“I have always believed exercise is a key not only to physical health but to peace of mind.”

Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Little Brown & Co., 1994 (emphasis added).

It’s always nice to learn that people are reading your blog, but there are hopefully moments when you realize that something you wrote truly inspired someone. For me, it happened during the Colorado Triathlon that I raced on June 7th. My wife’s good friend from her college student foreign exchange days – in Germany back in 1992 – had read my post a few months ago about signing up for the race. His name is Paul Glasgow, and he had never done a triathlon before.

Well, not only did he beat me, but he won 1st Place in the First Timer category. In fact, if he hadn’t won the First Timer division, he would have kicked me off the podium in our age group, the 50 to 54 Male division. It was a very rewarding and humbling experience. Not that I minded that Paul smoked me in his first triathlon, rather, it was a beautiful thing to see him get so much joy from the race. As I would find out later, he was in a dark place when he read my blog post back in March, and to know that I motivated him to train like a madman for this race… it’s the best part.

But let me focus on the race, going through the swim, bike and run, in order:

Swim distance: 800 meters. Time: 17:55

This was my weakest leg, as usual. I really just plodded along. My man Paul crushed it in 13 minutes flat, in his rented wetsuit. For me, it was the first time I had put my wetsuit on since last summer, and it was my first open water swim this year. Although I wasn’t nervous, I still found myself breathing a little hard to start the race, even though I was taking it slow.

On the positive side, I was able to swim continuously and didn’t need to stop and gather my breath at any point. Swimming outdoors and swimming in a pool are a different experience, and the murky waters of a cold reservoir can be a little unsettling. I’m glad I got this first race under my belt, because the next time will be easier. I’ll also train a lot more. My swim fitness for this race was lacking, but I should have some time to swim more this summer.

Bike distance: 17 miles. Time: 51:50

The bike was fun but I wasn’t especially fast. My man Paul, the First Timer, again slayed the bike, clocking 48:37. I’m so impressed and happy for him. Like the swim, I need to get on the bike a few more days a week. One spin session a week in the basement is a nice way to keep my baseline fitness level, but I didn’t have much beyond that. I need to get out and do some speedwork on the bike.

Run distance: 5k. Time: 24:39

The run was my strongest leg, and I can still get faster. I have been dealing with a bone spur in my right calf that limited my running back in April, however, I managed to run on a treadmill without much pain and ended up doing all of my higher intensity runs on the machine. I was able to run outdoors relatively pain free over the last few weeks, but I still didn’t push it unless I was on the treadmill.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I felt great on the run, despite knowing I can go a little harder next time. This was the one leg where I beat Paul, as he ran a 29:14. If he dials in his run, he’s going to be an All-American at this age group. I’m so pleased for him.

Overall time: 1:37:23

I was very happy with my total race. It’s always nice to end up on the podium, thanks to Paul. His overall time was an outstanding 1:34:44, beating me by nearly three minutes.

Check out this photo of Paul on the podium:

Not only is the expression on his face priceless, but look at the other two First Timers. Young cats, at least younger than us 50 something year-old dudes. Yet Paul is on top. This race couldn’t have gone much better. I’m happy with my performance, but even happier to be able to introduce Paul to this community of athletes. You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to get started.

So now I need to sign up for a couple more races this summer. I’ll close here but not for long. Until next time, enjoy the summer and Powder River!