Memphis in May Triathlon

1.5k swim/ 40k bike/ 10k run
Millington, TN
17 May, 2009
7th Pro

300 miles into the drive from Chattanooga to Jackson, TN I realize I had not forgotten anything, yet somehow I was uneasy. Maybe being slightly absent-minded bodes well for racing fast? At any rate, I had everything I needed with me and was ready to race and eat BBQ in west Tennessee. My dad and I have a standing deal that he drives to the race and I drive home; my dad's career as a baseball player has done nothing but set this torch of superstition a blaze. We stayed with my uncle and his family in Jackson, TN, and the commute to the race site was rather refreshing as we passed the mostly unchanged with time countryside.

Everything this weekend was a first for me: the mandatory Pro meeting the day before the race, the Pro start time of 10:30am (what was I going to do with a full night's sleep?), racing in the Pro wave as opposed to hours later, and a few other odds and ends. I got to see some old buddies, which was awesome, and meet a couple new ones in the same weekend. By nature, human beings are social creatures, and somehow a healthy social interaction lends itself nicely to this sport of individuality. I am race number 16. A good number. A certain Joe Montana wore this number. I don't have a laser-rocket arm with pinpoint accuracy. Sorry to disappoint.

Having a later start time meant we had many fans and fellow athletes alike watching us swim, bike, run and transition between the former. This race was in time trial format, meaning the athletes ran into the water one at a time with ten seconds of separation between us. I start the swim and drink an unhealthy amount of the pond/lake. I swam a decent time for me, especially since I didn't have a wetsuit (they're worth about a minute and a half over a mile swim). Onto the bike, I am quickly surrounded by the ubiquity of nature. No cyclists, no motorcycles, no noise. Well, I must preface that statement with the information that I had caught Andrew Starycowicz in the water, who started about 30 seconds ahead of me, but as soon as we began the bike he took off. Within a couple miles he was out of sight and I was alone. I stuck to my nutrition plan and got back to T2 as best as I knew how. The progressively harder blowing wind took its toll on me on the bike, as I'm sure it did on most everyone. I started the run and felt pretty good. This isn't exactly an easy run course, and I was already a little broken down from the previous weeks of hard training. To quote an iconic movie, "Certainly it hurts...The trick...is not minding that it hurts." So I put my head down and ran. I ended up running my second 5k about 30 seconds faster than my first 5k, so I was happy. I ended up 7th Pro in my first race as a Professional.

I can't give enough thanks to my family, friends and coaches who help me more than words can describe. East Ridge Bicycles, Zoot Sports, Powerbar, ISM Saddles, Kestrel Bikes, PEDRO'S, Fast Break Athletics, Smith Optics and many others: you all have helped me achieve my dream of becoming a professional triathlete. One race down, many years to come.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
T.E. Lawrence: Certainly it hurts. (After extinguishing a match between his thumb and forefinger)
Officer William Potter: What's the trick then?
T.E. Lawrence: The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.