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‘Live Like Josh’ – Terry Seidel’s Story

Terry VanderWert on July 2, 2016

Terri Seidel’s triathlon story is about training for her first triathlon and, in doing so, pushing herself beyond her ‘comfort zone’. Her story is also about honoring a son by doing something he had thoroughly enjoyed.

It was during the TriZou Triathlon that I learned about the Josh Seidel Memorial Foundation. Following the triathlon, Terri and I made contact through friends of her son, Josh. We had both competed in the TriZou Sprint Triathlon, Terri as part of a relay and I as an individual.

Terri’s story was originally published on July 2, 2016. More than five years later, I still think of her courage in participating in the same triathlon her son had done years earlier.

As you read her story, I hope you will find encouragement to take part in triathlon even if you are not sure you can.

Terri’s story below is based on what I heard about her experience leading up to and participating in her first triathlon.

Deciding to Tri

“If I am going to do this triathlon, I need to commit to training”. Those were my words as I sat and discussed with my husband the thought of me participating in the 2016 TriZou Triathlon, my first triathlon.

My husband had participated in TriZou the year before. For me, participating in a triathlon was something I wanted to accomplish.

But, Why TriZou Triathlon?

The TriZou Triathlon and DuZou Duathlon are held every May at the University of Missouri in Columbia, also known as Mizzou. In recent years, it had attracted about 600 participants. It’s one of the largest triathlons in the Midwest. My husband, all three of our children, as well as countless brothers, brother-in-laws, nieces, and nephews, have all graduated from Mizzou.

My son Josh participated annually at the TriZou. It was one of his favorite events.

In 2013, Josh’s life was tragically taken in an industrial accident at the business he owned. After his death, a group of his high school and college friends established the Josh Seidel Memorial (JSM) Foundation, a foundation created to carry on Josh’s legacy by awarding scholarships and helping schools and other organizations.

The foundation created a tagline that summarizes what it’s all about.

LIVE LIKE JOSH: Work Hard – Play Hard – Help Others.

www.joshseidel.org.

That is how Josh lived. He worked very hard. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded a successful manufacturing business in St. Louis. In spite of the long, 60-hour weeks that all new businesses need to thrive, Josh would also play hard. And, TriZou was an example of that. He would train for this event and participate with a goal of improving his time each year.

TriZou becomes ‘SlyZou’

In 2014, a group of Josh’s friends from Mizzou decided they were going to carry on his tradition by participating in the TriZou in honor of him. Those participating unofficially renamed the TriZou to SlyZou recognizing Josh’s nickname, Sly. From here forward, we referred to this event as the SlyZou.

That year, we had seven participate in the event. There were also 21 spectators. It was really heartwarming to see his friends continue his legacy and participate in an event that meant so very much to Josh.

In 2015, participants connected with the JSM Foundation soared to 15 with 18 supporters cheering them on. Josh’s dad, Mike, participated in the DuZou, which consisted of a one-mile run, seven-mile bike, and one-mile run.

At age 59, Mike finished and actually won a medal in the Clydesdale class (above 220 pounds) for his age group. However, in his words, the race almost killed him.

The missing ingredient was he hadn’t committed to training to the level I knew I needed for me to take part in this race. He had trained briefly, running to attempt to pick up his endurance. However, he had only registered about 20 miles total on the bike before the event. My thought was that if you are riding 7 miles the day of the race, a collective 20 miles is hardly considered “training”.

Choosing the Relay for TriZou 2016

So as my husband and I discussed participating in the 2016 Triathlon, I told him I would do it. I wanted to do it, but knew training was the key to success.

With less than six months to train while balancing other commitments, I could not see training for the complete triathlon.

Given the timing, that I look like a baby calf taking his first steps when I run, and that my biking skills are not great, we decided to make this a family event. I along with my two daughters would participate as a relay team this year. (See Reason #11 of 15 Reasons for Those 50 and Older to Do Triathlons.)

