Telos Turkey Tri and Trot 2009

Telos Turkey Tri and Trot was my first Triathlon. The reason I picked it was because it was the very first one I could sign up for. I had been training for about month and I weighed over 230 lbs! Neither could I swim very good at that point. I really didn't know what to expect. I had some help from my brother who had been doing Triathlons for years, but most the help was over the phone due to the fact he lives 400 miles away. I didn't even own a bike so I asked my other brother If I could borrow his mountain bike. The only bike training I had was cycling class. I didn't even know the difference between a Road bike and a Mountain bike.



The morning of the triathlon, my wife and I drove to the race. I had never set up for a race before so I didn't know what I was doing! Luckily there were a few more-experienced athletes around and offered to help. This Triathlon is unique in that it has the run first, bike second, and the swim last. Once I got my transition area ready, I headed over to the start of the run. The gun fired and we were off. For my first Tri I had a pretty decent run time (For a 230 lbs man)! Once I made it to the transition, I heard my wife cheering me on! It was very uplifting to see and hear all the fans cheering.



At the bike transition, I only had to grab my helmet and bike because I didn't have bike clips or shoes nor did I know what they were at the time. The bike was pretty discouraging because I had a lot of people pass me. I couldn't figure out why because I was pushing myself really hard! Then came a hill.....keep in mind that I had never really biked outside before this and so hills were very new to me. I made it up half way and had to walk. I also saw someone throw up on the side of the road which was also pretty new.



After doing two laps on the bike I came in for the swim. For the swim I used my flower patterned bathing suit! I looked so stupid but I had no clue what to wear. Plus, I didn't want to spend the money on all this equipment unless I really liked doing Triathlons. The pool was a 50 meter pool and we had to snake through the lanes for a total of 300 yards. I really liked this because I was a horrible swimmer and I could take a rest on the wall if I needed (and yes, I did need to).



Once the swim was done and I crossed the finish line, I felt great to know that I had completed my first Triathlon! I was also hooked. I can't explain the feeling I get after completing a triathlon but it feels great! I went and changed my clothes and we waited around to see the results and to try to win some giveaways. Once the results posted, I didn't like them. I about finished last. Now for those who know me best know that I am a very competitive person. At this point, I felt like a loser but I had to tell myself that I had just started and it's only for fun. Although, deep down I really wanted to win. After talking to my brother, he explained that you can't compare yourself to others. You can only compare you to yourself. Every course is different. He told me about PR= Personal Records. Since I have learned that lesson, I have been a lot more focused on beating my PR then other people in the race. I also think that it makes the races more fun!



I unfortunately don't have any pictures from this event because our battery was out on our camera (**good tip: check the battery the night before your event!) but you can get all the info from the below sites.

http://www.t3triathlon.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=6

http://www.milliseconds.com/races/detail/1247