The Chicago Triathlon ... It Happened

The days leading up to the Chicago Triathlon found me acting giddy. I was excited. I remembered the feelings I had after completing Esprit de She in June and I wanted to feel those feelings again. I wanted Will to be able to experience those feelings for the first time. And the best part of all of it for me was that we were going to experience it together. The day prior to the event we had to go to the expo and get our race packets, our bibs, our bracelets, get body marked, and we later then racked our bikes in transition. The expo was exciting, there were a lot of vendors to talk to and look at all things triathlon related.

During the packet pickup we received our race numbers and specifically our stickers for our helmet and bike. Once we put the stickers on our bike we headed over to transition to rack our bikes for the race the following day. 

Our bikes racked in transition.

Once we had our bikes racked we met up with a friend of mine, Brett who was racing the international distance the following day. We chatted for a bit and wished one another well. Will and I headed back to the train station to catch our train home so we could get back, eat, finish packing up, and get some rest. We contemplated back and forth what to have for dinner and Will had the best idea to order pizza and have it be prepared as we finished a few last minute errands. 

Seriously, don't judge us.

Let it be know we didn't eat it all, in fact it took me three days to eat all of mine. After we ate I laid out all of my gear and took inventory to assure I wasn't forgetting anything and in the same aspect wasn't bringing three of everything despite any nerves I was feeling.

All laid out the night before.

We were up early, we were set. We were loaded. We were on our way to the Chicago Triathlon!! We parked about a mile away to avoid any crowds, as well we knew Will's truck fit in the garage we parked in. My friend Brett sent me a message telling me the water temperatures were coming in at 60 degrees and he was lining up. I wished him good luck while Will and I continued walking to the event, taking it all in. Chicago felt different that day. Chicago felt different than it did just the day prior.

Will and I each set our transition areas up making sure everything was just where we wanted it. We'd be returning to transition after our swim to strip out of our wetsuits and head out on our bikes, and then after the bike to return them and head out on the run. I was comfortable with my transition set up and declared it complete. I'd return after my swim.

My transition area. Helmet on my glasses which were on my shoes with nutrition in them. Behind is my race number on top of my running shoes. All laid out in order of when I needed the items, as well as the most important ones on top so I'd put them on first. 

I checked in on Will who was finishing the final touches on his transition area. I ran to the end of transition just in time to see Brett heading out on his bike! I cheered him on, catching him off guard. He claims that's why his left arm is in such an odd position.

Brett heading out on the bike!

Will and I headed out of transition with our swim caps, goggles, wet suits, and gear check bags. Will's wave was scheduled for 9:11am and mine at 9:31am. We had well over an hour before our start times so we took that time to walk along the swim watching people swim through. It was amazing to see everyone. It was an amazing feeling to know I was a part of the event. It was amazing to know I would soon be in that water. 

Triathletes swimming in Lake Michigan

Will got his wetsuit on and we waited for our friends to meet us. To think, people put their lives on hold to come cheer us on! It was all very surreal to think finally after months, the Chicago Triathlon was happening!

Before his first triathlon

I'll admit, and I've already told Will, I didn't see him swim by. I know Will was in the pack of 100+ men in wet suits, gold swim caps, and goggles. I foolishly thought I might be able to see him swim by. Truth be told all of the guys looked the same. But there's no doubt in my mind he was doing great when he swam by me! I was up next to suit up and get ready! 

Ready to enter the corral for the swim start

The purple swim cap wearing ladies of wave 41 and I lined up, nervously chatting among one another. We began. I was swimming along quite well. The water was cold, but the prior Tuesday we had swam in cold Lake Michigan at Ohio Street Beach so I had prepared as much as I could for the cold water temperatures. There were people struggling. And I have no doubt in my mind that had Will and I not went to OWS Clinics and I swam that last day in the cold water I would have struggled as well. The swim portion of Triathlon is just as uncontrollable as the other aspects, but even moreso. A swimmer from two waves prior to my start was struggling, but keeping on. I was .34 miles into the .50 mile swim and I was kicked in the head by the struggling swimmer. It jolted me. I went under and came back up. I was dizzy. I was seeing stars. I flipped on my back to get my bearings straight and I was still feeling dizzy. I swam over to one of the boats to hold on for a moment to get my vision straight. The boat attendants asked if I was ok. I told them I had been kicked in the head and was dizzy, but just needed to catch my breath and sight again. I threw up. They asked again if I was ok. I insisted I was. I threw up again. They called for rescue and said I could not complete the swim due to being kicked in the head, saying I was dizzy, and throwing up. I argued. I was wasting energy and time, but I argued. I didn't win.

