My Big Race,
                     Timberman 1/2 Ironman   triathlon              
                              by Pam Bashian       

Here's  my experience!  I will start by saying  that it was an amazing experience and I will be going back next year to this course for sure! I slept with my medal for a week (no lie). It is now proudly hanging on my rack in my front room for all to see! I cannot believe the support for this race from not only the volunteers, but the experienced Triathletes who show a love for the sport.  They were amazing!  I had tears in my eyes on several occasions (tears of joy/tears of pain)
Waiting for the gun to go off:  7am  
     I set up my transition area with no problems!  I think being a newbie, I don't get too caught up with this.  That's probably why I have slow T times!!  No worries.  I did ok!  I started chatting with the girls around me.  They were so nice and supportive.  We all decided that the swim had us in a tizzy!  We shared experiences and bonded with each other in regard to the huge challenge we were all about to take on for the first time.  I was also nervous about my new wetsuit.  I had to send my suit back for a smaller size and hadn't tried it yet!  Trial by fire for sure!  (ended up being ok)     
      I was so nervous at the start that I got into my wetsuit early and went down to the beach to get wet.   Big mistake!   I saw the boats putting out the buoys for the swim course.  Holy cow, the course looked more like  3 miles!  Not kidding.  My nerves were shot!  I turned to Walter and said "I can't do this".  He said,  "Can't turn back now".  Oh yes I can!  I was still shaky at the start.  I walked into the water and dunked in.  I reminded myself of WHY I was doing this.  This is me.  I thrive on "first times".  This is right up my alley!  Oh, come on, get over it.  You have trained so hard, and are stronger than ever!!  I just wish the course weren't so darn difficult.  When I registered the course was not on line.  They posted the actual course when the registration closed!
I had two goals in mind for this monster of a race!!
1)To finish and get a medal, 
2)To Not finish last ( yeah, positive on both counts)
The swim: Hit The water. Leave doubt in your wake....   
     .I started off ok. I swam to the first buoy. I took it slowly, knowing that I have never gone this distance. This was going to be the swim of my life. I can do this. And I did. Slowly but surely, I reached the other side of the beach! There were several life guards on kayaks watching us. There were also ski do's with officials driving around "just in case". Unfortunately, they were creating waves! Geez, I swallowed a few gallons of Lake Winnie!. Honestly, it sucked! I didn't enjoy the swim, but I made it through. I started out way to fast and started to hyperventilate (as usual). This is a distance that you need to be in control mentally. I tried to relax by doing different strokes and breathing deeply. I swam MUCH slower than my practice swims. I didn't have a time goal, but in all my practice sessions I swam the mile in 42 minutes. Ok, so I had an extra .2 miles to go, but I should have come in somewhere near 48 minutes. I was fine with going slow and just getting through it. And that is exactly what I did! I celebrated when my feet touched the beach and got loads of cheers from the crowd! This is not my sport but I did it. Now, lets' start the race! I FINISHED and NOT last! I looked back and there were a few people still in the water. OK, the first part done, I survived, let's move on to the REALLY challenging part. The bike. That HILLY bike......
THE BIKE:  Get on the Bike.  Time to leave behind  who you were and feverishly pedal to who you will become.   
    The course starts uphill (a grade 5 hill~ in other words no ant hill!) .  The course then becomes rolling hills for a few miles with the lake on the right (gorgeous) and you can see beautiful mountains in the distance to the left.  Little do you know  ( I did!), you are about to loop around and CLIMB those beautiful mountains in another 10 miles!!!  They aren't so beautiful anymore, especially when your chain falls off your bike on a grade 9 HILL!  Oh, NO!  I quickly became an expert on how to get it back on!  Things could have been worse.   
   Anyway, the bike was my favorite part.  I set my watch to 10 minutes.  Every ten minutes, my alarm would remind me to drink!  Staying hydrated was key on this day.   Very tough course, but I saw and finished the course twice in practice and knew exactly what to expect.  I did fine.  I wanted to average 14 and I think I came in over that.  So , the only problem was:       
       I DON'T WANT TO RUN!!
