My Favorite Triathlon Memories

My memories?

Different venues. Beside the Seward Park setting, I have competed in the Silver Lake, Kirkland, Escape from the Rock (Mercer Island), Black Diamond and Beaver Lake triathlons. At Silver Lake, day of race registration was permitted once, so the start was delayed a couple of hours on a very hot day. The run was tough, as the heat drained everyone’s energy. One Seafair Triathlon was held at Chandler’s Cove in Lake Union and I remember swimming through gas and oil on the surface of the water. Drizzle and low water and air temperatures were very common at Seward Park. The coldest swim I ever endured was at Beaver Lake. I’ve never felt comfortable in wetsuits (Hawaii will spoil folks) and I would lose time changing out of one, so I’ve never used them.

In my younger years, the swim was my strongest leg. I would typically finish in the top 20%. When I would try to persuade friends to participate, their inability to swim or lack of confidence in their swimming skills deterred them. I always felt that was too bad: I love so many water sports and activities and to be foreclosed from them would have taken a lot of fun out of my life. I’m no longer in the top 20% but it’s still my strongest leg.

Swimming has also provided the most interesting memories. In the early years, there were no waves; everyone started at the same time. I was clawed, scratched, kicked, and swum over so frequently, I decided to hang back until the swimmers started spreading out and then make my move.

I felt I could always pick out a rookie - he or she swam with a straight arm, and windmill stroke (like Janet Evans) and was oblivious to all other swimmers, lifeguards and activities in the water. Their single-minded focus was tremendous unless you happened to get in front of them. Then they swam right over you. I used a few sharp elbows and kicks to get them to change their paths over the years.

At one event, I could not shake a rookie. She kept swimming over me, would veer off and then come right back at me. It was all unintentional but very frustrating to me - and hurting my time. Finally, one of the lifeguards on a surfboard intervened. He said I could have her disqualified because of her interference. And then he told her, she could have me disqualified too. She didn’t seem to understand what was going on, so I spoke up and said neither of us was looking ‘to medal’ and just wanted the opportunity to finish. The guard backed off and let us proceed, but I felt he got her attention as she relaxed a bit and kept her distance.

There is also one aspect of the swim that always troubled me. At Seward Park, there were two waves in the water at once: the first wave waiting for the starting gun to take off, and the second wave was "on deck", the next wave to go, waiting about 20 yards to the left of the starting area. The second wave would move into the starting area once the first wave took off. I always wondered how many people in these two shallow holding areas had to take one last pee before beginning the swim. Once the horn sounded, I left that thought behind.

Biking was and is my weakest leg. I just never biked much, whereas I’ve been swimming and running consistently since I was about 13. As the saying goes, one never forgets how to ride a bike. I jump on and go. And curse all of the swimmers I passed in the water who then biked past me at great speeds.

Biking led to my first moderate injury. I was doing my last training ride about five days before the triathlon, when I made too sharp a right turn, and fell down, collapsing on my right knee. I knew immediately I had done something really bad to the knee. I got up and walked around with a substantial limp, and was able to bike home. Two days later it still hurt and was not improving.

I consulted my doctor who asked how well I could tolerate ibuprofen. She recommended I take three tablets three times a day for the remaining days before the triathlon, and then decide on the morning of the race whether I was up to it. I followed her advice. The limp persisted through Saturday, but miraculously on Sunday morning, I felt well enough that I could and did go through with the race.

About 3 days later I was sitting in the office and noticed that every time I pivoted on my right elbow on the desk, there was a fair amount of pain. I consulted the doctor again and she determined that I had broken my right elbow. The elbow pain was so minor compared to the knee pain that I didn't notice it until a few days after the pain in the knee had gone away.

A run is a run is a run. After completing the swim and the bike, I never doubted I could finish the running leg. The worst that could happen was that I would feel too tired and decide to walk a bit. The big kicker here though was that the run around the peninsula at Seward Park includes a major uphill run just past the two-mile mark. I always got a kick out of the groans from the rookie triathletes who reached that point and then realized what they faced. It was not the sort of surprise one wants when you're picturing crossing the finish line and suddenly facing a very major uphill slog.

My favorite memory? Competing in two triathlons on the same day, one for me individually, and one as part of a team with my son and daughter. I would swim, and the steering committee allowed that to count both as the first leg of my competition and also as the swim leg for the family. My son then completed the bike leg and figuratively passed the baton to my daughter who finished the run. My grandchildren take great pleasure in looking at the picture of their mother crossing the finish line.

In December 2021 I received a notice that I had qualified to compete in the national triathlons to be held in Milwaukee the following August. Four days later I checked myself into the hospital because of a funny feeling I was having in my left arm and the left side of my chest. Turns out I was having a heart attack. Three days and two nights in the hospital and I had a stent inserted but less than a week later, my cardiologist permitted me to resume training. No heart issues or funny arm/chest feelings since then. I was on my way to Milwaukee.

Except that in early March 2022, I tripped while running and slammed down on my left shoulder. A broken humerus bone, another broken elbow and a torn rotator cuff. It took about 12 weeks for the arm to heal but Milwaukee was no longer in the cards. About July 1 I tried swimming for the first time since my fall and could barely lift my left arm out of the water when I attempted the crawl. But breaststroking? That sort of worked. I thought maybe I could do the 2022 Seafair Triathlon, so let’s go for it! My training was late, intermittent and slow but . . I did it! I did the breaststroke for the swim, and very slow bike and leg runs but that may have been my happiest finish . . . and the one of which I am most proud.

When I compete these days, I look at the ages marked on the athletes’ calves and calculate that at least half of them were not born when I did the first Seafair Triathlon. I’m aging out. The knees hurt more, breathing is more difficult, etc.

So why do I do it? Simple:

• I did it yesterday so I know I can do it today.
• I’m doing it today so I can do it again tomorrow.

Who knows? Maybe this year will go better than last year. I won’t feel completely exhausted, and my knees might feel okay. Let’s not rule out 2024 yet.

And, as I write this just before Christmas 2023, I’m planning on and training for 2024.