Triathlon in Vibram FiveFingers

"How on earth did I get here?"

It wasn't the 'I Swam the Dam' triathlon that I was questioning. I was worried about the fact that I was only feet from the starting line with over one hundred neoprene clad competitors ready to trample over me at the sound of the horn. For not having a strong swim history, I was clearly in the wrong spot. The horn blared, I quickly moved to the side of the boat ramp to avoid being swam over, and began what would be the next 2 hours and 38 minutes.

At 500 meters, I was ready to give up. I had swallowed a lot of water, and my head was waging war against my me. I decided to fight back and pushed forward. The open water was nothing like the clear swimming lanes of the public pool. Dark, murky water engulfed. Feet and arms slashed at every direction. But then the finish ramp came into sight. I stumbled out of the water surprised to see the sub 30 minute time ticking by on my wrist. Wow, I bette get to the bike.

FiveFingers didn't accompany my swim, but I pulled them on for the bike ride... enticing them over wet feet wasn't as easy as I had hoped. Once through a painfully slow transition, 40 kms of pavement beckoned me forward. The long stretches were broken up with the occasional hill. I managed to pass a few cyclists, but mostly I was passed by stronger peddlers. I pushed but not so hard as to have nothing left for the run.

Transitioning from bike to run happened in the blink of an eye. I hung my bike, slipped on a ball cap, and peeled out for the run in my Bikilas all in about 30 seconds. I was now in my element, ready to make up some time.

Passing competitors who passed me on the bike kept up my motivation. I pushed through the 10 kilometer out and back averaging a 7:30 minute/mile, and it felt great. It was the first time running in six weeks, and I felt like I had reunited with an old friend. Driving up and over the final hill for the finish line was exhilarating. 

A fun race made even more fun by using FiveFingers... Now back to some serious run training.

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