In mid-February I decided, with some urging from family and friends, that I needed to do some triathlons this year. I had always thought that I might do them, but always shied away for various reasons (clicky!). My Mom finally convinced me that I wasn't getting younger, so I should just jump in. Fine, but I'm doing it my way. Off road. No weird gear or crazy aero stuff.
[DISCLAIMER: I just stereotyped a group of people I really admire and respect. I know many triathletes who are the exact opposite of above and are wonderful standout people and capable cyclists. However, there will always be that guy on the tri-bike at Tuesday Night Worlds who decided to attack and somehow instead landed on his top tube and almost crashed us all...]
So, I'm starting my first triathlon on Sunday. Guess what? It's not off-road. Yes, XTERRA Degray Lake was supposed to be Saturday, April 30th. It's not. Canceled. Unless you've been living in a cave, which you might be smart to do given the circumstances, you've heard of the severe weather passing through the Midwest.
A tornadoe(s) directly hit the race course, resulting in major damage to both the MTB and trail run courses. Debris in the lake makes the swim unsafe. Even worse though, is that the major source of volunteers to stage the race - Teen Challenge - was hit directly by the tornadoe(s) as well. The campus is estimated to have $1 million in damages. Find more here and here.
Teen Challenge is trying to dig themselves out from under the damage and can not, obviously, stage the races that were happening at Degray Lake. Race canceled.
I feel bad for being disappointed for me... When it's so much worse for so many other people. A true Felts would say, "It is what it is" or "It could be worse." And that is how I feel. I am sending the money I would have spent on a hotel room and food in Arkadelphia, Arkansas to Teen Challenge. I don't want it. They need it more than I do and I was going to spend it there anyway. It's the right thing to do.
Places that stage races like this often times sell the race to the community by calculating how much income they will get from the racers. This weekend at Degray Lake there was supposed to be: an XTERRA, a road triathlon, a duathlon, and a trail run. All those athletes are now canceling their hotel rooms, and will not eat at restaurants 2-3 times, and the community will miss that economic benefit. Add insult to injury and they are also dealing with the aftermath of a tornado. Like I said, it's the right thing to do. And the least I could do.
Lucky me, though, there is a triathlon in my hometown on Sunday. 440 yard swim, 14 mile bike on local roads and a 3 mile run through campus. While I am disappointed, I am pro at turning a negative into a positive and will use this race to experience the physical sensations of a triathlon and work on my transitions.
I was tapering through the weekend, but with the frustrating news of today, I threw that out the window. I swam quite hard this afternoon and will do the same on the bike and run the next few days. I still might go into Sunday pretty hot, since I have been tapering, but we'll see (I suppose this is my cue to get a bike built and ready for the road, eh?). I felt pretty great in the pool today, which is quite unexpected since I took 10+ years off from swimming. Bike and run aren't where they should be, but it's April, right?
Come Sunday....
I'll be a triathlete.
