Bonney Lake Triathlon

I have rehearsed this scenario a hundred times in my head...

This was my chance to live it...

The swim started with the typical rush of energy, thrashing arms, kicking feet, and turning white water. I did my best to avoid any hard hits from swimming arms, or the legs that threatened to kick my goggles sideways. The main pack sorted itself out about halfway to the out-and- back buoy as the pretenders started to turn down the pace.

I was feeling very fatigued late in the week so at the start of the swim I was not feeling super energized or motivated to swim a hard tempo. I cut a deal with my darker half to swim into good position and rest, then ride and run hard. I slipped into the draft and held in 4th per that agreement. I had planned to take a little time back in T1 so I was comfortable with the gaps as they developed.

After making the buoy turn I set my bearings towards the swim exit and my tempo on cruise. The wind had picked up a little and so did the chop in the lake. My drafting partner faded a little in the rough water section. I slipped by him to exit the swim in perfect striking distance to the leaders with the 3rd fastest swim.

I worked my wetsuit down to my waist while running, pulled off my cap and goggles, and caught a glimpse of my entourage. All this was happening at the same time that my mind was coordinating with my eyes to calculate the gaps to the leaders in T1.

I had a great T1, making a pass of the race leader at the bike-mount-line with an “on your left,” and a flying leap aboard the Murder Machine. My feet found my shoe tops and I entered the start of the bike course.

The bike course is hard, period. The course has a lot of hills, tight corners, a rough surface, and sections of wind that hit like brick walls. The combination of all these things made it the most difficult bike course all year. I knew it was going to hurt so I tried to block the pain and keep on the tempo. I focused on trying to stay smooth through the corners, accelerate over the top of the hills, and push the effort into the wind. I knew everyone else would be hurting just like me.

I felt pretty strong through the ride despite the mounting pain in my legs. I managed to make my way over the hills, through the wind, and held on to my bike for dear life in the bike rodeo thanks to the rough road. When I made it back to T2 I had managed to keep the race lead, albeit a hungry chase pack was in the distance.

I had a fantastic T2 getting in, putting my running shoes and hat on, and getting out in less than a minute. I headed out for what would be an insanely hilly run course. Although, at this time I did not know it so I ran with the joy of being oblivious to the hills to come.

I quickly found my new, but becoming more familiar, run stride. As I kept the turnover and speed high I rounded a blind corner to a hill that rose up to what seemed to be infinity. This was a serious incline and a minute and a half later, when I made the summit, it definitely put a dent in my armor. I recovered pretty quickly as I made the crest of the hill and went down the other side.

I ran pretty tough holding my own. Near (what I estimate to be the) 10-12 minute mark I started to notice a tightening in my side. Two minutes later my side, from the bottom of my rib cage to the top of my hip flexor, tightened up so badly that I couldn’t run or breathe normally. Every time my right leg pulled through in my stride it would stretch my side to the point that I thought if I didn’t stop I was literally going to rip my oblique and create and injury.

It turns out walking wasn’t any better, my muscle was seized and all I could do was struggle to breathe while clutching my side in a painful grimace. 2nd place ran by as I was hurting. I tried to get back onto pace but couldn’t, my side felt like it was going to tear if I ran any harder than a moderate pace. Another guy went buy and dropped me to third place.

I really struggled the next few minutes while my side hurt badly. At this point I couldn’t breathe full breaths, but my legs were not tired because I had not been running that fast. I tried to manage the pain for the last part of the run course.

With 350 meters to go it was time to man up and run through the pain. Usually when you get passed on the run a re-pass doesn’t happen. With 250 meters to go 2nd place had about 30 yards on me. I knew if I wanted it I had to go, and go now. My side loosened up just enough to allow me to drop a couple gears and open up to about 95 percent sprint.

I could see I was catching 2nd place, I didn’t look directly at him because sometimes you get that feeling of being watched and it alerts you. I wanted to sneak up on him as much as possible and hopefully be on him before he had a chance to counter.

With 150 meters to go I dropped it to 100 percent power and closed to within 10 yards. “Don’t look back, don’t look back,” I kept telling myself this hoping he wouldn’t.

With a hundred meters to go I was two steps behind him. “Don’t look back, don’t look back.”  He felt the catch, or heard my footsteps, and looked back. The cover was blown; it was time to MAN UP.

With 50 meters to go I was running full speed to the finish with the re-passed runner on my hip. “Who wants it more?!!” My former 400 meter speed carried me to the lead as we made the final sharp bend to enter the finish chute. The chute entrance was a sharp corner so we slowed down, then it became a 10 yard dash to the line.

My hand went low as I leaned deeply into the corner, I went full power like a sprinter coming out of the start blocks until the line, almost plowing over the people handing out the finisher medals. I had just sprinted the last 300+ meters and the only thing I could do was slouch over a table a few feet past the finish line.

*I had to sprint from here to the car in the distance to run down 2nd place

The final 300 meters was really a dream come true. I once saw triathlete Bevon Docherty run down a guy with a long sprint and beat him at the line. It was one of the most awesome sprint finishes I have ever seen. I practiced that scenario hundreds of times in my head, wondering if I would ever be in that situation.

This was my chance and I made the most of it. I had nothing left at the finish line after the long sprint, what I had before the line was enough to take back 2nd place by less than a second, and secure another age division win.

*My Motivator

A big thanks to my family for putting me up for a few nights in the triathlon hotel. My cousin Bill gave me great motivation for the race. Bill told me, “I only stay for the top 5, once 5th crosses I go home.” Maybe that motivation was all I needed for a hard finish.