And, Yet Another Early Triathlon Along the Miles of the Journey

 

Metroplex

 June 13, 2004,

Joe Pool Lake - Grand Prairie, Texas,

 800-meter swim, 15-mile bike, 5k run

 We pulled up to Joe Pool Lake in the dark, and I could hear waves crashing up the shore…Oh my!  As the song says, “This could be the day that I die.”  Daylight revealed it was not quite as bad as it sounded, but there were quit a  few whitecaps out there.  The swim was a challenge.  Sometimes, when  I was in the belly of a wave and could not see much.

 

 Sometimes a wave would lift me suddenly, and my arm would come out of the water prematurely during the stroke.  Sometimes the belly of the wave brought me down into the submerged hydrilla, and I had to try to pull or shake the weeds off and soldier on.  But I did it, and all in all, it was not all that bad. 

 Initially, the bike ride was into the wind, but the course turned back, and that put the strong wind at my back.  With that wind assistance, my speed increased.  The smooth pavement on the main road was a big help, too, and this was turning into a great bike ride. up.   I found myself going faster than I had ever gone over that distance.  When I turned back into the wind, that same "hair on fire" spirit pushed me hard on the way back.  I was winded at transition, but ultimately it was a fast bike split, the fastest I would ever do.

 

The run was flat and out and back. The heat was oppressive, but I finished feeling good about my performance and got 3^rd in my age group.  Yeah, I have memories.  But how great it would be to live this one again.  Thank you, Lord, for these moments

A DAY UNLIKE ANY OTHER DAY by Marvin Dittfurth