Athens Triathlon
March 6,
2010
Athens, Texas
300 yd swim-14-mile bike-5k
run
It had been 16
days since the doctor released me following rotator cuff surgery. My goal was to
just get through this to see where I was at. It would be my 5th to have done
this event so that lent some familiarity to the experience for testing my
shoulder and level of fitness.
Seeding myself about 2 1/2 minutes slower in the swim seemed like the right
thing to do considering my recent rotator cuff surgery, but I soon found that wrong. I was in more danger with the shoulder from all
the close encounters experienced with all those flaying about, having problems
with the swim.
WARMING UP
All in all, my
swim time was about what it had been in the past.
The bike was
typical for me; start slow and build. A young man racked next to me in
transition had followed my feet for the entire swim. Now he and I were on the
road together, but he was pulling away. As I began to build my friend started
coming back to me and I passed. I thought he was put away for good, having
started too fast but on a hill later in the course, he passed. I yelled
encouragement to him for his comeback.
A mile or two down the road he started coming back to me and as I started to pass,
I asked him if he was going to let an old man like me pass him? Come on with
it., son. Less than 1/2 a mile and he passed me again and
I encouraged him for it.
We were in transition together and both remarked about the fun we had had on
the bike. I told him I was sorry, but I was almost sure he was a better runner,
so the fun is all over between us. Sure enough, that is the way it went. My
total running mileage for the year was only a little over twenty miles and I did
not know what was in the legs after that bike leg. But I ran surprisingly well
and never stopped. My overall time was not great but not all that bad either.
There were five of us in the 65-69 age group so when the third place was called
and my name was not, I knew that I was out of the picture for a trophy - nice
trophies too. Number two in my age group
was called and I clapped for him. Then, to my surprise, I heard my name
announced as first place in my age group.
Almost in a daze,
I walked through the crowd, shook hands, and picked up my trophy. In all of my 31
triathlons at that point, I have never finished first in my age group. Now, coming back from surgery, wondering how
able I was to even do this, I had finally claimed this prize. Maybe this time I
was humble enough in this endeavor to be exalted.
After rotator cuff surgery only weeks
before, praise God!
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