On Sunday, I participated in the North American Championship organized by IRONMAN at Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. The 70.3-mile triathlon, which is well-known for its uber challenging bike course – in the rolling hills of beautiful farmland – was an event that I spent several months preparing for. In May, I even drove out with a friend for a test ride to familiarize myself with some of the most challenging stretches of course; I returned home with confidence and determination for the ultimate conquest. I also spent many hours for race day by practicing steeper inclines during in-door riding sessions.
On race day, my swim went well – saving some 10 minutes from last year’s 70.3 mile triathlon at Keuka Lake, New York, – and my subsequent bike ride went well and according to the plan; I mastered the difficult climbs but at the three-and-half-hour mark on the bike, I was ready to get off. With only three miles left of the ride, I started to experience a familiar pain: an emerging cramp in my leg but knew from last year’s ride that unless I dealt with it immediately, I would cramp up and not be able to complete the run. To my good fortune, I was able to stop and two spectators served me Jalapeño juice – which tasted disgusting – but did the job of quelling my nascent cramp so that I could successfully complete my ride. As I arrived in transition, I was in good form – to pain and in a good spirit – but zapped of energy; I had been biking for a staggering four-and-half-hour through a windy but otherwise pleasant climate through a 4,000 ft of elevation gain where the main climb is roughly 2 miles long with a 400 ft gain, maxing out at a 13% gradient.
I was very proud of myself, thinking: “So far, so good.” But then I choked: During the run, I ended up walking mostly – forgetting about the cut off time – while chatting about faith and family with a fellow athlete. In the end, we missed our cut off time and were promptly informed about IRONMAN’s DNF policy, which stands for Did Not Finish.
It was naturally disappointing, especially after all of the hard work that I had put in and paying for the expensive race in addition to hotel and travel costs but realized that I had indeed conquered one of the most challenging 70.3 IRONMAN races and that I could do so again. On the flipside, had I indeed pushed myself at the very end – and kept the cut off time in mind – I could have left the event with pain in my body and a potentially knee injury – which I had avoided during the months leading up to the event.
Instead, I was able to complete the three-and-half-hour drive home after the race without injury and return to long-distance running within a week of the IRONMAN event. I felt proud of my achievements even if I blamed myself for “choking.”
I am definitely motivated to continue my triathlon journey, but next time around I will prepare better for the mental aspect of an IRONMAN. For me, triathlon has always been about achieving the ancient Greek ethos of a healthy mind in a healthy body.
For me, triathlon has always been about achieving the ancient Greek ethos of a healthy mind in a healthy body
