From XL to XTERRA

I’m alive! That’s right, I just finished my first double-sprint distance and I have survived to tell the tale to all that it is not impossible to get off of the couch, train for a few weeks, and complete a 1,200-meter swim, 30-kilometer bike, and 8km run.

Now I am wondering why I found it difficult to sleep the night before last Saturday’s DFS Galleria Enticer Triathlon in Marpi, because although the race wasn’t exactly easy, it was far from the excruciating multi-sport hardship that I was expecting.

Okay, to keep things in perspective, I was tired at the end, but I had the distinct feeling that I could have pushed myself harder and finished the race faster. I just couldn’t get past the feeling that I would run out of energy at some point during the race and find myself S.O.L. before reaching the finish line.

Since that didn’t happen, I can tuck that little morsel of knowledge into the ol’ data banks and move on with my training. John had opted to do the enticer distance of the course consisting of the 600m swim, 15km bike, and 4km run, but wasn’t able to do the entire triathlon because his bike situation didn’t improve in time. Luckily the friends we’ve made through training came to the rescue, and Wayne Bramlett volunteered to team up with the big guy.

John knocked out the swim and the run, while Wayne tackled the bike course and kept John company on the run as a show of support.

Following the race there was a barbeque, and I will freely admit to having a few things that were in direct opposition to the healthy food I have been eating for the past couple of months. It was a great chance to socialize with the people with whom we have been training, and compare notes and experiences.

Now things are starting to come together. From the Cross Island Relay, I learned the importance of running at my pace. From this race I’ll take away the overall feeling from the end of the course, and push myself harder free from the fear of hitting the wall.

That won’t be the only thing that I take away from this past weekend’s race. While I was riding the second lap of the bike leg of the race atop my finely-tuned machine from Romey at Saipan Bike Pro, I happened to look up at a rock wall that was off in the distance. As I made my way up the road from Banzai Cliff, my eyes locked upon the artillery beaten face of Suicide Cliff, and I remember thinking how beautiful the island is, and how great it was that I was on a bike—in a triathlon.

It has been two years since I landed on Saipan, and I don’t remember having a feeling anything like it.

The competition and the racing have certainly added to the richness of my island experience, and I have the Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation and others to thank for it. The openness of the federation’s members and their willingness to offer their assistance every step of the way is another.

This past Wednesday, I attended an informal class pertaining to the rigors of off-road biking—call it “Mountain Biking 101.” Local triathlon living legend Dawn Hammermeister sent a post to the NMITF listbot (on Yahoo Groups) that offered her services to anyone interested in picking up a few tips and tricks. Dawn explained the importance of maintaining a high cadence, knowing your gears changes, and steering your bike where you want to go and not into what you’re afraid of.

Dawn’s class wasn’t the only one on the “market” either, as the race director for the enticer series, Sue Knecht, hosted one the day before, and called for the veterans of the local scene to “unite” and help the new class of rookies.

Our training takes its next step this weekend as John and I plan to take our training to another level, as we enter our longest runs to date during the 24th Annual Saipan Half Marathon and 10K Fun Run. First of all, the last thing that I think about when it comes to a run that is 10K is anything “fun.” Second, if 10K sounds fun, then what the heck is 13.1 miles supposed to be?

That’s what we’ll find out tomorrow, as I run the half marathon and John takes on the 10K. You can wish us luck on this one too, but it would be better if you lace up your sneakers and join us.