09-05-2013, 12:58 AM | #241 |
125GP Champion
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Worthington, OH
Moto: Empty Garage
Posts: 3,418
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So I ran my first tri Sunday, it was the Buckeye Challenge at Buck Creek State Park in Springfield. I was up sharp at 4:15am Saturday morning to eat some breakfast and get out the door by 5. I was at the park by 10 till 6, and holy crap was it dark. I didn't know whether I was walking into grass or the lake. Got my packet, race numbers, and timing anklet. Got my bike and gear all set up in the transition area. Went through morning ceremonies and it was almost time to race. Women's Mini were in the water first, and then it was the Men's Mini. I decided to do Mini over Sprint distance so I could worry about getting through the day and transitions, but I'm glad I did.
The water portion was 250 yards in the water. Not too long at all. Unfortunately I started to swim above my pace trying to keep up with the guy in front of me, and my breathing got all out of whack. I had to really calm myself down and get back to pace. Made the distance and ran out in front of 150-some sprint distance athletes all yelling and cheering us on. It was a weird experience. The worst was getting out of the water all soaked and out of breath, and having to run barefoot up this freaking hill to get to the transition area. The picture does the hill no justice, it was steep as hell. The bike should have been relatively cake at 8 miles, seeing as I work in a bike shop. Unfortunately I was out of the water in between packs and had no one to tow with. I had passed quite a few people that were slower than me and all of the sudden I was climbing a hill and I wasn't going anywhere. I looked down to make sure I wasn't big ring and I noticed my rear tire was squishy. Oh no... not a flat on race day. I jumped off and the tire seemed to be holding air, maybe 95psi. Tire normally runs at 105-115. I was just praying it wasn't a slow leak and going to get a pinch flat. I made the turn around and just put my head down and went for it. Thank god it held... (I forgot my pump at home and borrowed my Mom's to take to the race. Later I found out that her pump reads about 8-10psi low. So that accounted for my tire being in the 90's, and I actually wasn't getting a flat.) I made it back, the run was only 2 miles. The first half out ran almost downhill the entire way except the last 1/8 of a mile. Made the turn and got a drink and it happened... cement legs. The whole front half of my thigh felt so heavy from biking. It was so painful and hard to run, especially the last 3/4 of a mile was all uphill to the finish straight. I walked a bit and just sprinted the last 1/4 mile to the finish line. I crossed the line and heard my name being called over the PA. A girl put my medal over my head as another took off my timer. I had been passed by a few Elite level athletes in longer races on the run, and a few were yelling as I came down the finish line. One walked over to me and shook my hand, and said to me "Congratulations, you are now a Triathlete... no one can ever take that away from you". In the culmination of everything I almost walked away from him bawling. That statement from someone so fit could have meant more to me than any medal. I walked into the hospitality tent for the racers to compose myself and get a drink, and went back out to collapse on the hill and cheer some more finishers on. A bit later I heard that the results for Mini and Sprint finishers had been finalized and racers should visit the timing table. I walked back in and got to the table with the computer screens. A lady asked my number and she handed me this... I had finished 2nd in my category!!! I ran Clydesdale which is the heavyweight segment. Of course my time at 1:25:22 was farther down the men's Mini leaderboard, but in my segment I had podium-ed. I couldn't believe it. Icing on the cake baby...... I'm hooked. The first thing I did after getting home and soaking in the hot tub was look when the next race is. I'm not going to lie, every second of the race sucked. Racing is painful. Those of you who have raced before know what I'm talking about. But it just makes me want to train more so I lose weight and it's easier. Inevitably this is getting me to my goal of losing weight. I hate dieting and going to the gym, but by inserting competition, I have tricked myself into wanting to train. Odd psychology...
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*Coming soon? 2010 Ducati Monster 696 - Sold 1984 Honda VF500F - Sold 1999 Yamaha R6 - Sold Last edited by Porkchop; 09-05-2013 at 01:07 AM.. |
09-05-2013, 01:37 AM | #242 |
Keyboard Racer
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mile High City
Moto: Old Superbikes
Posts: 1,016
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Well done, Porkchop.
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09-05-2013, 10:11 AM | #243 |
Sham WOW
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: ATX
Moto: 2007 Ducati 1098
Posts: 2,741
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Porkchop, that is AWESOME! Congrats on the podium placement, that's bad ass!
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Photography "The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time. It was impossible." - Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss |
09-05-2013, 10:27 AM | #244 |
Serious Business
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York
Moto: 1993 ZX-11 2008 CBR1000rr
Posts: 9,723
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09-05-2013, 12:20 PM | #245 |
Geek
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Papillion, Nebraska
Moto: 2011 Husqvarna TE630
Posts: 1,437
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Kick ass. I have even raced downhill MTB. It's down the side of a mountain, but hell if I wasn't completely gassed at the end of my run. I couldn't even talk.
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09-05-2013, 10:02 PM | #246 |
125GP Champion
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Worthington, OH
Moto: Empty Garage
Posts: 3,418
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Thanks guys!!!
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*Coming soon? 2010 Ducati Monster 696 - Sold 1984 Honda VF500F - Sold 1999 Yamaha R6 - Sold |
09-06-2013, 11:17 AM | #247 |
Forum Coach
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: GA
Moto: 2006 GSXR 600
Posts: 7,419
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Congrats Porkchop, that is frigging FANTASTIC! Go you!!
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09-06-2013, 09:30 PM | #248 |
moderator chick
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Hill Country TX
Moto: Pasta Rockets
Posts: 8,917
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Awesome!!
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09-07-2013, 10:58 AM | #249 |
Movie Star
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Kingsport, TN.
Moto: KLR650
Posts: 682
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Most excellent congratulations to you Sir! An incredible accomplishment!
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10-10-2013, 03:47 PM | #250 |
Ride Like an Asshole
Join Date: Feb 2008
Moto: nothing...
Posts: 11,254
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Probably talked about this before, but who here does yoga?
I did my 4th Bikram class yesterday... then drove to jiu jitsu and did two classes... and today I am FUCKED. lol For those who don't know, Bikram yoga is 26 postures in a 100ยบ+ room and goes for 90 minutes. Each posture is performed twice and it's fucking brutal. However, it's the only exercise I've ever done in my life in which I felt AMAZING immediately after. Like... going from wanting to die to gobs of energy within 10-15 minutes. The big downside is cost... I'm going to see if I can work something out with them or another yoga joint to see if I can find one who would do some sort of cross-memberships with my gym to get a better deal. The other downside is hippies. Motherfucking yoga hippies. I mean, everyone's super nice and ridiculously positive, but I feel like if I keep going someone's going to try to get me to start a drum circle or something... Oh and old dudes in speedo shorts... Hippies and creepy old guys constantly adjusting their balls in spandex... I can say this... if I was a single middle-aged guy trying to get laid, I'd get a yin-yang tattoo, put on a tye-dyed headband, join yoga, and smash hippy milf pussy all day long. I might even rock the spandex if that would help. Yesterday was a mistake... definitely not going to train directly following that shit ever again... at least not two classes and 25 minutes of grappling... I feel like I've been run over by a truck... and not in the conventional sore muscle way... I'm good there... It's more like, I'm getting the flu... which, I guess, maybe I am. Anywho, I can't recommend this shit enough. I did it a couple of times a few months ago and now twice this week... it's really pretty amazing how you feel afterwards and despite the stress, my old injuries actually feel better... |
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