The Run:  The Run:  Where you realize that the finish line isn't the last step in the race, but rather the first step in a new beginning.  
     I was thankful for the first time to GET OFF MY BIKE.  56 miles is hard enough, but 56 incredibly HILLY miles (I think 31 of them) was challenging to say the least.  My hamstrings and butt were really barking at me!  I had really nothing left.  I racked my bike, took off my shorts and put my running shorts and sneaks on.  The girls were huddled around my bike, and I was amazed.  I said, "you CAN"T be done with your run already??".  They said, HELL , no.  They each decided to bail out on the run and not finish.  It was approaching 96 degrees and they gave up.  They said that they will be back next year.  So will I , but I have come this far.  NO WAY am I defeated.     I told myself that if I made it through the swim and the bike, there was no way I was leaving without the medal!  The tough part was over.  OR SO I THIOUGHT!     
     I started out on the run course, which started up hill (of course, why make it easy?).  I decided that I was going to walk and see if I get some energy by mile 2.  If not, I will bag it.  I started running at around 1 1/2 miles!  It was very difficult in the heat.  I was already seeing some stars at that point.  The run surprised me the most. I figured  I would jog through it.  I couldn't.  I had to focus on just moving forward.       I really only had the strength to run for 4 minutes/walk for 4 minutes!  The course was a double loop and had a couple of hills.  Good down hills, too!  I managed to get through half of it without panicking!   There were aid stations EVERY mile with all sorts of goodies.  Popsicles, pretzels, candy, soda, water, Gatorade, etc.  They also had hoses and sponges!  Unbelievable.  And each stop had a theme!  They really did their best to get a smile out of you!   
     I talked with several people along the way to pass my time, but most were already on their second loop!  I had to go the last loop on my own!  Yikes, it was so hard to actually reach the finish and turn right for another torturous loop (I AVOID LOOP ACES) instead of left!  I hoofed up the hill once again toward the second loop, but this time knowing it would be the LAST time!  One foot in front of the other, that's all.  I had 6 miles to the finish and then on vacation!  The hardest 6 miles of my life.  Made mile 20 of a marathon look like a leisure run.  That's the honest truth.  I cannot tell you how hard it was to keep going.  I have never been more challenged.  But I was right there.  I actually passed three people on my last loop.  I just wanted to get it over with.  I had been walking with a woman for most of the second loop, and I looked at her and told her it was time to finish!  Let's go! She told me that she couldn't.    
       I reminded her of how many 5K's she has done in her life time.   I asked her to think of her worst one. Then I reminded her that she finished!  She can do a 5 k in her sleep.  THAT'S ALL WE HAD LEFT!!  It was down to a 5K.   She was struggling but managed to start running with me.     
     With a mile and a half to go, my friend Walter found me on the course to help me finish.  I was so happy to see him and knew that I was almost there.  I was going to do it!  I had to leave my walking friend behind.  I was starting to get that last jolt of energy in order to make this happen for myself.  Don't know where it came from, just grateful I pulled it out and used it! Yup, I wished I had it 8 miles ago!    
       I jogged in the rest and turned the corner to the Huge finishing towers!  I have never been so happy to see "the end" !  I got my medal and another tee shirt that has a huge "FINISHER" across it!    I lost at least 35 minutes on the run, and a good 15 minutes on the swim, but now I can have the BIGGEST PR of my life next year when I go back as a 1/2 Ironman triathlete!
The Finish  :I did it.  I reached my goal.  I completed my first 1/2 Ironman Triathlon.  Inside I was crying but was just too beat up to show it.  I looked as if it was no big deal.  That's because I was in shock!  I had no idea of the full scope of this race and what I had to endure (not just the 70 miles) to get that medal.   
     I definitely raised the bar this summer.  I am so proud of myself.   
  Next year I will go back stronger, and knowing what to expect.   I will not be any form of a threat to the  top contenders nor be a placer in my age category.  That's not quite what it is about.  It is about stretching the envelope and trying on  something new for size.  Something big.  Something impossible.  Something for the first time.  Isn"t that the best way to live your life?  Try it and see!!