A Mouthful of Lake Water Helps the Triathlon Go Down

After “completing” my first triathlon in North Platte, I set my sights on the Maranatha Bible Camp’s Adventure Triathlon in Maxwell, Nebraska.  The race consisted of a ½ mile lake swim, 12-mile mountain bike, and 3-mile trail run.  For those of you who have read my 1st triathlon story, you’ll be happy to hear I actually own my very own mountain bike.  No chaffing my “taint” on this ride!  Don’t get me wrong, I’m no mountain bike guru…remember, I am the TRI-Dummy.

Shame on me had I not learned from my first experience with triathlon.  This go around I intended to actually bike and run the course prior to the race.  I rode two laps of the course with Rodney Thiessen, the race coordinator, one weekend during an open training day at the camp.  In fact, I also swam in the lake one time.  I stayed off of the treadmill and stationary bike for this race.  I’m including my email in this story, as I would like some input from experienced triathletes on treadmill/stat bike training.  Good or bad? Both? Neither?  Seems to be the only option in winter.  ferreira.jay@gmail.com

Race day was a beautiful one.  The race started at 2 PM, which was late for me.  Due to work schedules, I train in the mornings.  Around 12, I felt my adrenaline stores dwindling.  Is this normal?  It is for the TRI-Dummy.  I arrived at the camp at 12:30 and set up my bike and transition area.  Based upon my last experience, I had an “idea” of how it should go.  Believe it or not, I actually practiced a couple of transitions during my training!  Don’t worry; the multi-sport idiot stuff will come later.

I saw some familiar faces.  Trudy Merritt, race coordinator from the James O’Rourke Triathlon and the North Platte Rec Center.  Trudy, for those who know her, loves fitness.  She coordinates all of the North Platte triathlons.  I’m the TRI-Dummy.  She is the TRI-Enabler.  Her goal is to have people addicted to triathlon like crackheads!  I also saw Justin AKA Mr. Shark Tooth Necklace.  Justin said hello and made a comment about me beating him.  I laughed and thought the only way I’m beating you is if I ride in a basket on the front of your bike.  Visions of E.T. ran through my head. 

The swim was a mass start; not much of a mass, but a mass start regardless.  The course required a swim out to a buoy, left turn around the buoy to a second buoy, left turn around it to the finish/start; formed a triangle.  I recognized some additional people from the last triathlon and figured they would smoke me in the swim.  I decided to get out of their way.  I positioned myself in the middle of the pack and waited for the start. 

At the start everybody took off!  I jumped in and started swimming. The next thing I knew, I saw stars and took a huge gulp of delicious and nutritious lake water. MMMMM GOOD!!!  Someone must have kicked me or hit me, who knows.  All I know is I drank so much water I burped.  The swim went okay after that, except for the buoys.  It is a clustered mess around buoys.  It reminded me of my Marine Corps boot camp days of six recruits trying to pee in one urinal.  People are trying to swim over me, crowding me, hitting me…it was ridiculous!  I finally stopped and tread water for a second.  After the second buoy, it thinned out and there were no issues.  I swam in hard and actually passed a person.  GO TRI-DUMMY!

The transition was okay…slow because I put on my MP3 player.  I’m not using it for my next triathlon, by the way.  I took off on the mountain bike.  The bike course consisted of 4 trips of a 3-mile loop.  Small hills, ride over some skinny wooden bridges, and through a gnarly sand area.  It is UGLEE, yeah, two E’s.  The sand sucks.  The first 2 loops, I made it through the sand without getting off my bike.  The 3rd time, the sand MADE me get off.  I was riding and suddenly my handlebars jacked hard to the right and over I went!  I spit the sand out of my mouth and pushed my bike to the end of the sand.  Got back on and continued.  I was covered in sand and one of the ear buds from my MP3 player was hanging down…I must have looked ridiculous!  Justin flew by me on the straightaway and I watched him turn right and head towards the transition area.  Dude, I have a lap left!  This loop wasn’t too bad.  I had to walk my bike through about half of the sand area.  When I was coming into the transition, I noticed I was bleeding from my arm and my knee and I had a nasty lump on my shin.  COOL, war wounds! 

T-2 was faster, obviously; however, my legs felt unusually heavy.  I felt I was running at a snails pace…well, maybe not that fast.  What’s slower than a snail’s pace?  TRI-Dummy’s pace.  When I thought it couldn’t get worse, I realized I had to run through a stream.  It’s not too long, but there was some sludge at the bottom of the stream that hooked up with my shoes.  They might as well have strapped ankle weights to me!  It was kind of hot, too.  I didn’t mind running through the shaded areas, but without the shade it was pretty warm.  I finished to the usual cheers from the volunteers and crowd.  I love those people!

I finished second in my age group and second in the fitness division.  There were only 9 people in my division, but I was still proud!

Afterwards, I mentioned to someone about drinking some of the lake water.  They told me to be careful as I could catch BEAVER FEVER.  What is that?  I thought I had BEAVER FEVER in high school and the Marines.  As anyone one in 2005 would do…I Google’d it.  To my surprise, there is such a thing as BEAVER FEVER.  Giardiasis (Beaver Fever or Giardia) (GEE-are-DYE-uh-sis)

What is giardiasis? Giardiasis is an illness caused by Giardia lamblia, a one-celled, microscopic parasite that lives in the intestines of people and animals. The parasite is passed in the bowel movement of an infected person or animal. During the past 15 years, Giardia lamblia has become recognized as one of the most common causes of waterborne disease in humans in the United States. This parasite is found in every region of the United States and throughout the world.  Symptoms are diarrhea and other stomach ailments.

Okay, that was sick, I know.  Google it, if you don’t believe me!  See ya….gotta run to the bathroom.  DARN THAT BEAVER FEVER!