My Triathlon Diary

Back in September 2017 I became an Olympic distance triathlon finisher. It was a journey full of emotions. After all the pain, stress and heartbreak, came the smiles, joy and a nagging feeling to do more. Completing my first triathlon was a life changing experience for me. I got the triathlon bug now and I have a new traithlon goal to reach. Some day I will become an Ironman finisher. I know it won’t be an easy journey but my mind is made up. It might not be next year or the year after however I will reach my goal of becoming a full distance triathlon finisher. I want to document my experience and share my journey. Maybe even inspire others to join the triathlon community.      

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Part 5 The Run

I was visibly shaking while cycling the last downhill into transition. Part excitement out of the desire to get off the bike and part fear, wondering if my knee was going to hold up after the fall. There was doubt taking hold of my mind, so I was grateful for the calming words from volunteers and other athletes. The interactions during the transition lifted me and gave me a much-needed push. While making my way out of transition into the run, I got to see, hug and kiss my wife. It's hard explaining much that moment meant and how much it lit the fire within me. The first few miles felt surprisingly comfortable, and the time flew by. I was soaking everything in, the excitement from cheering crowds, the good vibes from chatting with others, and enjoying the amazing sunset. Chattanooga is beautiful, and the run course takes you through some amazing views, including the river and downtown. Towards the end of the first loop, there is a bridge crossing. From there, I got teased by the views and the sounds of the finish line, giving me a rush of adrenaline. In my mind, I was ready to battle, knowing the last loop was going to be a challenge. I stopped to get my special needs bag with high hopes and felt determined. On the second loop, the mood changed. The course started getting dark, volunteers moved closer to the finish line, and the sound of shoes hitting the pavement became my only companion at times. Just to keep things interesting, my watch again let me down and stopped working. I found myself adjusting and racing completely on feel, which was a scary thing to do on the run. Also, my banged-up leg started to flare up, making it impossible to run downhill. It's almost cruel to be able to run uphill and then have to walk downhill. In the end, all the setbacks during the day made the race that much meaningful. Running the last few miles was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. I was dealing with pain, fatigue, and 13-plus hours of physical activity. However, I felt happy and at peace and could not help but smile. After taking the last turn to the finish line, there were around 500 meters left, and time slows down. The sounds, views, and emotions crossing the finish line after a hard-fought race made me feel like a different person. Anything is possible; I have finally become an Ironman finisher.

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Part 4: The Bike

After swimming under the two large bridges, you get out of the water close to the beautiful phishing dock. The music was loud and people were cheering louder. It was a surreal experience. At this point, I was high on adrenaline, slightly disoriented, and trying hard to visualize my next steps. With the help of the amazing volunteers, I got out of the river and made my way safely through the transition. I needed every bit of help finding my way through and making sure I did not forget anything. I knew I had a long day ahead, and this was just the start. Having their help kept me focused. Once on the bike, my nerves initially got the best of me. Within the first few miles, my spare hand pump became loose for a close call, almost dropped my nutrition, and I could not get my power information on the screen. I felt the fear and desperation taking over. I've been training hard to use power, and now all is out the window. Five stages of grief later, I settled down and accepted the cards dealt to me that day. Time for plan B, ride conservatory, pay close attention to the heart rate, and enjoy the ride. In hindsight, not that much of a deviation from the original plan. The bike course was a beautiful two-loop course through rolling hills. I had plenty of fun pacing the uphill and riding those downhills. There was a lot of on-course support and fans cheering riders. The first loop was mostly a training ride. I had a great time interacting with other riders and enjoying the views. One of the first loop highlights was getting passed by the pros athletes. Seeing Sam Long and Joe Skipper was amazing, but the highlight was getting to see my favorite triathlete, Lionel Sanders, fly by on the bike. The second loop was filled with challenges. Everything was just a little more difficult on the second loop. It took a lot of concentration not to make a mistake. That was exactly what happened to me in one of the last aid stations. I hit the floor hard while grabbing a Gatorade bottle from the volunteer. That fall gave me a banged-up arm, right leg, and a bruised ego. Thankfully nothing was broken, and I was able to continue. However, the pain in my leg had me extremely worried. I was really emotional and scared, thinking that my race was close to done. I put my head down and pushed through; I was ready to get off the bike and take my chances on the run.

