I do not win but I still tri
In 2005 when I started running, it was to lose weight. I was closing in on the end of my weight loss journey and everyone I talked to said "running is the best way" to lose weight. So I started and, at the time, my only goal was to lose weight. It worked. I was happy. I ended up losing the rest of the weight and felt great. Goal accomplished.
Life happens. Then when it was time to lose weight again-I turned back to running. I forgot how much I had missed it and loved it and it quickly became a habit once more.
In 2010, shortly after my daughter was diagnosed with autism, I decided I would run a marathon (the longest distance I had ever run) and chose to run for a race charity - Organization for Autism Research. Once again, we just "fit." I completed that marathon, in record time.......record for me 7 hours. I then swore I would never run another marathon.
In 2013, the marathon idea once again came around. I had already run a marathon before. I guess the only thing next is to beat that time. I ran another marathon that year and completed my goal of beating my time. By 7 minutes. Not an amazing feat but I had accomplished what I set out to do.
The years that followed led me to a new running partner who would join me, support me, push me, and cheer for me even when I didn't want to cheer at all. No matter the distance, he was there to say "let's go!" Team Dunn was formed!
In 2016 we had the crazy idea to try a Triathlon. (That's swim, bike then run). We finished the race. I was so slow, the race officials were SURE they had my time wrong and that I had done the OLYMPIC race course. - The course LONGER than the one I had just completed.
******************************
I have never been "fast." I gave up on competing against my peers close to 2006 when I realized that runners "my age" had been running most of their whole lives and I just couldn't hang with their times. Once, in 2007, I actually got 3rd place in my division on a local 5K! I was so excited until I found out they were giving awards for 1st and 2nd place only. Eventually I gave up on competing - I decided I could race for other purposes - I could race to beat my own time. I could race for the joy of running. I could race to help support and cheer for other runners. I could race for charity.
This morning, I set out to complete my 2nd Mini Triathlon. (My 1st was in April of this year) I had a goal of finishing in less overall time than my previous Mini. Here's my race recap:
5:30 am-I wake up before the sunrise and realize it's RACE DAY! As I start preparing my wardrobe and gathering all the "stuff" it takes to make it to the finish, I miss my race partner. He's at work and for the first time in over 4 years, I'm racing alone. I load up my bicycle and the car with bags, grab some breakfast and get in the car to head to the start line.
The sunrise is pretty and I unload all my stuff at a spot in transition area. I soon find friends who are running the longer distance scheduled for the day. Chit chat and wander around for a while. I then grab my timing chip and find the pre-race meeting.
As the crowd starts to mosey to the pool, I really miss my husband. I stop by the 2:30 swim time sign and see a couple men there already. I tell them I'm not 100% sure about that being my time but I will try to stay out of their way, "Pass me if you need to" - and I notice all the kids are lining up first. They start taking the first racers and the line starts moving. The lady says to me before I jump in the pool "You are going to have a great race today!" Focused on what I'm doing, I jump in, kick off the wall and am almost 50 meters in before I remember I'm racing! I pass a young boy that was going way too slow and one of those men standing in line behind me then passes me in the pool. On the last length, I check to make sure there is no one around me and I keep my head above water. I notice they are pulling people out of the water with 1 arm and think "they are going to beach whale me." One of the guys looks at me and I say "Can I take the ladder right here?" on the side. He says "yeah, sure!" GOOD! I exit the pool and run the full distance across the front of the Y to the transition area. It was great to see friends there cheering! As I head into the transition area, my mind keeps telling me not to take too long. The clock is still running. I put on my socks and shoes, my helmet and race number. I walk my bike to the mounting line and take off. The bike was pretty uneventful. I'm not the best cyclist-several people passed me and I only passed a couple people. 3 miles in, I turn around and head back. I notice near the turn around of the bike that the lead car has turned back already and there were only a handful of people ahead of me! What great confidence that I might ACTUALLY place in this race?!?! (There was this weird double dismount thing because of construction but everyone had to do it and I understand due to safety/road construction) I think as I finish with the biking, "All I have to do is take my helmet off, park my bike and grab my hat!" I do so and take off for a 1 mile run! I paced myself well on the run. There was a woman ahead of me I really wanted to beat. She had passed me on the bike and I passed her before the first half mile was over. I turned around at the half mile and never saw her again - I finished the mile in just over 10 minutes! I was super proud of how well I finished! I got some water and a medal then took some time in calming down. I grabbed my "stuff" and loaded it back in the car, changed my clothes and waited to find out results.
As the longer distance race then started, I cheered for everyone as they exited the pool, enjoyed a cookie and more water. Someone nearby me said "There is a TV up there with everyones time scrolling on it!" I bolted to find out my results. The screen comes up and I got 1st place! My name. 1st place! I'm in shock. I took pictures and text my husband. HOLY COW!!! I've never WON a race EVER!!! I'm so happy and proud. I may have text half of the friends in my phone......
I wander back to the celebration area and ask when/where awards are. They tell me they will be held there after the longer distance competitors are finished. *2 hours later* I end up cheering and supporting my friends as they come in to the finish. They start awards and those collecting them are surprised they didn't start with the Mini awards. "Oh," the guy announces, "there was some confusion. That distance didn't have awards. They just get a finishing medal. It was 'non-competitive!" Hurt and disappointed, I turn to leave. I was mad that I had stuck around for 2 hours to wait. I was upset that I finally WIN something and there's nothing to win. I laugh at the irony of this for a moment on the way home. After a nap to wash away my headache and disappointment, I discovery I beat my time in April by 1 minute overall. I'm not upset at my performance. I know I can do better and hope to compete at longer distances in the future. I sure have the "Tri" bug. But for now, I'm going to stick with running for all those reasons. I run for OAR. I will not win, but I still tri - another day.
