|
    
Racing in front of a home town crowd. Mom, Grandma, 5th grade school teacher, etc. What a treat! But not without pressure as, for the first time, my entry fee has been comp'd by a new sponsor (and old friend), Ralph J. Davis, Attorney. Although he told me I don't have to win I still opted for my wetsuit, for every advantage I could get (without it, I missed 1st by a minute last year)
But Jeff, one of my closest competitors in this race, came running down saying wetsuits weren't allowed this year. I thought it was a sly trick at first but had to trust him & give up the neoprene.
Boats race us to the opposite side of the lake. We stand on the warm sand viewing our destination target almost a mile across the water. I take the moment to pray that the race is safe, that I'm a good sport, and that Independence Day reminds us all of the great freedoms we have.
I can tell already the best swimmers here are Jr. High girls. They giggle & laugh and then power through the water like baby dolphins. The water is warm, clear, and choppy.
At the start I sprint right, latching on to a man's fee. He fizzles out after 100m. I should've followed the girls, way to the left, now pulling far out into the lead. I swim alone except for a couple swimmers on my toes. Half way I see the girls far ahead... I imagine them goofing off, splashing each other and then sprinting ahead at will.
I come out in 14:14, a minute behind Jeff, the leader. Ralph and Lynn guide me to my transition, tell me my place and cheer me on. I out in 47 seconds.
Jeff and I are back and forth on each of the 5 hilly miles. I'm gasping for air and can't seem to get ahead. I yell at Jeff as he misses a left turn but his extra correction gives me a new lead for a while. He catches & passes me, and we both sail into transition #2 in 14:20.
I don shoes in 20 seconds and hit the run slightly ahead of Jeff. The punishing first hill leads to "soggy" out-of-control legs for a short steep descent. But then it's a cool stretch across the dam. I can't hear Jeff anymore but am sure he'll be back soon so continue running scared. I run all out and finish with a 22:59 run, a couple minutes ahead of Jeff... good for 1st place overall! My overall time, 52:41, is my best in 4 years.
The first thing I do is pray and then the Grass Valley paper, The Union, immediately interviews me. It feels really good to win in my home town and in front of family and friends. My mom and dad get great calls from people who read the paper.
But for me, the most enlightenment came during my following training workouts that day and the next. Lessons and rewards of perseverance and contentment with other than expected.
For instance, on a 60 mi ride, climbing switchbacks out of the hot canyon of the Yuba River I began to hope that the road would not go down anymore because that would mean climbing again and I was all climbed out. Being a new road for me, all I knew was that it was the only road to my destination. How many ups and downs was unknown. I thought of how it was like the "road of life". The beautiful destination and the road there is a given. The downs are great but they lead to ups which are struggles. Since there is no easier way to the destination but by the road I might as well enjoy the downs as they come and deal with each climb as, quoted by David Ridder, "opportunities for growth". Thanks, David.
-Troy |
