo are registered and there's no turning back now. I am out. One would think. Nope I act stupidly a la the Cambridge police and throw my hat into the ring 1 week before.

I had been working out at the greatest fitness facility in the great north (Center Court) since January so I am in pretty good shape as far as running is concerned. I also had been doing some biking and figure thats the easiest part anyway. Swimming is another story and is the most common reason for someone not doing a triathlon, but hey I grew up on a lake I'll be alright. Nevermind the part that I hadn't been in the lake at all this summer and only a handful of times last summer. This would come back to haunt me.

The event starts at 8 am. Lindsey and I arrive at around 7 am to find Momo making friends and getting tips for how to best navigate the course like rolling your socks and putting them on top of your shoes for the swim to bike transition. What am I doing here? Once we got out bikes set up on the racks and organized our stuff we got registered and they marked our bodies with our number and short or long course. They use a large marker and write your number in huge print down both arms and legs. (they do this so they can id your body when they pull it up from the bottom of the lake) I'm glad to see Papa Gangel is volunteering and he marks my body (at least a familiar person will know that I was there and can search for my body.)

We are ready to start this crazy adventure. The swim is first its 1/4 out and then back and believe me the buoys look like they are on the other side of the lake. For you athletes out there you probably have experienced some nervousness or anxiety before the big game this is usually pretty normal and research has said that is a good thing to be a little anxious. I was downright scared out of my gord standing in the water looking out on the course am I really doing this?

The guy in charge says go and I wade out as far as I can before diving in. Its 8 am, overcast, probably 65 degrees and the water is cold, this was a terrible idea. I dive in take a few strokes and realize how much this is going to suck. The front crawl is not working for me, everytime I try to take a breath I get smoked in the face by a wave and I'm panicking a little really considering quitting at this point 20 seconds into the race. Papa Gangel is on his jetski keeping track of everybody and I almost called him over. The buoys are probably spaced 50 yards apart and I've made it to the first one. From here on the goal is to make it to the next buoy a strategy that kept me sane a got me through the water course. I run out of the lake a tell my boy Durn that I will indeed make it to his wedding next month. We all had our doubts.

The start was in different waves based on division. I was in the male 39 and under wave and started out 2 waves before Lindsey and Momo in the women's wave. We probably started close to 10 minutes before them and they were transitioning just as I was hopping on my bike. Maybe the quote of the race by Lindsey, "What are you doing here?" I reply, "Turns out I'm not the strongest swimmer!" Swim time: 23:11. Michael Phelps I am not.

On to the bike ride. 12 miles not so bad. Its my hometown so I am familiar with the roads which helps and quickly get into a nice rhythm. There wasn't too much drama in the bike portion and my prerace prediction that it would be the easiest was correct. I passed more people than passed me so I actually am feeling pretty good at this point. I did not see Lindsey and Momo at the bike to run transition so I must have made up some time there. Bike time: 40:16 18.6 mph average. Not bad, not Lance Armstrong but not bad.

I grab a quick swig of gatorade and 2 bites of a banana and I'm off on the 3 mile run. The only problem here is that my legs feel like lead pipes and to get out of Cameron Park one must run up a nice little hill. Since running is really the only thing I had trained for I felt pretty good about my run. I actually passed quite a few people and felt like I was making up for my horrid swim.

I feel like a Kenyan now! I passed Brother Gangel 1/4 mile before the turn around point and we both agreed this was not one of our brightest ideas. I then saw the girls after I turned around and wished them luck. Less than a mile to go now. I think I can start pushing it, I try to shift gears but there is nothing left in the tank. For me it was a really strange feeling because usually the last half mile of my runs is my strongest. I resign to the fact that I have no kick left and finish the run at an easy pace. Run time: 24:25. And I can now call myself a triathlete!

Total time with transitions 1:31:36. Call me crazy but I had fun and would like to do another triathlon.

Here are some pics. They were taken by a professional company so they have writing over the top of them and I can't copy and paste them.

I call this one the wet dog.
http://minnefotamoments.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Paul_Bunyan_Triathlon_2009&image=IMG_2843.jpg&img=0&search=194%20whiting&cat=all&tt=&bool=or&tfile=tn_IMG_2843.jpg&numtolist=24&sortfiles=1

Biking
http://minnefotamoments.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Paul_Bunyan_Triathlon_2009&image=IMG_5680.jpg&img=&tt=&search=194%20whiting&cat=all&bool=or&numtolist=24&sortfiles=1&tfile=tn_IMG_5680.jpg

Triathlon Complete
http://minnefotamoments.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Paul_Bunyan_Triathlon_2009&image=IMG_5809.jpg&img=0&search=194%20whiting&cat=all&tt=&bool=or&tfile=tn_IMG_5809.jpg&numtolist=24&sortfiles=1

This one is pretty sweet. I call it dying bird
http://minnefotamoments.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Paul_Bunyan_Triathlon_2009&image=IMG_5810.jpg&img=0&search=194%20whiting&cat=all&tt=&bool=or&tfile=tn_IMG_5810.jpg&numtolist=24&sortfiles=1

Lindsey and I
http://minnefotamoments.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Paul_Bunyan_Triathlon_2009&image=IMG_5881.jpg&img=0&search=194%20whiting&cat=all&tt=&bool=or&tfile=tn_IMG_5881.jpg&numtolist=24&sortfiles=1

Pretty serious. I found out later that Momo and I jogged our bikes out stopped and got on them, while Lindsey sprinted and jumped on in one fluid motion. Tip for next year.
http://minnefotamoments.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Paul_Bunyan_Triathlon_2009&image=IMG_5426.jpg&img=0&search=194%20whiting&cat=all&tt=&bool=or&tfile=tn_IMG_5426.jpg&numtolist=24&sortfiles=1

Big wedding this weekend, close on the house Monday. Have a good one!