I had to hold onto a stretcher on the back of a paramedic jet-ski and be towed back the .34 miles I swam to the start line. I cried the entire way. That wasn't what I had trained for. That wasn't what I could do. I had to get out of the water and then walk the entire swim distance on concrete without shoes. When I say walk, I mean stomp. I was stomping and fast. Ironically I was walking as fast as other purple caps were swimming. I found Kristine and my friend Erin. They were looking for me. They were watching the water for me, and there I was standing on land behind them. I told them "I got pulled" and kept going. They followed behind. I then ran into Matt who was waiting at the swim exit for me. He was looking for me. He had trained me for that moment. I told him "I got pulled". He grabbed his stuff and ran to me. He said "You walk really fast when you're pissed off." I told him what happened, we unzipped my wetsuit and pulled it halfway down. Matt told me to take my phone so they'd know where I was at in transition. I told him "I still have to bike and run". I hopped back on the carpet and ran the 1/4 mile to the transition area.

I had to shake the tears that were still falling. I knew how the race would end. I'd get a time, I would have completed the race, but due to a circumstance beyond my control my official time would be a DNF. DNF. Did Not Finish. It'll be posted on the internet forever and despite my having finished, there's not a disclaimer on the time that says "DNF, but". It would eventually and then forever say DNF.

Everyone I passed cheering for me and my fellow racers, none of them knew. None of them knew that I could have quit. I ran through transition and as soon as I could hop from the blacktop to the grass I did. It was just easier to run on! I ran through transition and got to my set up. Several of my fellow purple cap swimmers were among me. I was technically doing great on time, right in line and my swim start to my walking swim finish later on ended up being 22:00 flat. I had to leave the swim behind me, literally and figuratively. 

I plopped down in the grass, stripped my wetsuit down the rest of the way. I slipped my feet into my bike shoes as I snapped my helmet on and put my glasses on. As I cinched my right shoe down I put my already opened back of Honey Stinger Chews in the back of my tri-top. I cinched my left shoe down, unracked my bike and ran off. I started running toward the midsection of transition, but other cyclists were coming toward me so I followed them out the right side of transition. I crossed the mount line of the bike, hopped on, clipped in, and shifted downward as fast as I could. 

The first part of the bike is a ramp off of Randolph onto Lake Shore Drive. If you're not in a low gear you're going to suffer and maybe fail getting up it. I zoomed by other cyclists who weren't expecting that ramp. In fact one of the Tri-Swim Coaches I had during an OWS Clinic said "Girl, you were in the right gear, now go at it!" And I was off. I can honestly say I had never felt as confident on my bike riding or racing for that matter as I had that day. I was passing people. I was able to get up any small hills. I was using any downhills to my advantage to gain additional speed. I knew that on my bike out Will would be on the bike in. We saw each other! A quick wave across the Lake Shore Drive Median and we were both back on our way. I kept an eye on my watch and if it was right I was riding the fastest I had to date. Which in my mind pretty much meant that not only had my swim gone not how I wanted, but in my mind my bike wasn't going well and my watch was off.

It turns out my watch was right! I completed the 15.5 mile bike ride in 52:21. I averaged 17.45mph! I ran back into transition. I was the first in my area back from the bike. I was all alone and had space to spare! I re-racked my bike, took my helmet off. I slipped my bike shoes off and put socks and my running shoes on. I clipped my race belt on, and I was back out of transition within 3:14! This time was cut in half from my last Triathlon! They say you learn something every race, and how to prepare for your next race.