Life happens. Then when it was time to lose weight again-I turned back to running. I forgot how much I had missed it and loved it and it quickly became a habit once more.
In 2010, shortly after my daughter was diagnosed with autism, I decided I would run a marathon (the longest distance I had ever run) and chose to run for a race charity - Organization for Autism Research. Once again, we just "fit." I completed that marathon, in record time.......record for me 7 hours. I then swore I would never run another marathon.
In 2013, the marathon idea once again came around. I had already run a marathon before. I guess the only thing next is to beat that time. I ran another marathon that year and completed my goal of beating my time. By 7 minutes. Not an amazing feat but I had accomplished what I set out to do.
The years that followed led me to a new running partner who would join me, support me, push me, and cheer for me even when I didn't want to cheer at all. No matter the distance, he was there to say "let's go!" Team Dunn was formed!
In 2016 we had the crazy idea to try a Triathlon. (That's swim, bike then run). We finished the race. I was so slow, the race officials were SURE they had my time wrong and that I had done the OLYMPIC race course. - The course LONGER than the one I had just completed.
******************************
I have never been "fast." I gave up on competing against my peers close to 2006 when I realized that runners "my age" had been running most of their whole lives and I just couldn't hang with their times. Once, in 2007, I actually got 3rd place in my division on a local 5K! I was so excited until I found out they were giving awards for 1st and 2nd place only. Eventually I gave up on competing - I decided I could race for other purposes - I could race to beat my own time. I could race for the joy of running. I could race to help support and cheer for other runners. I could race for charity.
This morning, I set out to complete my 2nd Mini Triathlon. (My 1st was in April of this year) I had a goal of finishing in less overall time than my previous Mini. Here's my race recap:
5:30 am-I wake up before the sunrise and realize it's RACE DAY! As I start preparing my wardrobe and gathering all the "stuff" it takes to make it to the finish, I miss my race partner. He's at work and for the first time in over 4 years, I'm racing alone. I load up my bicycle and the car with bags, grab some breakfast and get in the car to head to the start line.
The sunrise is pretty and I unload all my stuff at a spot in transition area. I soon find friends who are running the longer distance scheduled for the day. Chit chat and wander around for a while. I then grab my timing chip and find the pre-race meeting.
As the crowd starts to mosey to the pool, I really miss my husband. I stop by the 2:30 swim time sign and see a couple men there already. I tell them I'm not 100% sure about that being my time but I will try to stay out of their way, "Pass me if you need to" - and I notice all the kids are lining up first. They start taking the first racers and the line starts moving. The lady says to me before I jump in the pool "You are going to have a great race today!" Focused on what I'm doing, I jump in, kick off the wall and am almost 50 meters in before I remember I'm racing! I pass a young boy that was going way too slow and one of those men standing in line behind me then passes me in the pool. On the last length, I check to make sure there is no one around me and I keep my head above water. I notice they are pulling people out of the water with 1 arm and think "they are going to beach whale me." One of the guys looks at me and I say "Can I take the ladder right here?" on the side. He says "yeah, sure!" GOOD! I exit the pool and run the full distance across the front of the Y to the transition area. It was great to see friends there cheering! As I head into the transition area, my mind keeps telling me not to take too long. The clock is still running. I put on my socks and shoes, my helmet and race number. I walk my bike to the mounting line and take off. The bike was pretty uneventful. I'm not the best cyclist-several people passed me and I only passed a couple people. 3 miles in, I turn around and head back. I notice near the turn around of the bike that the lead car has turned back already and there were only a handful of people ahead of me! What great confidence that I might ACTUALLY place in this race?!?! (There was this weird double dismount thing because of construction but everyone had to do it and I understand due to safety/road construction) I think as I finish with the biking, "All I have to do is take my helmet off, park my bike and grab my hat!" I do so and take off for a 1 mile run! I paced myself well on the run. There was a woman ahead of me I really wanted to beat. She had passed me on the bike and I passed her before the first half mile was over. I turned around at the half mile and never saw her again - I finished the mile in just over 10 minutes! I was super proud of how well I finished! I got some water and a medal then took some time in calming down. I grabbed my "stuff" and loaded it back in the car, changed my clothes and waited to find out results.
As the longer distance race then started, I cheered for everyone as they exited the pool, enjoyed a cookie and more water. Someone nearby me said "There is a TV up there with everyones time scrolling on it!" I bolted to find out my results. The screen comes up and I got 1st place! My name. 1st place! I'm in shock. I took pictures and text my husband. HOLY COW!!! I've never WON a race EVER!!! I'm so happy and proud. I may have text half of the friends in my phone......
I wander back to the celebration area and ask when/where awards are. They tell me they will be held there after the longer distance competitors are finished. *2 hours later* I end up cheering and supporting my friends as they come in to the finish. They start awards and those collecting them are surprised they didn't start with the Mini awards. "Oh," the guy announces, "there was some confusion. That distance didn't have awards. They just get a finishing medal. It was 'non-competitive!" Hurt and disappointed, I turn to leave. I was mad that I had stuck around for 2 hours to wait. I was upset that I finally WIN something and there's nothing to win. I laugh at the irony of this for a moment on the way home. After a nap to wash away my headache and disappointment, I discovery I beat my time in April by 1 minute overall. I'm not upset at my performance. I know I can do better and hope to compete at longer distances in the future. I sure have the "Tri" bug. But for now, I'm going to stick with running for all those reasons. I run for OAR. I will not win, but I still tri - another day.
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