My First Race

People often ask me how I got started in the sport of Triathlon.  When they learn about my Ironman adventures, they assume that I come from a running background and must have done it my whole life.  The truth is, when this Kona dream was born, I was nowhere near being a "runner".  I was athletic, in highschool I played basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton, and did a bit of Track and Field (but only field events - shot put actually!).  Though I had the ambition to get into triathlon, at that time it was not really practical for me.  I was to busy playing my team sports and keeping busy with other activities.  I didn't have the money to buy a road bike, so I had decided that it was something I would pursue when I was older and away from the "team" sport environment. So how did it all start?  Here's how...

The first real runner in my family was my Uncle Lindsay.  Like many others, he started running to get in shape and improve his fitness.  Around the time that he was rounding into running form, I was in my 4th year of College, on internship in Port Perry ON.  While I was there, I learned that a 1/2 marathon was taking place in town.  I phoned my uncle to see if he knew about it, and in fact he had already signed up.  I had done NO training at all for the event, but figured that being athletic and young I could handle it...and surely I could hang with my uncle who was in his late 40's, couldn't I?

Well, I told my uncle right on the phone, that I'd race with him.  He was happy to have the company and picked me up race morning.  To say that I was naive about event, may be a bit of an understatement - I was pretty raw, a full on "newbie" as they say.  I was excited to be there, but a bit nervous about how it would all go.  I grabbed my race gear and followed my uncle around like a lost puppy.  He led me through what to do and where to go.  We warmed up together and before I knew it, we were amongst a few hundred people and the gun went off!

I started out right beside my uncle.  We ran the first kilometer together, and waved at Aunt Colleen, as she took our photo from the side of the road (this would become a common tradition in future races, as she is the best at "on course" spotting and photography!).  Another km or so went by, and I was quick to realize that any thoughts of staying with my uncle were...crazy!  I had to slow down, so my uncle graciously encouraged me to stay with it, and then I watched as he held the pace, and I faded back.

Once, I settled into my own pace, I was feeling o.k.  The km's seemed to go by and before I knew it I was half done the race.  At around 15km I remember starting to feel really fatigued.  I thought to myself - man this is hard, and I still have 6.1km to go!  I tried to keep it going, but I am sure that my pace had been slowing.  By the 18km mark, I felt so close, yet so far from the finish line.  My run had turned into a walk and my legs felt like they had beaten by a baseball bat!  I was walking a lot now, but kept putting one foot in front of the other.  Eventually the finish line was in my sight.  My spirits were lifted, and I managed a jog again for the final 500 meters.  My final time ended up being 2:05:48 for the 21.1km journey.  I crossed that line and found a piece of grass to collapse on.  My uncle was there waiting for me (looking fresh and smiling after his 1:43 race!).  They encouraged me on the accomplishment and tried to tell me to keep walking around - but that didn't happen.  In the days that followed I looked more like a crippled man, than a young athletic guy trying to get in and out of vehicles or walk up and down stairs.  It was painful!  But, the feeling of accomplishment and the reality of the challenge given from "endurance racing" was more than enough to wet my appetite, I was hooked.

You may be wondering why I chose to do a half marathon as my first race, as opposed to a sprint triathlon or shorter running race.  Well, I knew that eventually I wanted to "go long" and in the sport of triathlon its swim, bike, RUN - so it always comes last and therefor I thought, the run would never be easy.  I figured I had no business starting triathlons where they add the run onto the end of the race, before I could do a stand alone run.  I was right...I needed to work on the run part big time - and this experience proved it :-)

Cheers, 

Jon