My daughters agreed that I would swim the 400 meters, my youngest daughter Lindsay (33) would bike the 14 miles, and my oldest daughter Katie (36) would run the 5k leg of the race. At 60 years old and generally in good shape but certainly not being a fitness buff, I did not see tackling a triathlon by myself as a smart move. At least given the time I had before the event.

Training for the Three Legs of a Triathlon Takes Time

Triathlons are something you prepare for over time. You enter a series of 5k runs to prepare and get comfortable with the run distance. On top of this, you train by biking longer distances on weekend mornings so a 14-mile race is achievable. Finally, you swim a lot at the local pool.

That is one of the beautiful things about TriZou. You can participate at many levels, so the barrier of entry for those who have not participated in this type of event goes away.

In addition to the Sprint TriZou race (400 m swim, 14 mile bike, 5 km run), they offer relay teams (same distances as sprint), super sprints (100m swim, 7 mile bike, 1 mile run), and a duathlon called DuZou (no swimming; 1 mile run, 7 mile bike, followed by a second 1 mile run). There are also divisions for those with extra pounds like my husband, called Clydesdale for men and Athena for the women.

Training for My First Triathlon

I joined our local YMCA about 4 months before the SlyZou. It was winter in St. Louis and I was going to have to get into a pool and log some serious miles if I wanted to complete this event.

Nervously, I entered the 25 meter pool at the Y for the first time, and barely made it from one end to the other. I’ve been swimming my entire life. We have spent countless weekends at the lake. However, I learned that the type of swimming I had done with these was not like that of a triathlon.

I quickly realized that floating on a noodle and swimming back to the boat for another cocktail is NOT swimming training.
Terri Seidel

Nevertheless, twenty five meters later I was at the other end of the pool, out of breath and overwhelmed. That I had to swim the equivalent of 16 laps of this pool, without stopping, to complete my leg of the race was more than intimidating.

Applying job skills to training

I’m a regional Vice President for a large company that owns and operates Ambulatory Surgery Centers across the country. In our daily business operations, we tackle new goals and accomplish new tasks every day.

I assist my employees and help them accomplish these goals, but it always boils back down to the same basic strategy I was going to need to accomplish this SlyZou event:

Prepare.
Get the tools and processes in place that you need to succeed.
Address the issue with confidence that you can achieve it.
Then execute the work.

I knew I needed to prepare myself physically for this event in the same way.

Getting a Swim Coach

The first step was to inquire about a swimming instructor at the Y. I felt I could improve a lot, but if I didn’t know where to focus, chances were slim that I actually would improve.

Stacy, my personal trainer for the next 4 months, was a gift from heaven. First, she analyzed my stroke.

I have often wondered what she really thought when she saw me swim a lap on the first day. Anyway, she quickly identified my strong and weak points and what I needed to work on to finish this race.

We started off slow. I committed to 3 days per week of training, We met at the pool where we worked on a particular area that would improve my swimming skills.

Sometimes, we worked on my stroke. Other times it was my breathing or my kick. Whatever it happened to be that day or week or month, Stacy would work with me, improving my skills. I also made sure I had the right swimsuit for training.

Building Endurance

My endurance started to improve. I still could not swim the entire 400 m without stopping, but I was getting stronger, and she would time me on my laps. She would discover that I hit a threshold, early in my swimming. I could be a couple of laps into my training, and I would slow down.

Stacy used her knowledge to help me learn things I would have never discovered on my own. Her suggestions helped tremendously.

Training for Actual Race Conditions for My First Triathlon

We also worked on the actual race day condition. Stacy knew this was going to be a very emotional event for me since, unlike many of the other participants, I was swimming for a cause.

Besides, she also recognized I had never participated in a race of any kind before so helped me plan the day of the race. For example, we discussed when to stretch, when to warm up outside the pool, and what to expect during the swim. These extras were a great help, especially since I had never been in a race in my 60 years of life.

