Why do I TRI?

For years I had dreamed about competiting in a triathlon but it was only that....a dream.  Then one day, last October, my life changed.  I offered to move a couch from my place to Sharon's apartment and in the process I threw my back out.  The initial impact was not immediate.  I was able to hoist the couch into the truck and off to Sharon's I went.  When I arrived I grabbed a couple of couch cushions and when I took the 1st step into Sharon's my entire back locked.  It froze, I could hardly walk and when it came time to leave I couldn't lift my leg to get back into the truck.  My husband had to get a stepping stool for me to use in order to get into the truck and the trip back home seemed endless.  Once we arrived home, it took me about 45 minutes to walk to the front door, which was only about 16 feet away. 


Once inside I shuffled my way to the bedroom and Maddie brought me some gingerale.  I just laid there barely able to move.  "I'll be better by tomorow" I said to myself.  I wasn't.  The next day I could barely move, I had to crawl on all fours to get to the bathroom.  My husband found a chiropractor, Dr. Dan who made housecalls.  I couldn't stand, I couldn't walk, I could only crawl.  I crawled on all fours to the bathroom.  Dr. Dan came into the room and fixed me to the point where I could stand bent over at a 90 degree angle. 

My husband bought me a walker and installed handicapped bars in the bathroom.  My bathroom was now transformed into a geriatrics dream.  I could finally make it to the bathroom and back with little help. I laid in bed for 3 days with the chiropractor coming by twice a day.  My husband went to work and my Dad came over to take care of me, feed me and keep me company.  By the 4th day I couldn't take the pain any longer.  I was able to make it to the kitchen and I sat down in a chair but then, I the unimaginable happened.  I couldn't move.  I couldn't get up.  I was stuck and in agony I began to cry.  He  had to call the ambulance and the paramedics came, put me on a gurney and took me to the hospital.  I had never experienced so much pain in all my life.  Once I arrived at the hospital I went through a battery of tests.  Then I was told I had a mayo facial lumbar strain and sprain and would need intensive physical therapy and medication.  I was told that this would never fully heal or go away. 

From that moment forward,  I decided that I was going to take charge of my own health.  I started physical therapy which consisted of putting heating pads and electrodes on the afflcited area.  I was in so much pain they could not massage the area.  By my third visit, they were able to gently massage my angry muscles and I felt them release.  I left physical therapy and within hours the pain returned so I went to Dr. Dan.  He explained that the physical therapist had released the very muscles that were being used to keep my upright.  This scenario of having to see Dr. Dan the chiropractor after going to the physical therapist became a regular occurance.  I smartened up and decided to nix PT all together.  It was only a waste of time and money.  I had a new found respect for my body and continued seeing Dr.Dan, the miracle man, two to three times a week.

Dr. Dan made it clear that I was going to have to strengthen the muscles in my lower back and pelvis.  After seeing him for month or so, I asked him if I would benefit from swimming.  He said that "swimming would be perfect."  So I joined a local gym and hopped in the pool.  A few months went by and I started to feel strong enough to participate in a spin class and that was really fun and worked wonders in building up muscles.  I started off slowly and by March I had decided to participate in the Spin for Hope event which is a 3 hour indoor cycling event that raises money for the American Cancer Society.  I rode for the entire 3 hours, went over 65 miles and help raise $750.00 in my mother-in-laws name.

Then one day at the end of March, Ruth from my spin class, mentioned to me that the gym was trying to start up a Triathlon Team.  I figured that I could swim, I was biking and all I needed to be able to do was run.  Then I too, could achieve my dream of competing in a triathlon.  I decided to join the tri group, which was comprised of 12 women whose end goal was to compete in the Webster Lake Triathlon that would be held in June.  We trained together for months.  Going through a series of group runs, swim clinics, nutrition and strength training sessions.  Some incured injuries, others decided that training required too much dedication and others just plain sissed out.  What started out as our group of 12 was reduced to a group of 4 by the day of the Triathlon.  It was finally here, the day we all had been waiting for.  The day to see what it was we were truely made of, our day of the 1/2 mile swim, 14 mile bike a 3.2 mile run . 

I went down to the waters edge and suited up.  I put on my goggles and swim cap.  Wow!  1/2 mile in the water looks longer than you think. The air horn blarred and off I went into the dark abyss. Dodging fists and legs I swam, despearatly trying to find my rythem.  People around me were flailing and getting disoriended, they turned around and headed back to shore.  I swam on, out around bouy number one and turned.  Swimming at least 60 feet out parallel to the shore headed for bouy number 2, pass the lifeguards poised on their surfboards I rounded bouy #2 and headed for the shore.  Horray!  I can touch the bottom, now it's time to sprint.  I sprinted out of the water, peeled the top half of my wetsuit off and ran from the sand to rocks and onto concrete pavement on the way to the T1 area to find my bike.   

Wetsuit, swim cap and goggles off.  Helmet, sunglasses and bike shoes on.  Gotta Go!  I hop on my bike take a swig of water and look for my packet of GU.  No Gu?  What?  Where is my GU?  No fuel?  How am I going to make it up the 3 Sisters, a grueling series of 3 back to back climbing hills, without my GU?  Alright, don't psych yourself out. You'll be fine, even without the GU!  So without any fuel I headed for the hills and I made it up all of them, pass a few people on the climb and flew down the hills, round the bend, past the nature preserve and back to the lake for T2, the RUN. 

Running is the worst part of the race for me, but there's no time to think about that, auto pilot takes over and you go, go, go!  Helmet off, bike shoes off, baseball hat on and running shoes on.  Oh there's my GU it was in my running shoe!  Squirt some of that down and Go!Go!Go!  I take to the pavement and I'm feeling fine for the first mile and a half then all of a sudden my left quadracept starts cramping.  Like the worst charlie horse you ever had in your life cramping.  Like, oh my god, I'm going to keel over and die cramping.  Like god, please make it stop cramping.

I never experienced this in training.  I called out "AHH, What do I do?"  Those who I passed on the bike leg of the race where now passing me on the run.  "Shit!" I thought to myself, "What do I do?"  Just then a guy passed me and said "Just run throught it." mmmm Run through it?  Run through this pain?  Is he insane?  Is he crazy?  Oh well, I didn't know what else to do.  I made it this far and thought "What the hell?!!?  I will run through it!"  Afterall, I really had no other choice but to run through the pain.  A few minutes after I started jogging I felt the pain start to subside and then my calf started to cramp.  That too went away, I was amazed.  Nutter runner guy was right!  I ran all the way to the finish line!  Glory was mine!

Why do I TRI?  I had experience trials and tribulations of the triathlon and emerged truimphant.  I am a triathete.

The human body can endure much pain, the mind plays tricks and the soul bears great suffering there is no greater testament to being human.  To participate in a Triathlon, is is to celebrate the humanity in all of us.  It reminds me that there in nothing in life that I cannot endure!  Dreams really do come true!

Dedicated to:  Dr. Dan the Miracle Man