State Games Weekend

On the car ride after the race I was completely overwhelmed.  For a moment tears ran down my face because this took everything I had.  I have been sick, I have been exhausted, and I have been sore.  Never have I been all three to such a deep level that even sitting still was painful.  My dream of the past year was disappearing before my eyes, but then it was there again when I thought it was gone. I know that 99 times out of 100 this doesn't turn out like this, being sick lessened that slim chance.  However, I am that 1 in a million type of person and this was my moment.

 

*Stop dreaming because this is really happening. Yeeeahhh!

People inherently feel a sense of entitlement to many things. We feel we are owed all these privileges and achievements just because we want them.  Ironically, when we have invested ourselves fully into our goals we are surprisingly hesitant to claim what we have truly earned, something we are actually entitled to, something that is truly ours.

Do I dare be so bold as to say-- through my complete investment and transformation of myself into becoming my dream over the course of 48 weeks-- that I was entitled to the successes of the most epic 48 hours of my life?

Do I dare feel any entitlement to this?  

 

After having completed all my races, with success that was grander than I ever dreamed of, I write from a completely expended and fatigued state.  I have never been this tired, sick, and sore in my whole life.  My body is figuratively saying, "No more, we're done." and I love it.  This was the "edge" and I have seen how far my body and mind are willing to go to live my dream.  That's a special moment of achievement in life.

 

My schedule of events from this weekend included a swim meet, 5k run, cycling, and the triathlon. It was a constant transition between all these events, eating whenever I could, warming up and cooling down, traveling between venues, twisting the energy out of my muscles over and over again, and spending time with my friends and competitors at the races. 

 

*Big thank you to Hammer Nutrition, these were my domestiques of the weekend.

 

*My living quarters

 

This adventure is not in me simply doing all these events, that would be a challenge, but the true success comes in the preparations I put my body and mind through the past year in not just training for, but physically becoming my dream.  It's doing the things others weren't willing to do, eating things that make me healthy, spending 6 hours in the week of the race just to make sure my bikes are operating perfectly, and planning with the precision of a military operation. 

 

I trained to race these events, not just do them, and I committed myself to this goal for months.  Success comes through consistency, not perfection, and for most of the past year I was the king of consistency. 

 

*Final preparations being done on the Orange Crush.

 

On Friday evening I completed in a few swimming events and the 5k road race.  I had a great 500 freestyle swim, winning the event in a last lap pass using a satisfyingly executed tactical-plan. 

 

*I didn't feel sick on Friday, but this shirt is definitely sick.

 

*'Dis be a pretty sick race suit as well.

 

*Ed and Pat.  Patti broke more records, shocking.

 

The 5k immediately following was a huge test.  The temperature was 101 degrees and the field was full of very fast people.  This event really took it out of me due to the heat and the level of competition.  I had to run pretty hard to earn a 3rd place in the 25-29 division.  The event finished with a final lap in the opening ceremonies stadium which was an awesome experience.  After running on the hot pavement and being in the sun, my energy was zapped and I was ready to hydrate, replenish with Hammer Products, and call it a day.

 

*Start of the 5k. Aubrey is in the middle in navy blue, I am the shirtless guy just off his shoulder.

 

I woke up Saturday morning and was immediately alarmed because my nose was stuffy and my throat was sore....not good.  I tried to brush it off and keep a positive attitude.  Cycling was my first event on Saturday.  There were a few different races going on, I chose to ride the 12 mile because it fit with my swimming schedule.  There were not a lot of competitors in this race as most of the "big dogs" chose to race the 25.   

 

*Beautiful course.

 

*MSU Bobcat on the move. 





 

Anyway, the main action in the race was the women's race winner making a break from our group with about 8 miles to go.  She stretched her lead out to about 2 minutes before I eventually started to reel her back in by making my own break[away].  She was a very fast rider and it was fun to have someone to chase.  I wound up catching her with about 200 meters to go, I purposefully timed it that way, and we rode together for the win in each of our respective gender categories. 

 

Most of Saturday afternoon was consumed by swimming events, which all went very well for me.  I won my division in all the swimming events and lowered my times from last year.  The constant warm-up and cool-down, and hard efforts really zapped my energy and allowed my sickness to set in.

 

Later in the day Saturday, my sickness was fully set in and I started to get very tired, stuffy, and drowsy.  "Focus, you can do this!" I told myself.  I knew that my insanely huge challenge had just become larger.  I had just made a difficult task much, much harder. 

 

*I was proud of my kit selection. 

 

*This picture even looks hot.