Stacy also recruited other swimmer friends at the Y who were there for a normal workout. She would have them swim in front of me so that I got used to people swimming by me. Through this, I learned how to adjust my breathing for a very disturbed pool condition such as when you have 100 people in the water stirring it up lap by lap.

Before I knew it, we reached the last day of my training. ‘Ready or not, here I come.’

I felt ready. I was confident that I could swim my portion of the race.

Race Day

Since the race started very early in the morning, we traveled to Columbia the night before and got a hotel room. The rest of my relay team, our girls, and their families were also there.

There were 25 racers on “Team SlyZou” and equally as many supporters cheering them on. There were many husbands and wives who participated, a few other relay teams in our group, and a few DuZou participants.

Me? Nervous!

I was nervous, as expected, mainly because I really didn’t know what to expect. Even though my husband and I lived in Columbia for two years when he finished school, I had never been in the pool complex at Mizzou. It had only been built a few years earlier so was not part of Mizzou when we were there.

To say I was overwhelmed when I walked into the pool area was an understatement. First, the complex is amazing. On top of this, over 500 swimmers had packed into it. There I was, staring at a beautiful eight-lane, 50 meter pool, one of the finest pools in the Midwest.

There was also a lot going on. The race organizer was making announcements on the Public Address system. Big screen TV’s on the wall were displaying times. People all around me were talking and laughing while going through their pre-race routines. Meanwhile, there I was, standing mesmerized and scared to death of what I had signed up for.

Mizzou-Aquatic-Center — Mizzou Aquatic Center at the University of Missouri at Columbia, venue for the swim leg of the TriZou Triathlon.

The relay teams swam after all full TriZou participants, so I was very near the end of the line of people to jump in the pool. About two hours after the “Elite” participants had started, I jumped into the pool. About that time, the thought occurred to me that the “Elite “racers were finished with the entire event, the entire TriZou, and I was just getting started.

It’s Time to Swim

We lined up in order of the time which we expected to complete the swim. This was done to prevent faster swimmers from running into a slower swimmer in front of them. As we crept forward toward the time when I would cross the timing mat and jump into the pool, I had to keep telling myself ‘Stay calm. You can do this. It’s no different than the YMCA.’

It was no different except for the fact that I had about 50 supporters, including grandkids, my husband, friends who had driven 100 miles to see this happen, in the stands. Even my mom was there. She had driven up to watch – and support – me. Sure, it was no different than the YMCA. Right!

As I jumped into the pool, all I could hear were grandkids yelling “Go Mimi. We love you.” That difference from the YMCA training was one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Terri-Seidel-grandchildren — Some of Terri Seidel’s supporters – her grandkids Brooks, Tommy, Grace, Samantha, Graham – ready to cheer on ‘Mimi’.

I finished my first 50 meters and actually felt pretty good. The pool was not cold. I never experienced another swimmer tapping my feet to pass. My breathing was just like in training with the chop of the pool. I was sure I could do this.

After about 200 meters, I started to get tired. Since we had trained for this, I worked the plan and switched to the back stroke for a lap to recover somewhat. I could see that I was keeping pace. While I didn’t know my time, I was not passing anyone and they weren’t passing me. I assumed I was keeping my pace.

While I was counting laps – 8, now only 7, now 6, – somehow, when I got to my last 50 meter lap. I thought I still had three laps to go. We were swimming a zig-zag pattern, down the pool under the ropes, and back up the next lane, so when I saw the pool edge, I said: “I’m on my last lap. I thought I had 150 m to go”.

The Final Length

As I made my final turn, I could hear those who had come to see us cheering me on. It was at that point that I knew I would make it.

In no time, I found myself at the ladder at the end of my 400 meters; I was an emotional mess. After all, I was swimming this for my son Josh. I am certain he helped me finish.

I climbed out of the pool, and now had about a 150 yard run to the transition point. Here, I would pass my ankle bracelet for timing (the timing chip) to my daughter. As I came out of the Natatorium, all I could see and hear were cheers from the supporters standing outside the doorway.

