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 4th weekend).

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.

-Out of the Wilderness

Sprint Triathlon Results – Slippery, Cold, and a Top 25 Finish!

Welcome to part 2 of my sprint triathlon recap (catch up with part 1 here). I left you with a little cliffhanger yesterday because there were a couple of things that happened that could’ve taken my brother-in-law or me out of the race entirely. The horror!! All the training and no race to compete in. The biggest hurdle was a flat tire…. BEFORE THE RACE EVEN STARTED. We were about an hour out of starting and needed a tire asap. This is one thing I’m learning about almost every single triathlete I meet: They’re team-oriented. Kind of odd, right, since it’s an individual sport! If you’re around a triathlete, ask them questions you have and 99 times out of 100 they’ll be happy to share what they can. This was the case with the case of the busted tube. The very first people we talked to not only gave us a tube, but they didn’t take reimbursement, just told us to pay it forward. A few minutes later the bike was good as new. So cool…

The next hurdle was a stinky one. Literally! From our 2-hour car ride, I was ready for a pit stop and another thing I’m learning about race morning: There’s inevitably always a line for the private stalls in the bathroom. This time also included the unfortunate circumstance of no toilet paper. Yeah, it was interesting. The line was long enough that my anxiety level was going up, up, up, because I still needed to prepare my transition area AND put my trisuit on. I had about 10 minutes before the transition area closed.

I ran out of time before I could stretch properly or get a short run in with shoes on but at least I didn’t have a DNF getting locked in the bathroom. We gathered together for the national anthem, a bit of comaraderie appreciated by the athletes and fans in attendance. It WAS the 4th of July after all. With opening remarks out of the way, it was time to go. The water was cold and flat. The athletes were lined up. Nervous anticipation. And then the first athlete jumped into the water.

A few minutes later it was my turn. Oh, before the race started I couldn’t decide if I should use my wetsuit (water temp was 68°)… and I ALREADY HAD IT ON! I’m so indecisive. I decided to use it, taking a chance on whatever time it might cost me taking it off in transition. So I jumped in and felt pretty good right away. No water in the goggles, temperature not unbearable. It was a straight swim out then turning back in at the halfway mark. This is where I started to feel short of breath but kept as calm as I could. I think my wetsuit might be too tight. A little struggle but I washed up on shore and took off for the transition area.

And yes, I almost fell as you can see in the picture! Because I was so indecisive about the wetsuit, I didn’t apply any Body Glide so taking the suit off was harder than it would’ve been. I’m so dang hard-headed. The cycling portion went fine. I passed some people and got passed by some people. That’s about par for the course. Cycling is the area I can improve in the most (in regards to timing because it’s the longest distance of the three). I never felt like I was overdoing it, just going hard when I could and bearing the uphills when they came. The transition to run went fine. I wasn’t super fast but I was steady and didn’t make any time-consuming mistakes. The run is my favorite part even though the switch from bike to run makes a funny sensation in the legs for the first half mile or so. By the time I finished the first mile I had caught my breath from the bike ride. Then it was just about focusing on the targets ahead of me, I really like picking out someone in front and using them as a marker to catch up to. This run course was mostly dirt and gravel (my least favorites) so I tried finding the most firm ground. It also has a steep dip in the middle of the 3 miles, down and up, then on the way back it’s the same… down and up.

I could’ve pushed more on the run, I think. But I crossed the finish line 19 seconds under my prediction. Wahoo!

I reached 2 of the goals I set for myself this race– finishing in the top 25 overall and top 3 in my age group. I even got a medal… (PS. everyone gets a medal 🤪)

There are some fast men and women in these races and as I was doing my bike and run, it was impressive to see all the folks out there overcoming the heat, the ups and downs of the course, and just generally totally rocking it. I love being part of these events!

Thanks to triathlon athletes Daniel and Keith for the race pics included in this post…

-Out of the Wilderness

My Sprint Triathlon Results – Unforeseen Hurdles!

