Deena's Race Report

Iron Girl 2008 Report by Deena Bleich

Because of Lloyd and his triathlon training group, every step of the Iron Girl was just as I expected it. So thanks Lloyd.

Lloyd has a reservoir of patience; he never made me feel ridiculous even though I asked him 100 times how to do the skate or whatever that other swim drill was called (just kidding). If it weren’t for him, I’d probably still be trembling at the starting line. Also thanks to his occasional stand-in, Keanne, who is a bottomless well of encouragement. Thanks also goes to our teammate and my sister-in-law Amy. If she hadn’t convinced me that people like me really can do triathlons, I never would have gotten to the starting line in the first place. And you guys, the OnPoint Fitness training group, were with me all the way to the finish line. Of those not participating in the Iron Girl, some sent email encouragement or congratulations and some came in person. And those that came to cheer us on were not mere spectators. (For the full flavor of this, read Mary’s report.) Each one touched me specially and individually by hugging me, telling me how proud they were, taking pictures or running out to the run course to drag me in.

I met Lloyd because my husband Mark bought running shoes. Subsequently, Fleet Feet sent us regular emails, which I actually read. And in those emails, there was a notice about a tri training group that Lloyd was going to have. Joining a training group seemed like a good idea since I had signed up for the Iron Girl months earlier but had not made much progress in getting ready for it. So, it was my turn to do the convincing, and Amy signed up too.

The day before the event, I was very nervous, even more than on the actual event day. I started by getting my bike checked at Princeton Sports, then went to the Sheraton. There I listened to the race director talk for a while, picked up my packet and race chip, got all my free gifts and looked at the expo. That stuffed Aflac duck that screams ‘AFLAC’ when you squeeze it is definitely worth the registration fee. It made a big hit at home, plus it is great for waking the kids up. I know. I used it Monday morning for just that purpose. But I digress. Then it was off to rack my bike. There I ran into Amy, who because of circumstances involving age and alphabetics, was racking her bike next to mine. We comically tried to figure out how to rack our massive hybrids next to the diminutive road bikes all around us.

On race day, I completed the first sport, waking up and getting dressed in time (I consider this a quadrathlon.) and was making my way to the first transition area, known in more normal circumstances as the garage. Then I received a booster shot of morale as I looked at the door to the garage. My three daughters had posted a colorful and poetic sign wishing me well at the Iron Girl. This was sweeter than any medal. I know it’s cheesy but I couldn’t resist and a picture of it is attached.

On to Columbia. I saw the whole gang when I arrived shortly before six. Time went quickly and before I knew it, I was standing in a purple cap on the edge of a lake. Mary was shooting pictures and I think Lloyd said something like, “Deena, give it your all.”

As I said before, the actual sporting events went very much as I expected. The swim felt great; it was a relief to be started after all the anticipation. I was pleased to do the 1000 meters under 30 minutes on my first ‘tri’. The bike ride was grueling, even more than I remembered from practice. Some of the bikers who passed me would call out words of encouragement. The run was ok, and here I fell into step with some of my companions from time to time, many of whom were considerably younger than me. One of them, when she realized my age, said she wished her mother would do something active. It appeared to be a theme. Others also mentioned the sedentary lifestyles of their mothers or grandmothers. This led to me sharing the story of my mother, who had diabetes and had her leg amputated several years before the end of her life.

This sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants/sex-in-the-city type bonding was broken up by a ringing in my ear. It was Lloyd and Nicole and that darn cowbell. So I started hustling to the finish line. A couple of my daughters ran with me to the finish line. They were given finisher medals too, which my kindergartener really liked.

I guess it’s a good sign that I was composing this report in my head while I was jogging tonight, just two days after the tri. Or should I say 363 days before the next Iron Girl?