Aug 13: Triathlon outcome (completed!)

Finally, it's the day of the triathlon. It's raining and the temperature is 18 degrees (C) so I can't say it's great. 5 people in total are taking part in this triathlon: me, my son, and 3 members from Famaey family which is where I'm staying. For this course, due to the transit area being split in 2 areas, we took shoes and hat for the marathon near the goal area, and then bicycle and helmet near the start area by the lake. This triathlon has a long history, and it's well organised.

Photo before the start! From left;Tom, Atsusi, Erik, Nele, Krist'l

Swimming is taking place in a lake, and 270 people start at the same time so it's pretty packed. This is my first experience so I am not used to bumping into others whilst swimming, so I started at the end of the line on the outside area.

Water is cold but thanks to the wet suit it's manageable. I also put temperature keeping oil so I don't feel cold. Even at the back of the line, I ended up bumping (or they?) to other people.

Slowly I started to swim outwards, swimming whilst counting slowly. Considering if one stroke proceeds 1.2m, 84 strokes makes 100m. But you end up bumping into people and then you'll have to adjust the direction, so roughly 100 strokes will make 100m.

The water is brown and I can see my hands but nothing else, and it feels like you are swimming in a solitude, but when you put your face up you see people around you.

I've focused on my swimming form and swam 375m, then walked over the land, heading to the start point and jump into the water again.

Second lap was easier and more smooth. There are many people cheering on the way to transit area, so the last 25m I swam very slowly to improve my body strength (usually people hurry here).

Although when I got out of the water, I couldn't balance myself and I staggered along. Trying to take off the wet suit whilst running, but it took time to hold the string which is connected to the zipper. Finally managed to take the top part of the wet suit off when I got to the transit area. By the way, it's against the rule to take off the bottom part of the wet suit before getting to the transit area.

My photo was taken when I was running and struggling to get the string.

In the transit area, I tried to take the bottom part of wet suit off but it didn't come off my left leg. When I thought about it, I noticed that I put the measurement chip on my left ankle, that's why! I think I wasted at least a minute trying to get this chip off my leg. I remembered and confirmed many times in my head to do this before starting, but I guess you forget things while you are in it! And started to run with the bicycle with helmet, gloves, glasses, number cloth and leaving behind the clothes I took off in a box.

After leaving the transit area and passing the line where one can ride the bicycle, my body is still woozy and I couldn't find a good timing to get on the bicycle. This is something that I haven't experienced in my normal days so it's pretty interesting.

Also, it took time to put the shoe on after getting on the bicycle, so I guess it didn't really matter whether I put them on before or afterwards. The shoe is for normal bicycle ride type ones so it needs a bit of improvement. I'll take this note for the next time.

The path was wet due to the light rain and cobble stone corners are really slippery. After a while I've seen a person walking by the bicycle and holding a wheel, perhaps he/she fell and broke the bicycle. I want to maintain the 30km/h speed by carefully turning the corner, but it doesn't last due the upwind. Around 4km later perhaps I was getting used to it, I fell off the bicycle near the corner. After passing the right angle left corner which is on cobble stone, I saw some dirt at the edge. At the moment when I thought 'oh no!' the wheels were in the area and fell sideways, and my body ended up doing the work of brake.

The bicycle was fine so I put my painful body up and got on the bike again. One of the spectator came to help me but when you receive help you are disqualified so I started cycling. When I checked the injuries, it was slightly bleeding around my left elbow, left knee due to some skin were peeled. I poured some drinking water over it to wash the mud. The bleeding wasn't so bad so I kept cycling. I'd imagine I lost 2 minutes do to this fall. I looked for other cyclists but there's one which was 500m ahead, and none behind me. I felt like I was the last one. I'm putting full energy into cycling so my head is not working so well. I can hear my breathing sound, bicycle's sound, and random people's cheering sound. When I hear the cheering, I try my best to put a smile on and raise my hand.