Reflecting After the Swim in My First Triathlon

I had accomplished the goal I had set six months earlier. The swim portion of the race my son loved so much was over. After passing off the timing chip to my daughter, I sat at the steps around the transition area and cried.

Reflecting on the result of training for my first triathlon — Terri Seidel reflecting on the swimming accomplishment after completing the 400 meter swim in TriZou 2016.

While I completed only one leg of a triathlon, it was a major accomplishment for me.

I had been challenged physically before with work-related “team building” events. I ran a half marathon as a work event; remember earlier I told you I can’t run well. I hiked the Grand Canyon Rim To Rim in one day, starting at 3am and climbing out the top at 5pm, as a team building exercise. The National Parks Department won’t even let you do that if you tell them your intentions.

Set your goals, it’s a challenge. I’m normally one of the oldest if not the oldest in our group when doing these events – so to me they are a big accomplishment. Finishing this 400m in honor of our son tops all of those challenges – by far.

My daughters finished their individual legs of the relay as expected with decent times, and we were all happy to finish the event.

Training for my first triathlon made me part of this relay team — Team Boy (the nickname they gave to Josh) – Terri Seidel, Lindsay Bosworth, Katie Eisel

What I Learned From Training and Competing in My First Triathlon

Through this experience, Terri said that she had learned some lessons for other first-timers:

– Establish challenging yet obtainable goals, especially if over age 50.

If you want to finish a triathlon, maybe start out with a sprint, or a relay, or a DuZou, and work your way up to the main event. If you jump immediately into a triathlon, you may during training find it unobtainable and quit. You are better off accomplishing a smaller task toward the ultimate goal, than quitting and never getting to the ultimate goal.

– Train, Train, Train.

Eat right, train as many days per week as needed, and get your body ready for the physical challenge you are about to put it through. This type of event challenges your body – so get it as prepared as possible to minimize the risks of a heart attack or stroke, or some other physical event like torn muscles or joint injury.

– Have a reason or goal for the event.

In this case, I signed up and did this event in honor of my son Josh. Have a reason – a personal accomplishment, to show your spouse you care about your health (and theirs), to push your body and mind to be in better condition. Whatever it is, have a reason for participating.

On The Way Home After My First Triathlon

I will be 61 when the next SlyZou comes around. I turned to my husband on the drive back to St. Louis after this event, and with tears in my eyes, said “After I finished, I said to our son, OK Josh, mission accomplished – I did your race”.

Will I race again next year? Only time will tell.

Good luck to all those who read this and decide that they want to train for and participate in their first triathlon. My advice – if you do commit to the race, start your training now.

About JoshSeidel.org

Our Motto: LIVE LIKE JOSH – Work Hard / Play Hard / Help Others

The Josh Seidel Memorial Foundation is an organization created to continue the Legacy of Josh Seidel, whose life was tragically cut short in an industrial accident. The goal of this foundation is to honor the memory of Josh Seidel by assisting and inspiring young people to participate in programs or attend schools that build science, engineering and technical skills, encourage entrepreneurism and foster the connection of people for the greater good of our community. Through fundraising efforts, scholarships and financial assistance are given to students and schools. We rely heavily on fundraisiers to allow us to support students and schools. The foundation is a tax exempt 501 c 3 organization. For additional information, visit www.joshseidel.org.

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What has been the most memorable triathlon in which you have participated? Is there someone special in whose honor you have raced?

8 Reasons to Tri in the UK

Terry VanderWert on April 9, 2016

I was introduced to Sue Faulkner through her story in BBC’s Get Inspired. Her story, titled “Grandmother of six completes first triathlon at 63“, reported how she decided to get involved in triathlon through a classic, “I will, if you will” agreement. The article also described Sue’s training for her first triathlon and her race day experience.

Inspired by her, I contacted Sue by email and began a conversation that has continued up to this day. Following is what I learned about Sue’s experience.

