Weekend Recap: Yard Work and Triathlon

May 20, 2008

When you train for an Ironman, a lot of other stuff gets put on the back burner.  My neighbors can attest — and I’m sure they have scoffed at — that the state of our yard took a dramatic turn beginning early this year.

There was just no time for it.  And we’re probably the only couple who does the majority of their own yard work.

So for the past few weeks, we’ve been chipping away at it.  Sarah planted a ton of herbs and veggies, and I tore out some dead stumps and planted some new rose trees.  That was the back yard, though.  And while we could relish in the fruits of our manual labor, our neighbors saw no signs of improvement.

Until Saturday.

We polished off the backyard and moved curbside.  Sarah did a great job trimming all of the bushes.  I was on weed and clean up duty.  And keep in mind the temperatures here this weekend were pushing triple digits.

I’m not a fan of heat or yard work; the combination made me extremely cranky.  All this the day before a race; but we got the yard wrapped up for the most part.

On Sunday, we raced the Tempe International Triathlon.  There were two races actually — a shorter sprint triathlon, and the traditional Olympic distance that Sarah and I did. Ironman is the only race that allows a mass start, so on Sunday we started in waves.  Sarah’s wave was the first for our race.

With the heat climbing, I got to stand on the edge of the lake in a full body wetsuit, anxiously waiting to get in the water.  Sure I looked superhero-cool, but thick black neoprene is anything but.  I was sweating my keester off.

Eventually the temp climbed to more than 100 degrees.  I’m pretty sure we were off the course by then, but it was hot none-the-less.

The race was awesome! Nothing like doing a shorter race to help you remember why you are in the sport to begin with.  It’s not so long that you really suffer, but you can push yourself hard the entire time.

And since both Sarah and I had the fitness left over from five weeks ago, we figured we might as well do it.

She ended up taking second place for her division, and I set a PR.  Not too shabby — especially considering that we did not train specifically for this race.  It was great that we were both successful on Sunday, but what really mattered was the positive experience of it all.  I was a little fried from my last race and was not too thrilled about Sunday, but I’d be kicking myself now had I not done it.

So my advice when you are burned out on your favorite sport or activity: Do something simple.  Do a shorter race, go to a smaller event. Just go to watch, or volunteer.  It will help you remember why you love the things you do.

I got so stoked watching other people finish, that I couldn’t stop smiling.  I was both excited and bummed knowing that I probably won’t have too many more opportunities to race because the heat is coming.  So I was soaking it all in.

So take the time to remember why you do the things you do.  Whether you are casting a fly in your favorite fishing hole, or surfing your favorite break, remember, it’s all about the experience.

Posted by seth | Filed Under Triathlon, Blog 

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