I'm not the fastest runner. I know they say if you're running you're a runner. They say a 16 minute mile covers the same distance as an 8 minute mile. That doesn't mean that I'd still like to be faster. I was out on the run path and much to my surprise, there was Brett! He had long prior finished and he yelled "Lori, I know you've run half marathons, you've got this, now run!" It's what I needed. I still had no idea where I was time wise for the day.

The start of the run is in grass with some small, little hills. I was paying attention to the ground. I had to. I could hurt myself. I could hurt myself on concrete pavement, but small little hills in the grass seem more likely for me to injure myself. I knew that my friends said they'd see me on the run course. I just had no idea where or when. It's 3.1 miles after all. I came down a hill on a straight away and saw Kristine. She cheered me on, took my picture, and gave me a high five. I sorta teared up. Literally a year prior to the date was the first time I worked out with her, and here I was competing in the World's Largest Triathlon! 

On the run

I kept telling myself to just run. I was running along Lake Michigan in Chicago with 7,000 other people. It was amazing. On my 3.1 mile run out I passed Will who was on the run back in. I kept an eye on my watch which I knew should be fairly accurate and much to my surprise I was on pace for how I had been running previously. Despite everything I passed people. I hit the turn around and knew I was almost done. The spectators continued to not disappoint during the event. In fact at one point and time there was another woman wearing an all pink trisuit near me and a spectator yelled "Go Pink Ladies!" I was one of the Pink Ladies! Well not like in Grease, but you know, one of the women wearing all pink during the run portion of a triathlon.

Before I knew it I was entering the finish chute. The street was lined with people cheering. I saw the finish line. If the time on it was a running clock I was going to finish faster than my last triathlon and this one had not only a tougher swim, a longer bike portion, but a larger transition to get through. I finished. I crossed the line. And God Bless Kristine for getting a photo of me crossing the finish line where I look poised, in control, and not as if I'm about to fall over. I finished the run in 34:29 pacing 11:08 min/mil.

Crossing the finish line

I finished! I found Will. He congratulated me. I had to tell him about my swim. He said it was fine. He was concerned if I was ok. I cried. I was upset. We found our friends. The people who had given up at least part of their day to see us and cheer us on.

Kristine, Matt, myself, and Will

My friend Erin came out to her first triathlon to cheer us on!

Kristine and Matt were kind enough to hold onto mine and Will's phones while we raced so we'd have them afterwards. My mom had sent me a text, a screenshot of her finding out Will and I finished the race. She congratulated us. I was in disbelief. 

Will finished in 1:58:21. I finished in 1:58:22. 

The race didn't go as I expected. I'm learning. No race goes as expected. Something comes up. You're faster than you plan. You're slower than you plan. You blow a tire. Your shoe comes untied. You get kicked in the head and pulled from the swim. It rains all day. It's 80% humidity. While in your mind you have an idea of a perfect race, I'm not sure a perfect race exists anywhere else in life. Not in reality. 

After the race our results were posted online. I took a screenshot so I'd have them, I knew they'd be short lived in due time.

There they were, posted, unofficial results. 1:58:22. My first triathlon prior I was 2 minutes slower on than this one. With a tougher course, more people, I had improved. My hard work had paid off. In the 30-34 year old Women's division I finished 35th out of 143rd on bike! In case your calculator isn't handy, that's top 24%. I finished 213th out of 903 on bike in women! Once again, in case your calculator isn't handy, that's top 23%. And overall I finished 878 out of 2015 on bike of men and women combined. I don't have to tell you, but if your calculator isn't handy that was top 44%. 

The next day it was official however. I was only allowed to dwell for a day, but I think it took me longer to really come around with my feelings about the race, probably why it took me so long to recap the event.

Forever on the internet a DNF. I know I did it. I did. It was beyond my control. It happens. It could have been worse. It could have been so much worse. Am I ok with it? No. Not at all. But it happened. I could have stopped when I was pulled from the water, but I kept going. That has to count for more than a DNF listed. And it only gives me that much more courage and determination to go onto the next event.

So I survived. Will survived. We survived our first triathlon together. And it wasn't exactly a small event. There will be more. This is only the beginning. And despite it all, my feelings that day, my feelings now. I still sorta feel as excited as I did that day at the Expo. And why shouldn't I? After all, I'm a triathlete.