‘Gotta Tri’ – Triathlon in The Villages, Florida

Terry VanderWert on March 25, 2016

members of The Villages Triathlon Club for senior triathletes

The Villages, Florida, located between Orlando and Ocala in central Florida, is a 55+ community like no other in the USA. To say that residents and visitors of every age and ability are required to stay active is no stretch.

Thanks to The Villages Triathlon Club, triathlon is one of the sports growing here.

The Villages Triathlon Club Builds on an Active Lifestyle

If I were to pick one word to describe The Villages, I would choose ‘active’.

As just one example, consider that from 5 to 9 PM, 365 days per year, each of the three Town Squares has live music with residents and their guests filling the dance floors.

To prepare for the evening, one needs to take afternoon dance lessons. That is, unless you are golfing on one of the more than 50 courses, biking, doing water aerobics, playing pickleball at one of the roughly 150 courts, swimming in one of the 102 pools, or involved in any of the other hundred or so activities.

Triathlon-friendly ‘Biker Shuffle’ with Scooter The DJ at Spanish Springs Square in The Villages, Florida .

My Introduction to The Villages Triathlon Club

Reading the sports section of the daily newspaper of The Villages, The Daily Sun, has become a ritual when visiting the area. Articles in the paper often highlight accomplishments of active seniors. These stories never fail to encourage, inspire, and even amaze.

One article that especially grabbed my attention was that of a resident who had restarted swimming after quadruple bypass surgery.

Wanting to learn more about the story behind the story, I contacted the article’s author. He eventually introduced me to Donna Maguire, founder and president of The Villages Triathlon Club.

members of The Villages Triathlon Club preparing for the swim — Members of The Villages Triathlon Club often race together at sprint to Ironman distance events.

Beginnings of The Villages Triathlon Club

Donna Maguire started The Villages Triathlon Club in April, 2015 after venturing back into the triathlon world following her and her husband’s move to The Villages. While in central Florida, she learned about nearby Clermont, the so-called ‘Triathlon Capital of the World’.

While The Villages had groups for almost every activity and interest imaginable, there were no running or triathlon clubs. However, that changed through a ‘chance’ encounter between Donna and another ‘Villager’, Pat Johnson.

“One day, I met Pat while we were both playing pickleball. She told me that she had just signed up for her first triathlon at age 70. Pat had no idea what she was in for,” said Donna with a smile.

“She had less than three weeks to prepare for the race. So, I took her under my wing and shared my limited experience and some of my equipment. Helping her helped me. And with that, the idea that would lead to the triathlon club was born.”

Donna started sharing her vision with other triathletes.

“Many of them encouraged me to start a triathlon club. All I wanted to do was find people to train and play with. Did I ever!

“We now have both a triathlon club and a running club”.

The Villages Triathlon Club Today

The Villages Triathlon Club’s mission is “to provide, for all levels of athletic ability, a network of information, support services, training, racing, and social activities in a friendly and supportive environment”.

Membership is open to residents who are currently participating in triathlons or have completed races in the past and have a desire to get involved again. Also welcomed are first-timers who want to learn about and prepare for a multi-sport challenge.

She and many of the club’s members have become ambassadors for triathlon throughout The Villages and beyond. Members often attend triathlons as a club, complete with t-shirts, warm-ups, triathlon suits, and other apparel bearing the club logo which was designed by Donna.

Donna’s support for triathlon even shows in her e-mail signature which includes the words ‘Gotta Tri’.

Sharing Triathlon Information Among Club Members

Both the triathlon and running clubs have Facebook pages to foster communication and support among members. “We encourage all club members and meeting attendees to try to do a triathlon.”

“I’m not an expert and although I share my experience, I also want to be sure that members have a variety of levels of expertise and experience on which to draw.”

Monthly educational meetings are another way the club promotes triathlon for its members and anyone interested in competing in the sport. These meetings are a time for sharing “tons of information”. Many include guest speakers to discuss topics related to training, rest and recovery, nutrition, and racing.