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Part 3: Drop off and Swim

It is hard to put into words what the atmosphere is like on race morning, but I'll try my best to describe it. The air is thick, full of emotions of every kind. You can almost read what people are thinking like you would do while reading a comic book. The sun is still down, and the cold morning makes surfaces sweat like my nervous forehead. Most are silent, checking and re-checking things to make sure they are in order. One cannot avoid but reflect on the journey that leads everyone here and ask, are we ready? As the morning progresses, the mood lightens up just in time as the busses start lining up to take us to the swim start. Once at the swim start location, you can feel the intensity and begin to notice everyone's pre-race routine. Some lay on the floor, conserving as much energy for the long day ahead. Others warm up, stretch, or do yoga hoping to keep loose and warm on the cold morning. The announcement came in, and we started marching towards the swim start. To add to the excitement, the swim start was delayed because officials needed to wait for the fog to dissipate due to visibility concerns. When it was finally time to jump into the river, it was kind of intimidating; the water was full of action, swimmers lefts and right, and that mystical fog made it seem like a horror movie. However, there is no time to think before you can realize you step into the dock, and it is time to start swimming.   Swimming in a river is such a foreign thing. The smells, taste, visibility and the route are very different from the pool or beach. Within the chaos of the first few minutes, I swallowed some "fresh" river water courtesy of the swimmer in front of me, who, with impeccable timing, kicked water into my mouth while sighting. After what seemed like an eternity, I got into a rhythm and started to get comfortable. I can finally begin to appreciate all that is around me. The fog that was once intimidating now made everything look so beautiful. Swimming under the two bridges was unreal. These imposing structures that mark the final stretch were the highlight of the swim. This has to be the most beautiful swim I've done.

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Part 2: Bike Drop off and Shake up Run

One horrible night later and the self-doubt was ever present like a nagging headache. Realizing that my love handles were not allowing me to fit my wetsuit did not help my case. Something about having the option to use the wetsuit has always giving me peace. I know, I know even if I don’t use it. At this point with all the nerves, keeping a mental note of what to pack was a non-starter. I saw a good recommendation on the group chat and I thought it was clever.  Just lay out all the contents of the transition bag and take pictures so that you can review it later. It's simple and that why it's perfect. I'm not going to lie, leaving the transition bags felt like leaving a part of me. Obviously, I had to take one last peak into the bag to assure myself that nothing fell of the tightly closed bag from the house to transition. One kiss good bye and we are off. I headed out for a short shakeup bike and run. I did not dare to venture too far on the bike.  It just took a few trips up and down the street to get a sweat going. The main goal for me was to check the bike performance and make sure everything was in working order. I shipped my bike to the race; therefore, I spent the last two weeks riding the spinning bike at the gym. It felt awkward at first but you know it is like riding a bike,  you never forget. Don’t judge me, I had to do it lol.  Just getting on the bike on rested legs and the fresh air hitting my face made my soul happy. With a smile on my face a turned back and was ready to shake them legs. I have to say that this shake up run was really special. The town of Chattanooga is beautiful and is supper special how the town embraces the race. Just thinking about it still gives me  goosebumps, crossing the pedestrian bridge full of fear and that fear turning into excitement almost  instantly. Keep in mind this was just a shakeup run; however, there was so many words of encouragement from athletes and locals that made this moment really special. I finished my run full of appreciation for those who did not know me but yet shouted so many wonderful things to us. Noon was fast approaching and I needed to get off my feet. But there a few more things on the agenda after dropping the bike in transition. The important walk from swim exit to the bike and from the bike to the run. Traditionally, I do this a few times before heading back home.  With that out of the way, I need to do one more thing. We needed to drive by and pay my respects to Barton hill the soul crusher.

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Part 1: Getting to the Race Venue

Part 1: Getting to the Race Venue I don’t want to sound cliché but the days before a long distance triathlon give a new meaning to the term "the calm before the storm". Most athletes competing would have shed sweat, blood and tears by now as a result of training for this crazy triathlon dream over the last few months. It’s an unprecedented commitment that not only pushes us to spend the countless training hours on traditional things like the pool, bike and roads. But also the hours many spent, on strength training, massages, stretching and stupid foam rollers. All this just to give to have a better chance to enjoy and finish a race that by all standards look impossible at first site. By now the training hours have been drastically reduced making me feel uneasy and worried that I'm not doing enough. The drastic difference in time spend training makes everything seems so calm and easy compared to the last few months. Once we arrived to Nashville my brain was working overtime. All seemed so unreal and as we drove the 133 miles from Nashville to Chattanooga, I could not help but think that I would be covering more than that on race day. The thought of 2.4mile (3.8km) swim, 112mile (180km) bike and 26.2mile (42.2km) run a total of 140.6 miles sound intimidating but in our mind anything is possible. At least that was what I kept repeating to myself as I hide my fear behind the glasses, my sweaty hand in my pocket and attempted to get a little bit of rest on the way to our race venue in Chattanooga.

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It’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been working hard on preparing for my next big challenge. I’m getting ready to attempt completing my first full distance triathlon and it’s race week. I know! What the heck? There is a lot to catch up on and I’ll be sharing my thoughts on everything including the race results really soon. For now, all I can say is: I’m Ready to give it my all! Wish me luck and share your happy thoughts with me. I can use all the help I can get. This is a wonderful message from the race organizers sent to athletes. Very nice 👍 #imchattanooga #ironmanchattanooga #anythingispossible #triathlontraining #triathlon #ironman #feelgood #raceweek @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/CUAjQy-rhqk/?utm_medium=tumblr

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?? days until race day: today it’s been 111 days of training and it would have been only 76 days left until race day. Of course things are not the same anymore. After giving it some thought, I’m going to start dialing things back a little and start relaxing more. I’ll keep training but I’m giving myself time to distract from the actual Ironman schedule. Don’t get me wrong I’m committed on been ready for when the green light comes. The Ironman dream continues. And by the way happy Mother’s Day. #triathlontraining #triathlonlife #recoveryweek #nextchapter #ironmantraining #imtraining #circuittraining #recoverywalk @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/CABfTHihAaA/?igshid=1uixg8idnko7d

