It's not all about me! Triathlons are a team sport.

This post comes with a warning: you are about to catch a glimpse into the crazy mind of a triathlete in long distance training.

This has been a weird week.  Sunday was the Niantic Bay Triathlon and quite a few athletes from the We Tri 4 Aimee team were there tri-ing for Aimee.  For me, it was a mixed bag of emotions.   It was exciting because two lovely ladies, Monika (2nd from right) and Kathleen (3rd from right) were doing their first triathlon!

We Tri 4 Aimee at Niantic Bay Triathlon 2015
missing Brent, Mel (on the massage table) & Susie

I was morose on my drive to Niantic, parking and moving onto the transition area. I missed my driving buddy, Milly and my workout best bud Marie.  Weighing heavy on my heart and mind was Aimee, who was supposed to be at this event.    With the day beginning at the ungodly hour of 3:00 a.m., I asked myself "why I am here??"

Arriving at transition area

My mood shifted as I spotted white We Tri 4 Aimee shirts and we gathered as a group with pre-race nervousness and excitement.

At the start of the swim, the race officials took turns making announcements and recognizing volunteers.  The East Lyme High School Girls Lacrosse team were volunteers on the course and being a lacrosse lover, I thought that was very cool! Then the announcer made a comment noting the work the volunteers are doing for the race at an early hour and that "it is not all about you" , the participants.   Hmmmmm, I thought, I am pretty sure most if not all the participants recognize and appreciate the volunteers especially since we are dependent on them for registration, directions, guarding our expensive stuff in transition, feeding us post-race, etc.  Many of us volunteer for races when we are not racing.  Personally, I continuously huff and puff  thank yous to course volunteers and police officers but on this day, I made sure to shout out loudly to everyone for fear of not appreciating them enough.

The race begins with the swim and as I exited the water peeling off my wetsuit, I heard a familiar voice on the sideline say my name.  Aimee!   I was so charged seeing her there and so early in the morning rooting for us.   A few steps later, I heard the bellow of the vuvuzela and I burst out laughing as I ran into the transition area to get on the bike.  David is here!  I thought he was home in bed!  Seeing both of them so early in the morning made my heart soar.

vuvuzela

Moving ahead to this past week, my goal was to step up my running workouts.  Around March, I began having foot trouble and avoided long distance running.  I learned a couple of weeks ago that it is plantar fasciitis.  The good news is I was cleared to run with a simple solution.  The bad news is the Rhode Warrior 1/2 Iron Man was less than 5 weeks away.   The 13.1 mile run portion of the race has been weighing heavy on my mind because I am not in shape for 13 miles much less after long distance biking.  I have grown to dislike running a bit.  Swimming and biking is much more fun and easier on the body.  As a slow runner,  I wind up running alone.  This week, I worked hard getting in 2 track workouts and a 13 mile run and I should have felt good about that.  Instead, there were moments of loneliness and I contemplated hard about why I chose to do this.  Is it all about me?  Leaving my family for endless hours, making my son Ian get up at 5:30 a.m. to lifeguard our ocean swims, my family dealing with my crankiness after bad workouts and on and on.   These long workouts allow for too much thinking!  How I miss my dear friend Marie and her endless positivity.  She would tell me I need a new mantra.

 On Wednesday, the Mystic tri group met and we chatted, swam, chatted, biked, chatted on bike, chatted, ran and chatted more.  On Thursday, the Westerly tri group met and we chatted, swam, chatted on bike, chatted off bike, chatted while running and chatted more.  I was reminded that these amazing groups fuel me, challenge me, inspire me, teach me, entertain me, support me and love me (despite my lousy running and too much thinking).

I think often of Aimee, (more thinking, lol) especially this week.  She completed her first round of chemo last week, which was 12 rounds, once weekly.  This past week was her week off from treatment and while it was nice for her to not have treatment, a visit to the oncologist informed her of what to expect from her next round which begins Thursday.  It is not pretty.  It is overwhelming, scary and going to be hard work.  She doesn't want to do it but she will because she is strong, courageous and wants to live.  Surely, she will have moments of loneliness.  Though it feels like it sometimes, her fight is not an individual fight.  She has a team fighting with her.  Like me, Aimee is not alone, she has this amazing group too.

Aimee

With ten We Tri 4 Aimee team members participating at the Niantic Bay Triathlon, with sideline fans Aimee and David cheering and vuvuzela-ing for everyone and with our weekly triathlon groups, I am acutely reminded that facing any challenge is a little easier with support of family and friends.  We Tri 4 Aimee team is campaigning for financial help for Aimee for medical expenses and other expenses for when she is unable work.  Please consider a donation of any amount to help her.  http://www.gofundme.com/7fb3vvesg

Several We Tri 4 Aimee team members have signed on to do the Rhode Warrior event on August 23rd.  This event begins at Misquamicut Beach with a swim in the ocean and a bike route that heads out of Westerly into CT and back to Misquamicut.  The run loops twice from Misquamicut through Weekapaug.  Every stroke, pedal and step will be tri-ing for Aimee.  We can use sideline support that day!