Triathlon Training Events

The Villages Triathlon Club also regularly organizes training events for its members.

The club has group runs on Sunday mornings. During the week, members regularly get together for 60+ mile bike rides at one of the local trails.

The Villages Triathlon Club holds groups swims two mornings per week — The Villages Triathlon Club holds group swims two times per week in one of The Villages’ sports pools..

The club also has standing Tuesday and Thursday morning reservations at one of The Villages’ sports pools. During this time, swimmers of all levels, from beginner to experienced, meet to build their swim fitness and improve their triathlon-specific swim technique.

For example, the group works on swimming close together and drafting, to become accustomed with the contact that often occurs during the triathlon swim.

Club members have also met for group swims and practice triathlons at nearby Lake Minneola and Lake Weir. One of these events included a triathlon swim lesson from a professional triathlete.

The Villages Running Club also hosts group runs on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s morning that leave Lake Sumter Square at 6:30 AM during the summer months.

Before COVID-19 shutdowns, the club reserved Lake Sumter Square (one of the three Town Squares mentioned earlier) on Friday mornings for a free Boot Camp.

Attendees would gather at 7 AM for a 4-mile run that included interval training. Then at 8 AM, the Boot Camp session was led by one of the club’s members. Finally, a yoga class was held at 9 AM for the most ambitious members. A priceless start of the day.

Why Do A Triathlon?

Why should someone in or approaching retirement age participate in triathlon?

According to The Villages Triathlon Club members, there are many benefits from training in the three different sports. There are health benefits from being stronger, more fit, and, for some, losing weight.

Training in swimming, biking, and running helps avoid overuse injuries by working different parts of the body. It also prevents boredom, which can lead to inconsistency.

There are also social benefits; meeting new people, developing friends with whom you can share successes and struggles as well as learn, or go golfing.

For Donna and many other club members, triathlon has also helped build confidence and mental strength.

Not learning to swim until later in my adult life, Donna had always had a fear and discomfort in the swim portion.

“Little by little I’ve started to overcome that fear, something I never thought I’d be able to do. I keep reminding myself – ‘Just breathe’.

“We all have something that is scary and out of our comfort area. We can take the easy route and just avoid that situation or tackle it and feel confident.”

Donna Maguire, founder of The Villages Triathlon Club for senior triathletes — Senior triathlete, Donna Maguire celebrating her age group win at the 2015 Great Floridian GFT 1/3 Ironman Triathlon

Have Questions for The Villages Triathlon Club Members?

The Villages Triathlon Club highlights the value of the encouragement and camaraderie that comes from being part of a group that shares common goals and interests. For example, Donna has gone from ‘considering quitting triathlon’ to a 2x Ironman finisher during her time with The Villages Triathlon Club.

Feel free to post questions and comments for Donna and The Villages Triathlon Club members in the Comments section below.

This post was originally published on March 25, 2016. I updated it after Joy and I were in The Villages during April, 2021. During that stay, I had the privilege of presenting at The Villages Triathlon Club’s monthly meeting where I learned from these amazing and inspiring people. I also joined the club for one of their swim sessions.

My First Triathlon – Is This How George Plimpton Felt?

Terry VanderWert on February 28, 2016

Buffalo, Minnesota; June 5, 2011 – Buffalo Triathlon, Sturges Park.

Why would I do a triathlon, my first, at age 59? The answer begins with the need for better health. I continue with triathlon today for many more reasons.

Why Triathlon?

April 2010 was the launching point for what has become a significant life adventure for my wife, Joy, and me.

I was 57 years old. During my annual physical exam, my doctor shared his concern about the trends in my blood sugar and cholesterol. I was already on medication for blood pressure.

However, the doctor also encouraged me when he said, “This is nothing that losing 20 pounds won’t fix.”

I knew I had become a little more full in my face. My pants were also a little tighter. However, this was not enough motivation for me to exercise regularly. It was also not an incentive for me to give up burgers for salads.

