I am not sure when I first realized that there was a very real possibility that I could be last in my first triathlon. My only other experience at a tri was as a volunteer at the Celebration Tri in Columbia, a large event with more than 2500 participants of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels. I volunteered at a water station to cheer on a friend who was doing her first tri. The water station was located at the top of a hill that participants negotiated twice on the run course. While it was a “run” course, I saw many people walking the course. It was then that I realized, “I can do this.”

I am a cyclist, bike commuting , touring, and participating in century charity events; I have always been a swimmer, so the swim didn’t intimidate me; but the run…I had given up running after an injury in my forties.  I have done two half-marathons at a “fast-walk” and I thought, if I am solid in the swim and bike, I can walk the five kilometers on the final leg and still finish in the bottom quarter of the field. I had no expectations of winning, finishing was fine with me. I registered for a local tri in the early fall. I spent the summer increasing my endurance on open water swims and continued my regular cycling. I bought a wet suit and in the cooler days of early autumn, I practiced the swim course with this new equipment.  My friend and I rode the course several times, and although I was riding my commuter bike, I was confident that I would be respectable. I read about “transitions”, sprayed myself with PAM and practiced peeling off my wetsuit and gearing up for the ride.

Race day arrived and as the participants racked their bikes and laid out their gear in the transition area, I looked around and realized that I didn’t see the range of ages, fitness levels, shapes and sizes that I had seen in the larger event. In fact, most everyone looked pretty “buff” to me. Someone told me that because the race was at the end of a season and a relatively flat course, many serious contenders chose this event to try and garner a “personal best.” Also, at the end of the season, most people were at their prime. I began to have a small sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I knew that it would be a challenge against this field, but I don’t think I really realized that I could finish LAST.

The race was small enough (about 200), that there were just two waves for the swim. I was nervous and swam the breast stroke so I could see; but still finished ahead of some of the men and in the middle of my age group. My transition was quick and my bike ride was solid. I racked my bike and headed out on the run with at least thirty or forty people still on the bike course. As I walked the run course, I enjoyed the beautiful day and greeting my friends who were running towards me at the end of their run as I headed out. One by one, people passed me on the run, but it wasn’t until the final quarter mile that I realized the woman closing in on me was the only other runner on the course. As she neared we trotted together for a few yards and she told me that she was excited because this was her third attempt at a tri and she hadn’t finished the other two. She offered to “run in with me”, so we would have the same time, and I wouldn’t be last. I told her to run ahead, she had earned her time and I was happy just to finish my first tri.

Surprisingly enough, I WAS happy. It didn’t matter that I was last. Not almost last….LAST; a hundred yards behind the nearest competitor.  I had followed my plan and had the race I trained for and wanted. I realized that LAST is only a position when you are comparing yourself to others, and a tri, more than other competitions is about setting and reaching personal goals. When I looked at the races stats on line after the race, I realized that I was the oldest woman to finish the tri, that my swim and bike times were solid and my run times were even better than I expected. The only thing unexpected for me about the race was the competition.  Being LAST at my first tri didn’t mean that it would be my last tri.

I set some goals for this next season and have joined a master’s swim class. I am more confident with my free-style. The interval training has also helped my cardiovascular endurance, and I have “walk-run” some five K’s and a half marathon. I thought long and hard about whether to sign up for a larger tri where I would definitely not be LAST, or to continue with the smaller events. So far, I am staying with the smaller venues. I may be LAST, but I’ll finish, and I’ll be happy. (One added benefit from participating in age group competitions is that I am very excited about turning 60 and moving up an age group.)