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?? days until race day: I had a little bit of a meltdown this morning debating internally about training. It was one of those good angel and naughty devil on the shoulder situation. I’m feeling good therefore there is no real reason not to train. I headed out for a recovery run. It was a little windy but I really enjoy the relaxed pace. I finished my workout early and there is still so much time left today to be naughty so I guess is a tie. lol #triathlontraining #triathlonlife #recoveryweek #ironmantraining #run #running #imtraining @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_-iL0CBsrC/?igshid=18aydr1dwp6bf

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?? days until race day: yes, it’s recovery week but I’m still following my training schedule. I need to start taking some time to figure out how to adjust things around. The idea is to stay active without burning myself self out while maintaining the base fitness. I got a few ideas but but I’m procrastinating and that’s needs to change. Maybe I’m still in denial. #triathlontraining #triathlonlife #ironmantraining #recoveryweek #cycling #indoortraining #endurance #imtraining @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_8buXRBhLd/?igshid=b853vakc8ktt

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?? days until race day: The weather was perfect today for running. The sun was out, there was little wind and great temperatures. Yet somehow, I was struggling to find motivation to head out. I’m sensing a pattern here. I’m going to start calling these roller coaster weeks instead of recovery weeks. #triathalontraining #ironmantraining #recoveryweek #running #triathlonlife #imtraining #imsantarosatraining @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_6H-IohvGa/?igshid=eqc1uad32yai

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?? days until race day: I’m getting my legs back and the discomfort I was feeling is all but gone. It’s just three days into recovery week and I’m already starting to feel better. I did intervals during today’s bike ride and it felt great to see the watts going up without sucking air after a few seconds. I’m hoping to continue the good streak tomorrow. #triathalontraining #triathlonlife #recoveryweek #ironmantraining #cycling #imtraining #imsantarosatraining #indoortraining @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_3UglyBxOD/?igshid=1db60phqw6elx

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?? days until race day: last night I went to bed early and set the alarm late. I can tell by my improved mood today that I really needed to rest. Everything feels better and I was able to enjoy my short run. There still some stiffness on the legs but nothing that good stretching and foam rolling can’t fix. #imtraining #triathlontraining #triathlonlife #running #ironmantraining #recoveryweek #feelinggood @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0yhaOhXJ2/?igshid=h14i0rs8trzu

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?? days until race day: I did not sleep well last night and that usually does a number on me. I spend much of the day rolling with the punches and my pounding headache. It’s not exactly how I intended for the start of the recovery week. Like usual, I always look for a bright side and my legs definitely feel good considering the beating of the past three days. I know that I can only move forward from here and tomorrow will be a wonderful day. #ironmantraining #triathlontraining #recoveryweek #circuittraining #triathlonlife #imtraining #imsantarosatraining @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_yEWWThLVS/?igshid=8iznb0li9z0r

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?? days until race day: I promised myself to finish this block of training. Today’s bike ride was the last session of two hard weeks. Next up is a recovery week and some time for me to start planning my next move. I’m definitely going to keep busy but I need to figure out how much so I’m ready to go when the call comes in and the Ironman Santa Rosa is back on. #triathalontraining #triathlonlife #ironmantraining #indoortraining #cycling #imtraining #endurance #imsantarosatraining @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_vlylJhym4/?igshid=x7gcbissjgfo

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?? Days until race day: I have not run this far since 2015 when training for the Philadelphia marathon. I’m glad that I still putting some of knowledge I gained back then to good use. Always applying anti chafing, concentrating on running form and knowing that walking is sometimes necessary. It made an tough run on tired legs that much bearable. I’m happy tired but happy with today’s run and how everything felt. #triathlontraining #triathlonlife #endurance #run #running #embracethesuck #ironmantraining #imtraining #imsantarosatraining @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_s3EyyhIbs/?igshid=sdv3awloabsa

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?? days until race day: It felt good completing today’s endurance bike ride. Yesterday I received my race day nutrition on the mail, to put more salt on the wound. However, I got to test some today during the training session. And now I got plenty of time to experiment and get the formula right. Don’t judge the mess, just some theatrics for the picture and pick it up right away before the boss noticed. #triathlontraining #triathlonlife #endurance #cycling #indoortraining #nevergiveup #imtraining #ironmantraining #imsantarosatraining @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_qo7QQBKBz/?igshid=e11u198l9cog

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?? Days until race day: running around in the rain brought up so many great memories. I’ve always enjoy going out and getting soaked on rain days. It was fun, refreshing and so peaceful with no one around. In terms of training, I decided, I’m going to finish this training block as normal and then go from there. My OCD would not let me start changing things just yet. #triathlontraining #triathlonlife #running #rainyday #imtraining #ironmantraining #run @marcostriathlondiary https://www.instagram.com/p/B_n4YYbhyM9/?igshid=5mx28floycq6