My doctor’s remarks did, however, get me to think about losing weight. I was sure this would come with exercise. After all, I had been semi-active with some swimming, biking, running, basketball, and racquetball. I had also become a Minnesota State High School League certified basketball referee, knowing that I wanted to stay active.

However, months later, nothing had changed except my weight. It was still slowly increasing.

Making the Commitment

In late September, my friend Jim, along with his oldest son and my youngest son, were on the patio of our house in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where I was spending half my time working.

During our conversation, I mentioned the doctor’s concerns and my struggle to lose weight. Jim, who had completed a few triathlons, suggested that we sign up for the Buffalo Triathlon in Buffalo, Minnesota.

When I mentioned this to our daughter, Liza, a few days later, she promptly said that a triathlon would be a good father-daughter adventure.

Then, around the middle of December, Joy registered both of us for membership at LA Fitness. LA Fitness had facilities near our houses in Minnesota and Massachusetts.

I had run out of excuses. With my daughter, I had a training partner. I also had access to facilities in which to train. On December 31, 2010, my daughter and I registered for the Buffalo Triathlon.

Getting Ready

I quickly learned how little I knew about preparing for a triathlon. However, I took this as a new challenge. I read whatever I had time to consume. I swam, biked, ran, and did various body weight and core strengthening exercises six days each week.

Following six months of training in swimming, biking, and running, I was still not sure if I could finish the triathlon. However, after Liza and I completed a practice triathlon near our home on Fish Lake in Maple Grove, Minnesota, two weeks before the Buffalo Triathlon, we were confident that we could at least finish our first sprint triathlon.

While my daughter insisted on setting a time goal for the race, I had been content to set ‘finishing the race’ as my goal. Eventually, we agreed to the goal of 1 hour 45 minutes. This seemed reasonable after our practice triathlon.

8^th Annual Buffalo Triathlon

Beginning in 2004, the Buffalo Triathlon quickly became the most popular early season triathlon in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Minnesotans were ready to get outside after the long winter and often dreary spring with its ‘April showers’. And, 883 of us showed to do a triathlon.

The advertised distances for the individual legs of this sprint triathlon were:

Swim: 0.25 mile (400 yards)
Bike: 13.3 miles (21.3 km)
Run: 3.1 miles (5 km)

Race Morning

Joy, Liza, and I left home at 5 am for the one-hour drive to Sturges Park. Liza’s family would come a little later, before the triathlon’s start.

After checking in, picking up our race packets, and getting our body markings, we found our respective assigned places in the transition area. It was then time to soak in the anticipation, excitement, conversation – including some occasional boastings – and equipment leading up to the race. The number of expensive looking bicycles especially struck me.

Buffalo, Minnesota, is 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis. My first triathlon, the Buffalo Triathlon, was held at Sturges Park.

Fifteen minutes before the race meeting that led up to the race’s start, I went into the lake for a short practice swim to become acclimated to the water.

Being early June in central Minnesota meant that the water was cold, in the upper 60s °F.

The water temperature was not a surprise. I also knew that the water temperature was bearable with my triathlon suit and a rash guard swimming shirt since I had been in the lake on the previous Tuesday.

My daughter, friend and his son and me before the start of the 2011 Buffalo Triathlon — Daughter Elizabeth (Liza), friend Jim and his son Jeff, and me before the start of the 2011 Buffalo Triathlon

Swim

Before we knew it, the race was underway. I watched as wave after wave of swimmers took off.

The internet had told of the chaos accompanying fifty swimmers starting together. There had been a small taste of this at the practice swim in Buffalo Lake a few days earlier.

What I saw was like what I expected. I was ready for swimming as a contact sport, even though it was not something I relished.

The contact finally came. Unfortunately, I was the one who made contact.

As I swam, I came upon two females who had left in an earlier wave than mine treading water beside each other. I accidentally hit one of them with my hand. The tongue lashing began immediately as she told me I should have watched out where I was going.

The damage was done. All I could do was say ‘Sorry’ and keep swimming.