 

Saturday night was the time trial bike race.  I summoned my strength and rode very well.  The best I have done here in the past was 7th overall, this year I finished in 3rd.  It was hot, windy, and dry, and of course I loved that stuff, but being sick make it less enjoyable.  I has super happy with the TT and Saturday as a whole.  I retired to my hotel at about 9:00pm.  A big thank you to my new friend, Heather, for her graciousness in providing me with some great pictures.

 

*Hunkered down.

 

*All done.

 

*My friend, Tarje, after we finished the TT.

 

Saturday night my sickness really took over, I couldn't sleep and I was full-on sick with the triathlon looming in 4 hours.  I crawled out of bed at 2:30am after not sleeping and feeling the anxiety of my dream evaporating.  Why of all days do I have to be sick today?  

 

I flipped on the light and looked my groggy-face in the mirror.  "You have come too far and trained too hard for this to stop you.  I know you're sick, but this won't derail your dreams.  Do what you came here to do."

 

*Sick, slathered in sunscreen from the day, eating turkey jerky, eyes too tired to even open. lol

 

I tossed for another two hours before getting out of bed to head to the race.  The prep for the triathlon wasn't fun.  I was stuffed up, sore throat, chilled to the point of shivering, and barely able to keep my eyes open.  I felt the weight of my months of preparation and achievement of my goal fleeing.

 

I shut my eyes just for a moment and put my hand on the top tube of the Murder Machine and whispered to myself, "It's in your head, not your muscles, you can do this.  Give me 75 minutes, that's all I need."  Although I felt like death, I wasn't going to use that as a crutch, an excuse, or precursor to why I won't be achieving this goal.  I was here to do what I planned to do.

 

The triathlon was hard, my body ached and I won't say that I necessarily enjoyed it.  We often hear people say "just let the pieces fall into place."  The thing I am most proud of about this weekend was that when the pieces fell, 85 percent fell into place through luck and preparation.  It is the other 15 percent that I am most proud of.  I had the fortitude, strength, and stick-to-it-ness to maneuver those last stubborn pieces into place when most people would have given up.  I can't think of a more difficult challenge than the one I completed while sick. 

 

Never once did I tell anyone I was sick in order justify my performance.  I wrote that big post about acting like a champion, and I was determined to do that.  I didn't make any excuses about being sick etc., I had to believe in myself and practice what I had prescribed in that post.  I simply had to shut my mouth and do my best. 

*Beach start

 

*Commence with chaos

*Me leading the first lap to the beach run.

The swim went very well.  I was chilled to the bone so my wetsuit was a welcome comfort.  I was really fortunate to have one of the best young swimmers in the state participating in the team race.  Ethan Harder took the swim lead at about 400 meters and he ripped the swim pack apart.  I was happy to have his feet to draft off of.

*In Ethan's draft.

*Swim exit

*Transition

 

I stayed focused on the bike, and kept telling myself, "Be patient, let the race come to you."  By the bike turn-around a good gap had developed and although my legs felt heavy, they were still listening to my commands.  After the 16 mile bike, I was in the driver's seat of the race.

 

*Bike out, "You can do this, Bryan, breathe."

*Bike in

*You can't even tell where kit ends and bike begins.

*Helmet off...

I heard my friends cheer for me as I started the run.  I knew that I had to focus for 20 minutes.  Was this really happening?  Could I still win with all these extra challenges?

*Get on outta' here.

 

I just went to work on the run and focused on keeping my body moving forward.  When I made it around to the last stretch I asked the volunteer, "Can you see anyone behind me?"  She replied with, "Nope, it's all you."  I ran the last stretch of trail to the finish line.  I guess I finally had the answer to my question of how bad do I want to achieve this dream.

 

*How bad do I really want this?...

 

*I wanted it more than all the obstacles in my way, greatest feeling in the whole world, period.

 

*My body hurt so badly from being sick that this nice lady offered to remove my chip so I didn't have to bend down. 

*The last supreme pizza I had was after I won here in 2011.  I thought and talked about supreme pizza constantly for two years.  I had a medium supreme as my final-death-bed / you-did-it-champ meal. 

 

*This was my dream, thank you for sharing in it. 

This was my moment, but so many people have a part in it for their support of me and belief.  My family and friends who love and care for me were crucial parts in achieving this.  A big thank you to all of you for your support of me.  Thank you to the Davis family for their cheers and pictures, without them my dream would be only words.

 

I am thankful beyond words that things  turned out like they did.  When preparation meets opportunity life changing moments can happen. I am proud of my effort, my noble quest to achieve this dream, and of what I have accomplished.  

 

I come back to the question of do I dare feel entitled to this? 

 

There is no entitlement here, I earned everything, I am proud of who I am, and what I have done.