Gotta Tri... a tale of the Danskin Triathlon

Last year my dear friend Pam and her friend Traci invited me to do the Danskin All Woman’s Triathlon – my response to the amazing women was – “with this body?” They both said “yes” I Said maybe “next year” I committed to Pam and she encouraged me to go for it – so in late March I started in earnest to train for this race – ½ mile swim – 12 mile bike ride – and 3.1 mile run/walk.

A week before the race, as a practice run, I completed the swim in the pool in 24 minutes – did the 12 miles in 52 minutes and the walk in 40 minutes – I did my triathlon – I was ready….

We drove to Austin on Saturday and checked-in, got our packets and numbers, racked our bikes and viewed the glass like water of the lake we would be swimming in – not bad – water temp was good.

Sunday morning we were up at 3:30 am to get to the transport area for the race so that we could set up our transition area and be ready for the elite athletes start and 7:00 am – I can officially say I was first at the Danskin – first at getting on the buses.

The weather had changed dramatically – the water was wavy from the 25 mile an hour wind – by the time I went into the water on the last wave of the day at 8:40 the lake look more like a white capping ocean than a beautiful lake… but I had my girlfriends with me – we were doing this…

At the Danskin they have Water Angels – these are women who volunteer to encourage women in the water and if a woman gets in trouble she is there to offer a water noodle (yes a floatation devise) – about 100 meters into the chopping surf I took in a large mouth of water and pretty much freaked out… the angels were the to calm me down offer me a noodle and keep my eye on the goal of finishing…

Sally Edwards – and amazing woman (Ironman masters winner – author and Danskin spokes person) swam up to me in the water and asked me if I had been training – yes I had – ask me if I knew the breast stroke – no did not learn that one – asked what my goal was – to finish this race – she said great and said this was the most extreme conditions that you can race in and got two kayaks to block the surf so that I could swim with my noodle – up current – she gave me a quick lesson on the breast stroke – and said before she left to help the next woman – I’ll see you at the finish line– when I got about 300 meters out from the exit – I gave up my noodle – release my kayaks – kept my two swim angels who guided me into the exit for the swim – first leg completed 45:37.

On to the bike – oh those winds I mentioned – still present and oh where I trained- flat, very flat – and Austin – they call it hilly – but I think they are Texas mountains – so off to the mountains on my bike with 25 mile an hour head wind – oh and it never turned to a tail wind – had to get off my bike two times to walk up the last part of two mountains - but after about 25 grueling hills I rolled into the transition area at 1 hour and 9 minutes…

Changed into my runners and off to a brisk walk I went – through the woods on rocky path with pot holes covered with grass – up hills then down hills then around a corner then up another hill then down – and into the final quarter mile a giant Texas mountain… at the top of this hill I could see the finish line – two friends met me on the course to bring me in – my friend Pam video taped me at the crossing the finish line –

Total time 3 hours – 10 minutes – 42 seconds…. I am now an official triathlon finisher –

When I crossed the finish line and crying from tears of joy… Sally Edwards was there to meet me and it was an amazing moment… she shouted “You finished, I knew you could do it”

With the exception of my wedding day to Beloved and the birth of Sniglet this was the happiest day of my life.

Over all I finished 2502 out of 2592 –

I had my sister-in-law's name – my friend Rima's name and my grandmother’s name was etched with sharpie on the back of my leg and on my camel back for the entire bike ride… You see the Danskin is more than personal accomplishment, its proceeds go toward breast cancer research – many women do this in honor of the women in their life who have battled breast cancer – these 3 women were at my back the entire race, and any thought of giving up quickly was erased by their struggle and that they never gave up.

It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life – I am a fluffy plus size woman – I never in my wildest dreams thought I could do this – in Triathlon language I am an Athena – in my own mind it was impossible. My friend Pam saw something in me that I did not see in myself, it was always there just didn’t see it… now I do…

Every woman I know that went to the Danskin finished. If you every dreamed of doing the impossible, the Danskin is the place to do it.

I am planning my next Triathlon for October…

Then the Danskin again next year – Danskin Triathlon