Triathlon tip: Having now completed tens of triathlons with open water swims, I have one piece of advice. If you are going to stop and rest along the swim course, please move away from the main traffic lane.

My First Transition

I took my sweet time getting from the swim exit to the transition area. By the time I reached the transition area, I saw my friend, now very serious, already heading out of transition with his bicycle.

In what I later learned was a long transition time, I sat down, washed the grass and dirt off my feet, put on my socks and shoes, and grabbed a few gummy snacks before taking my bike to the mounting area.

I realized other racers were proceeding to the mount line with a much greater sense of urgency than me. I felt as if I were blocking some of them.

Eventually, I got on my bicycle and faced a steep hill. Having not thought this part through, I had left my bike in a high gear.

Oops. Another lesson.

Bike

The bicycle ride was fantastic.

My Giant hybrid bicycle sped along the course as it never had on the rides in Maple Grove over the past couple of years. After the race, I learned I had ridden the 13.3 miles at an average speed of 17.7 miles per hour. Before today, averaging 15 miles per hour would have made me happy.

What struck me was the way those on triathlon bikes passed me. Despite my legs pedaling as fast as they could, I felt as if I were on a casual stroll with my wife. I was sure the gearing of their bikes differed from mine. (Within a month, I had purchased my first triathlon bike, a Trek SpeedConcept 7.5).

Run

The effort to maintain the average speed during the bike leg had apparently taxed my running muscles. Despite having trained many times to run after biking, both at LA Fitness and around my home, I found the run today to be incredibly difficult.

After about one mile, I simply had to stop and walk. It humiliated me to have to walk during the run. Of course, this would not be the only time I would mix a little walking in the run.

From this point through the end of the race, including within the last quarter mile, I found it necessary to mix running and walking.

Somewhere near the middle of the run course, I met my daughter. Her smiling face and ‘Go Dad!’ encouragement were much appreciated.

I pushed myself to run through the section where my wife, son-in-law, and grandchildren were sitting. As I passed them, I gave my grandson a ‘high five’. I remember him shouting to his grandmother ‘Boy, is he sweaty’. I couldn’t help but smile despite a tough run.

running to the finish line of my first triathlon. — Near the finish line of my first triathlon in 2011. While I don’t recall the feeling at this moment, the look on my face says, ‘You made it. Thank you, Lord!’

We Finished!

Not only did Liza and I finish the race, but we both finished it in well under the 1 hour 45 minutes goal. Astounding!

I returned to earth when I saw the times of others in my age group, including that of my friend. My place was 16^th of the 20 within my age group.

I had finished my first triathlon. It was an accomplishment that I will always share with my daughter. And, I had learned a lot.

In some ways, I felt a lot like how I imagine George Plimpton would have felt. Plimpton was a journalist who took part in various professional sports so that he could more effectively write about the athlete’s life.

I had a sense of the triathlon but was not as much an athlete as I thought.

Yet, by now I had lost about 40 pounds. My last physical exam, the one in 2011, had already shown marked improvement in my health metrics.

Expanding the Triathlon Journey

Even before the Buffalo Triathlon, Joy had convinced me to register for the Maple Grove, Minnesota triathlon in August near our home.

Joy and I wondered where this first triathlon would lead us. We started talking about this even while sitting on the grassy hill while waiting for the awards ceremony for the Buffalo Triathlon to begin.

Days after the race, we were still talking about triathlon, training, racing, and traveling to the many race locations. What if we combined triathlon with road trips that we had always enjoyed with our children?

It was then that we set the goal of me completing a triathlon in each state of the United States by the time I was 70 years old.

You can find links to stories about the triathlons in each of the 50 states in which I have completed one in a post titled Exploring the USA Through Triathlon.

What About Your First Triathlon?

After preparing for your first triathlon, what was the biggest surprise during the race? Let us know in the Comments.

I originally published this post on February 28, 2016. I rewrote and republished it on September 23, 2022.