Speedy Canizales

All summer long I’ve had a one-track mind.  All I could think about, talk about, and write about was one thing: it starts with a T, has three parts, and had me scrambling to find time for training.  It’s T for Triathlon!  Back in March I signed up for the Malibu Triathlon at the urging of my boss (some would even call it peer pressure) and have been obsessing about it ever since.

Now that it’s over I don’t know what to do with myself.

***

I was nervous about the Malibu Triathlon ever since I signed up for it.  You could even say I was sick about it.  The run and the bike parts were easy enough, but the swim?  I didn’t even know how to swim.  Sure, I could float on my back and even backstroke, but I never learned how to swim freestyle.  Here’s the kicker: I didn’t start training until late May, and I thought I could master the freestyle in three months in time for the triathlon.  (Examples of my swimming angst chronicled here and here.) Little did I know how much work it would take to get there, how many fears I had to get over to make it to the other side.  First I got over my fear of swimming in the pool, then swimming in open water.  The other parts came together flawlessly, and before I knew it, it was race day.

Team huddle

Swim start: Wave 1

Transition from swim to bike (T1)

Transition from bike to run (T2)

Sprint to the finish

My cheerleaders

I learned a lot about myself these past couple of months, not just what my body could endure but what my spirit could overcome.  Looking back, the journey was what I enjoyed, and now that I am finished with my goal I feel a little sad that it’s over.

***

I’ve spent every Sunday of the last three months training at Zuma beach.  At first the focus was on biking, then running and swimming were eventually phased in.  About two months before the triathlon we were doing swimming, biking, and running the course.  This made the course that much easier for me – on the day of the race it was just like any Sunday morning.  Well, except for the 3 a.m. wake-up call and the spectators.  And of course, except for the celebrities.

I don’t know if you’re aware but the Malibu Triathlon is a magnet for celebrities.  It’s only fitting because of its proximity to the tony enclaves of Malibu and Pacific Palisades, and to Hollywood in general.  Past finishers include Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, David Duchovny, and Jon Cryer (who shall always be Duckie to me).  This year there was no J. Lo or Matthew but there was The Hoff, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, and Mario Lopez.  A.C. Slater y’all!!  I am a Saved by the Bell fan, so when I heard he was doing the triathlon I secretly hoped that he would still be around when I crossed the finish line.  (The thing about big triathlons like Malibu is they start the swim portion in waves, with the men going first by age group, then women by age group).  There’s usually a five or six minute gap between waves, so by the time they got to me Slater had already finished his swim and was already on his bike.  I didn’t even get to see him in person; luckily some of my friends had their camera handy and got me these shots:

After the results came out the following day, it became apparent to me that the best thing about competing in the same triathlon as A.C. Slater is kicking his ass in every single event:

I finished in 1:57.15 – I can’t help but feel a little smug that I would beat someone as buff as Mario Lopez.  I keep thinking of things A.C. Slater would say and all I could come up with is, “Maybe next year, Preppie!”

***

It’s been a little over a week and I miss the Tri team from work.  Some of them are training for upcoming triathlons, and some of them are taking a break from the madness.  It warms my heart thinking about all those Sundays when I’d spend time getting to know these cool people.

I did the best that I could at Malibu – I poured everything, every last molecule of energy – out of my body into the race.  As I pore over the results of the race I can’t help thinking about how to cut minutes from my time.  What if I swam faster?  What if I biked harder?  What if I ran smarter?  What if, what if, what if.  I’m beginning to think that I’m forming an addiction to triathlons.  Send help!