I had every intention of posting a recap of my recent sprint triathlon the day of the race, or at least the day after, but now it’s already been 4 days! In my defense, the event was plopped right in the middle of a family beach vacation so right after the awards were handed out, my brother-in-law (who also raced) and I took off (in a car… not swimming, biking, or running) back to the beach. I might’ve been able to post something soon after but when there’s 15+ people (I lost count after my brother’s 5th child was born), it’s basically like walking into a carnival fun house every time you open the door.

So a day went by. Then another. It didn’t help that the day I got back from the vacation I caught a cold. Sniffle, type, cough, type, achoo! Then boom it’s Monday and here I am posting for the first time about the only race I will have done twice. But I’ll do my best, kind of like the race… all I could’ve done was try my best.

Waiting in the packet pick-up line.

As I said before, this is the first race I might’ve done twice so I was pretty excited to compare stats from last year’s results. But at the same time, I was going from a vacation (somewhat already exhausted from beach activities and lots of pickle ball) so I’m not so sure my entire system was rested and 100% ready.

Family pickle ball tournament.

Race Day. Wheels up at 5am and the entire ride there was in the dark. Anyone who’s done morning races is familiar with this. The sun hasn’t even peaked over the horizon as we drove 2 hours northwest. Besides lots of deer along the roadside, we made it there without any major hiccups. Turning into the park, I’m reminded how much I love the pre-race environment with folks setting up their transition areas, going for a practice swim, loosening their legs with a jog. Chatter. Body marking. Music. It’s great. But my bro-in-law and I were faced with a couple of setbacks before the race even started. Obstacles that could take us right out of the race completely.

How did we react to these unforeseen hurdles? Did we make it to the start line on time? Was a DNF on the horizon, along with the sun?

Check here for the rest of the story…

-Out of the Wilderness

The Walmart Summer TV Commercial – The Music and More!

Walmart is apparently ready for summer and the department side of the store is stocked for your summer needs, too. From clothing and jewelry to dinnerware and furniture, this commercial shows off a few things Walmart has to offer. There’s also a pleasant soundtrack that adds to the festive spirit of the summer ad. Take a look then scroll down for more…

The Song. A great song choice for a summertime commercial, here’s the full track of “Where You Are” by Orang Utan. People are saying this song is a bop, it knocks, and other stuff I’ve never said out loud about any song ever.

The song was released in February 2024 by Orang Utan– an artist who apparently wears ape masks and has a mysterious, unknown identity. More about his or her background can be found here and you can find the primate(s) on Instagram @orangutan_music. Orang Utan music is also used in this Southwest Airlines commercial from 2023…

-Out of the Wilderness

Lady In Red

After spending a week together with family for an annual reunion, it was time to head back to reality and during the hour-long drive, I made the mistake of listening to this entire song.

It’s not typical for me to stay on a radio station playing 80s music and this song came out when I was 8 years old. There’s no way I related to it in any way back then. I was more interested in Legos and Saturday morning cartoons.

Not only did I listen to the entire introduction of the song by Nina Blackwood (she was hosting for the weekend on SiriusXM and I was hooked listening to her raspy voice), I enjoyed her retelling the about the fervor all of the country when this song was first released. She actually didn’t reveal which song she was talking about until the very end so I thought I’d give it a listen. That was my biggest mistake.

It’s a song that little 8-year-old me would’ve forgotten about 2 seconds after it finished but 45-year-old adult Ben was melting into my seat. Instead of finding another channel, I was drawn back to just a previous relationship, thinking about some of the good moments and basically just being full of regret and hopelessness. I had a “lady in red” but I let her slip through my fingers. It’s her I think about when I’m having my own pity party. When I think my best dating days are behind me, it’s because no one I’ve dated since has affected me as much as she did.

I’m trying hard to believe I’ve still got great things ahead, maybe a beautiful match that will share life with me. It could happen. But sometimes I wish I could go back and do “a lot of things different” as Kenny Chesney would say. So many ups and downs rushing through my mind and all thanks to a 4-minute ballad. What a song. There’s no wondering why it rose to very high on Billboard charts all over the world in the late 1980s.

Do you have any songs that immediately draw out strong feelings, whether they’re good or bad? Tell me about it in the comments below…

-Out of the Wilderness