Lost on an Island

Today signifies the first day of summer. At least for me. This was the first of a series of triathlons and run races that I have signed up for throughout the summer, and I couldn't have started this season on a better day.

Today was the Motor City Triathlon, on Belle Isle in the great city of Detroit. I had signed up for the Olympic distance as opposed to the sprint distance, basically since I felt that I could pull it off even though I haven't trained a lick in three weeks. Other than still being somewhat in shape after having finished my half ironman in May, it's mind over matter, as far as I'm concerned.

I awoke at four in the morning to a clear sky, a slight briskness in the air and singing birds; a good sign that this would be a great day for a race. I arrived on Belle Isle at around 5:30am and picked up my registration packet. The Motor City Triathlon had a set-up that I had not experienced before, a dual location transition area. I had to set up T2 first with only my run gear. After that, I had to walk a mile to the T1 area to set up my bike transition.

During this time, I ran into a lot of friends. Racing with friends is one of the biggest reasons why I enjoy triathlons so much. There were friends that I've mentored and raced along side with through Team in Training (like Ryanda, who is my friend and fun-rival who always gives me a run for my money; Jerry, who I had mentored on the St. Anthony's team who happened to be proudly one of the oldest racers on the course today; and Kevin, my longstanding coach through Team in Training since I first started triathlon racing in 2007). There were friends that I went to college with (like Angelika, who is one of the coolest sisters that I know). There were friends that I used to work with (like Alex, who is a true inspiration and represents the fact that anything can be done if you set your mind to it). There were even friends that I had only met online, who had connected with me on facebook because of the common races or groups we were a part of (like Ara, who I finally met in person just today). Seeing people that I know really helps me get into the right frame of mind before a race. For some reason, it has an incredible calming effect on me, though I couldn't begin to explain why.

My greatest apprehension of the morning was getting into the chilly, 67 degree Detroit River water. The water was so cold this year, that the race director decided to start off the waves in the water instead of having a beach start. (I really don't know how that could have made much of a difference, it was just darn cold any way you cut it.) Fortunately, I have a long-sleeve wetsuit, which helped immensely.

The horn blew, and off we went. The water was extremely calm and refreshing, even though the chill seemed to congregate around my bare hands as if I was dipping them in a bucket of ice. As I'd lift my head from one side to another to breathe, the fresh water would drip into my mouth. Normally, I wouldn't notice this, but the last few open water swims had been in salty ocean water, so the fresh taste of the Detroit River was a welcome one.

My swim felt strong, as indicated by the different colored caps from the men's wave that I caught up to. I headed out to the 500K bouy to make the turn, and saw a back-up of swimmers as I approached. What is going on, I wondered. I realized only when I got there that it was the current that they were struggling with, the same current that hit me hard. It pushed me to almost a standstill, but I made a hard push through it and made the turn.

With the current behind me now, I was swimming stronger than ever. I was a bit far on the outside of the bouys, but enjoyed the solace as I swam in the moment. I made it to the final turn in what seemed to be no time. Heading into the home stretch of the swim, I once again found myself swimming alone. This time, however, it wasn't for a good reason. I realized, only after being shouted at by the life guards in the water, that I was WAY off course and should have been inland a good 300 yards by now. The sun, which was now in my eyes, had effected my sightline and I didn't see the bouy.

I stopped to get my bearings, cursed under my breath, and now made a straight line into shore. This mistake surely cost me a few minutes in the swim. Despite this fact, I still felt strong and made the decision not to beat myself up about it.

I finished the swim, hit transition 1, and was on my way on the bike portion of the race. This part of the course was a 23 mile leg of the race, with four loops around Belle Isle. I enjoyed this part of the course, mainly because it allowed me get lost in time. I remember this loop from 35 years ago, when my grandfather used to let me sit on his lap and let me "drive" his car. I remember the memories of my grandparents being members of the Detroit Boat Club, once a beautiful, grand historic building that was home to the oldest sports rowing club in the United States. I remember swimming in the double olympic pools that were connected by a walking bridge that you could swim under. I remember my grandfather's boat on the dock, and the joy in my eyes as I'd feed the new batches of baby ducks as they swim by. The building was host to my parents' wedding reception over 50 years ago, too, a memory captured in photos that I now recollected as I cycled on by. This beautiful building now sits in disrepair, with no hope for the future, as weather and time slowly continue to deteriorate the structure.

Back in the moment, I finished the bike and headed off to my run. This was a tad longer than a normal Olympic distance run, but I was prepared. I decided to go at a slow, steady pace throughout, to see if I could sustain a run for the duration. To my surprise, I found this focus easy as I found myself in the woods in the middle of the island. I had known there were trees on Belle Isle, but I had no idea that there were trails that threaded their way through these woods. The serenity was beautiful, and really gave me peace of mind and I felt as though I was one with nature. It was probably one of the most enjoyable race runs I've ever had.

As I approached the finish line, the music and cheering thrust me back into reality one last time. I crossed the line in a respectable 3 hours and 17 minutes. Not my best time in an Olympic distance, but nothing that I'm ashamed of, especially because of lack of training lately. To my surprise, something that I never thought would happen did as a result of my efforts today. I had registered in the Athena category, and actually took third place in this group!

Overall, it really was an awesome day and a fantastic race that gave me the opportunity to get lost in memories and lost in the moment. Who knew that Belle Isle, in Detroit, Michigan, could have offered up that for me.

Thanks for the memories, both the old and the new.