The Triathlon Secret Third Recap Post

I guess I’ll call this the secret third option because there’s always a secret third option, right? I posted a recap (part 1 and part 2) of my recent triathlon experience but left out a few important details (I blame the cold I caught over the July 4^th weekend).

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How could I write both parts of the recap without even mentioning how the race went this year compared to the same race last year!? Mostly all the equipment and gear I used in the 2023 sprint tri (finish time of 1:10:35) went by the wayside somewhere near the end of 2023. What is it they say? Triathlons are the most expensive sport… Something like that. An upgrade in bike and apparel SHOULD mean I improved my time. I’m still early enough in my triathlon life that chunks of time are coming off my overall clock. For this race, I was able to trim 7 minutes off my time which put me in the top 10% of racers (last year, top 23%) and #3 of 16 age group (last year #5 of 19).

I can see a little bit of a plateau forming as I keep participating in these races. Somewhere around the top 10%. That’s fine butI’d love to keep improving my strength and speed to see where the ceiling is for me. I am flirting with the idea of a half iron man in 2025 but for now, my next scheduled race is about 3 months away (October 2024). I’ve got time to rest a bit (get over this dang cold!) and put together a workout routine. Also, I might as well say it now… Monday I went to the doctor (and guess what he told me, guess what he told me)… he said boy, you better have fun no matter what you do. OK, no he didn’t say that. He said the pain I have in my shoulder is… drumroll please….

Arthritis.

Here I thought I had some sort of elite athlete injury that would require surgery and rehab. Ugh, I’m so disappointed! I’m just old. I’ll grapple with this diagnosis for longer than I should and then just do my best to be the best 45-year-old triathlete I can be. I’m getting to the age where I say things like: “It’s 8pm we can’t start a movie now,” and “My back hurts,” (after just getting out of bed) but truly the best is, “It’s a blessing to be this age because some people don’t get that luxury.”

Back to the race, though. It was nice not being surprised this time around. I knew about the cold water. I knew about swimming with the underwater vegetation wrapping around my hands with each paddle. I knew about running up and down the gravel hill twice… and the clay road. Knowing what to expect goes a long way!

There. I think I remembered everything I should’ve put in the other posts. 🥴 Now I’ve gotta go. It’s almost time for the 3pm early bird dinner.

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-Out of the Wilderness