A Family Who Tri's Together- The Bike

As promised-  the 2nd recap of our family tri, done by my Dad.    I did quickly want to say though, that my dad will be 64 on September 4th-  and he is a biking phenom.  The outfit he wore for the race from Map My Ride he got because of how often he is out there riding and training, while also using the IPhone app "Map My Ride"... and because of how frequently he uses it, they sent him that outfit-  insane huh?  Gives you an idea of just how much bike riding he does.  He rocked it on the bike, as Ive told you-  so instead of muddying up his recap with my intro, I'll just get to it :)

"Waiting"  by Fred Pfeifer  (looking dapper in his Map My Ride cycle gear)

Waiting.

That’s the worst part.

I’m the second leg of our three leg Sprint Triathlon, the bike part, while my youngest daughter, Elizabeth has the last leg, the 5K. Melinda is our swimmer and thus gets seeded to go first. While she’s in the pool busting her butt to make good time, I’m waiting.

I pace nervously back and forth, counting the cyclists as they pass through transition at what seems like Olympic qualification speeds.

And I’m still waiting.

She must be in the pool by now. But no word comes from our support team of Tom and Mike who are shooting the event for us again this year.

So I wait.

Elizabeth, our sprinter and third leg of our relay team has long gone down to pool side to cheer on her sister. Leaving me all alone with my thoughts.

And waiting.

To help pass the time and ease the nervousness I strip off my Three P  T-shirt, then check my watch. The digital seconds seem to leap over each other counting up the minutes that I am not on the course.

I pace.

And I wait.

Then I hear her!

“Dad! Dad! Daaaaaad!! 

Get ready, she’s coming!” and I see Elizabeth screaming at me and urging me on my bike.

The transition goes faster than I had hoped. Much faster than last year. Within seconds I’m running to the start. I hear a young girl, (or maybe a boy not sure as I don’t look up), telling me to stay off the bike until I get to the red line.

Red Line? What red line?

Then I see it and I push ahead, running full speed. I try to clip in as I mount the bike but the clips keep slipping off. What the! I try again, no luck and I’m losing speed. I curse myself for wearing new bike shoes with clips that only a contortionist could handle. But then I feel it. CLICK! Left foot is in.  Click, right foot locked in. Now down to work.

I gain speed as I push forward. Of course I am going downhill which accounts for the increase in speed, but I’m actually passing people. Like the kid with the three wheeler, then the man with the oxygen tank on his back! Then came this elderly lady who was on an antique bike with a basket full of groceries in front. (Hmmmm, maybe she wasn’t part of the race but just out doing her Sunday morning errands. Who knows?)

I count off the miles as my first of two loops come to an end. I’m grateful that I’ve been riding all year just to prepare for this event.  Feeling good. Aint nothing going to slow me down! One lap to go and then it happens, just like last year.

My energy drops. My thighs are screaming. And the sun is really, really bright in my eyes. Oh and I’m hungry too.

“Oh no, not now, not here, I can’t let those girls down”, I tell myself. I try to dig deeper, remembering how this bike group I wanted to join dropped me after one event because I was too slow.  “Too slow? Gosh darn it all if I don’t post a better time than last year my own daughters will drop me! Can’t let that happen!” So I change gears, push hard and before I know it I see the finish line. Could it be over already? I push on, harder, faster  pedaling for all I’m worth. I turn the corner. And there is the finish line.

And Elizabeth.

Waiting.