When it was the second lap, I can only see the same bicycle ahead and none behind me. I don't think I can get to the one ahead. A little later, someone took over me and I tried to stay right behind, I was able to cycle using drafting and it was much easier. After 3km being right behind, there was a sing to switch so I was leading but after 1km I felt tired. Then we swap again. I can see the goal (for the cycling) so I took my shoes off whilst cycling and pedaled whilst putting my foot on my shoes so I can get off pretty easily when I arrive.

The transition from bicycle to marathon is to take off the helmet, put the hat on, and put socks and shoes on. I already checked where my bicycle should be parked, so it was easy to spot the location. I started running but my legs are too tired from cycling, they don't work. Then I can feel my breathing is getting harder. I feel slow and my length of stride is getting shorter. Thinking of doing this for 5km drives me crazy. Someone passed me so I noticed that I wasn't the last one.

Finally I ran one lap and they give me a band on my arm. I felt like I already ran 5km but I guess I only ran half of that. I guess it will be fight with my patience. Keeping the same pace, tried to increase the length of stride a little bit, and adjust my running form and kept going. Near the goal, my son passed me and I tried to pass him but gave up around 100m. When I saw the goal right ahead of my son, I dropped a small pecial drink which I got from Erik. I could've kept running, but it's not good to leave litter as a Japanese person so I tried to pick it up by bending down, then I fell since I didn't have the muscle power to keep my body straight. When I got up, the person behind me took over me so I dropped a position. I felt like I still had some body strength but I guess my body muscles are reaching the limit. I haven't been running so I guess the muscles and blood vessels must've decreased. I guess I'll need lots of running from now on.

At the goal point, I wanted to enjoy the completion of triathlon, but the staff came and took me to the First Aid immediately. I've grazed three parts; arm, bum, and a leg. First Aid place was a little crowded so I had to wait a little - I guess due to the rain people got injured more than usual. One of the first aider was not so used to it, it felt a little awkward. After released from First Aid, I celebrated the completion of triathlon and took a commemorative photo.

Here's the commemorative photo of completing the triathlon!










Result:

From the members who took part today, Nele was 3rd in her age range, and Krist'l was first, I was second (out of three).

In addition, Nele was 9th in women's section, and I was 169th in men's.
From the result, I think my agenda will be running and cutting time at transition area. Swimming was 154th so that's alright, running was 173rd even though I ran slowly, and cycling was 178th even though I tried so hard it's the worst number. I suppose European people are strong in cycling. I think I'll need further cycling training and spend more time on it. To do that, I'll need to learn a technique to turn quickly in many corners.
Also, the marathon runner Erik is 60 years old but he is 129th amongst men which is amazing result.

After this much of exercise I assumed that I'll have a hard time with exhaustion and muscle pain, but it was only a light muscle ache, probably because I used all the muscles in a good balance.

So overall, it was 1/8, but my dream to complete the triathlon came true!
(Erik and Krist'l invited me to take part next year but what shall I do??)

Aug 12th: The day before Triathlon

From yesterday I arrived at my friend's place in Brasschaat and started to adjust the bicycle.

I've changed the pedal, cleaned the chain, and gave a trial run to the pool in Antwerp. I've cycled around 20km, but since it's a mountain bike, it's not strong against the wind pressure, and I've only used the top 3 gears but it was pretty comfortable. However, afterwards I swam in the pool and my legs froze so I couldn't use them anymore. Therefore I only swam for 300m.

Today, I am going to put the wet suit on and going to swim in the lake. The course sets to swim 2 laps which is 375m each. It's like a triangular course going around 2 floats.

It's the first west suit I've ever wore and it was pretty thin and tight. Going into the cold water with the wet suit on is actually not bad. But the cold water comes from the back zipper. That's cold and makes me feel chilly. I've tried to exercise in the water so the body temperature won't go down. The cold water gets warmed up by my body, then it's not cold anymore.

I've swam until the float for about 100m, but I can't see anything in the water. I can just about to see my hand and can't see anyone else. You only have to put the face above surface to check, but it's hard not to get tired by doing this. I swam to the float and then I went back. It was so different from what I've imagined, therefore it was very good that I gave a trial swim.

These are the people who are taking part tomorrow. Nele who's the daughter of Famaey family will also join.