Reep takes a second crack at a Triathlon

Don't ask me why I decided to do a triathlon last summer, I have no rational explanation. I ended up being very dissatisfied with my performance and it left a bad taste in my mouth (and I'm not just talking the cotton taste from sucking wind). So I decided to try one more time this summer and then be done with it, kind of a "bucket list" thing. So I signed up for a triathlon in Denver that was today, and I am going to do one more in two weeks- the one in Springfield, Missouri I did so poorly on last year. Then I will be retired from triathlons.

Actually there is a semi-rational reason for why I decided to try these. I figured it would motivate me to be more disciplined with my eating as I really struggle with gluttony and am too often a poor example to my children in that area. It would also motivate me to exercise more. My wife runs 4-5 times a week and needs no goal to make her do it, she's just a very disciplined person. I seem to need goals for motivation. I usually do jog throughout the year so I can play soccer with our church team without dying, but not intensely and as far as training for a sprint triathlon requires- not to mention bike riding and swimming.

So with my sabbatical meaning 8-10 hours in a chair reading and writing each day, I thought I would ride my bike in the morning and run at night, then the last two weeks do some block training, riding my bike 10 miles, then immediately running 3 miles. It was brutal at first because Westcliffe is right at 8000 feet elevation. But once I acclimatized and shed some pounds it felt better. This morning's triathlon in Denver was at a paltry 5000 feet and I felt great. Well, all except for the 525 meter swim to start. I stink at swimming and there's no hope for me to get better, so I just know that going in. The key is to be in good enough shape to survive the ridiculous amount of energy I have to expend swimming with such awful form. Today it worked out well, I recovered on the 12 mile bike course with lots of hills, and actually enjoyed a leisurely 5k run to finish the thing. All in all, it was actually kind of sort of enjoyable. It helps that I've dropped 30 pounds since May. Funny how that works.

As for what place I came in or my time, I don't know either. I don't care. I turn 39 in less than a month. I'm just trying to stay alive. I'll let the younger skinnier folks fight it out for a trophy.