My first tri... part I

*If you have yet to compete in a triathlon you must know prior to reading this post that swapping stories about first races is a sacred ritual for triathletes. The rookie mistakes we all commit make for great pre and post-race fodder at the water tents. You'll have your special tale too some day. If you are a triathlete, I won't be offended if you skip this because you'll be hearing it, or one similar, on race day.*

I stumbled into my first triathlon in July 2006 with a couple buddies (pictured above, from left to right: me, Nolan, Joe) from work one day on a whim. I hadn't competed in any organized sports since high school (unless co-ed and city league softball counts) and I have never enjoyed anything that had to do with endurance. My excuse was that I just wasn't built for it.

But we decided to do the Spudman olympic distance (1 mile swim, 26 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) triathlon in Burley, Idaho. Back in those days, you didn't have to be waiting by your computer on New Years Eve to sign up for it. That race has become insanely popular and with good reason (I understand they moved to a lottery system this year). It is an excellent race with tons of community support.

Anyway, I didn't have a bike or a wetsuit, much less the fancy gear that I would later realize is part and parcel of the triathlon scene. My birthday was around the corner so I talked my wife into letting me get a road bike. I was blown away by what a new bike would set me back. Entry level road bikes were right around $700!

So I turned to e-bay and found a '98 Specialized M2 with a custom paint job for $400 with a great set of components. I managed to get out for a few rides a week and fell in love with it (I still race on this old war horse). I loosely followed a training program from BeginnerTriathlete but really had no idea what I was doing.

Finally, race day arrived. I was hooked from the moment I picked up my race packet the night before. After a heaping plate of spaghetti at the pre-race banquet I headed to the transition area to set up my bike. I did whatever the guy next to me did as he looked like it wasn't his first rodeo. The energy was through the roof and everyone was so friendly.

One of my buddies had a grandmother who lived in the area so we stayed at her place and clogged her shower drain with the hair from our legs that we ritualistically shaved... As if that was going to make some kind of difference in the water with my horrific swim stroke. I tossed and turned that night with excitement. It might as well have been Christmas Eve.

This seems like a good place to break... I'll write about the actual race day tomorrow.