News
  Tuesday, March 19, 2024  
 
19 August 2001
Tri Again

Click for more pics

Let me start by saying that I'm so proud of Libby. She completed her first triathlon ever, and smoked it. She runs more than me and has for a while, but she hadn't swam in years or ridden her bike in a year. Our friends, Curt and Sheila Iiams--in the picture, watched Luke AND competed as a team so that Libby and I could participate. Very kind. Here's how it went.

The distances were to be 1/2-mile swim, 8.6-mile bike and 6.2-mile run. The setting was scenic Hull, MA. It's a cool little peninsula on the south shore looking right out into the Atlantic Ocean.

They loaded us all onto a ferry to take us the 1/2-mile out into the ocean where they would drop us and EVERYONE would swim to a common start line anchored by buoys. This drop off was not exactly as advertised. They had everyone jump ten feet from the boat into the 62-degree FREEZING water (later recognized as terribly unsafe by the race officials). Libby had no wetsuit and I had a short surfer's suit. I was immediately in shock wanting out. My goggles fogged over, and I swam for the starting line.

After ten minutes of swimming, I was no closer to the starting line than when I entered the water, and some strong swimmers were saying the same thing. The current was carrying us away. Not being a strong swimmer, I was scared. The masses were all flailing about going nowhere. Out of nowhere they sounded the starting horn, and everyone bolted for shore.

That was great for those who could swim. I blindly turned towards what I thought was the end goal and sidestroked, backstroked, breaststroked, and occassionally did the front crawl. I couldn't see anything through my goggles. I swallowed a gallon of saltwater and got kicked in the head. I was pretty sure I was going to die without much notice.

I made progress, but I was not encouraged when my arms were so cold then so tired that I couldn't even get them out of the water to backstroke. Surprisingly, I was not the last one out of the water. Poor souls.

This time, the bike was rather uneventful. I learned shortly into the ride that part of the tune-up procedure is to grease the seat pole. They reset mine 1/2 inch too high. I've got some things to learn.

I caught up with Libby around mile six...to give you some idea how far ahead of me she came out of the swim. I never could really shake her, though.

We came out of the bike transition together and kissed Luke on the way by. We ran together briefly, but we run differently so I went ahead. I said, "I gotta go on, but you'll catch me later." I was right. She stayed close the whole way and came up at about mile five. I was dying, and she was obviously having a lot of fun.

I barely squeezed out, "I don't know if I can just LET you beat me." She responded with, "You don't know about the lightning round?" I was way too tired to argue with her. She was going so smoothly, but I just had to push it out. I finished slightly ahead of her, but she won.

She enjoyed the event greatly. I was too tired to pack the car so I soaked my head in the frigid ocean. A reporter for the Boston Globe interviewed her and another mother with the babies. Got pictures taken. Made friends.

Libby finished 8th in the women's group and 85th overall--teams included. I finished. I realized shortly after the run that I haven't run that far in over five years. I've got some things to learn.

All in all, it was a frightening and enjoyable event spent with family and friends.

 

  Archive  
 
  • FALL 2010 RECAP
  • November 21, 2010
  • A PIRATE LOOKS AT FORTY
  • August 29, 2010
  • MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME
  • August 22, 2010
  • THE WINTER CLASSIC
  • January 2, 2010
  • HAPPY NEW YEAR!
  • January 1, 2010
  • P-TOWN GRAD TO HALLOWEEN
  • November 4, 2009
  • NEBRASKA, BEN'S 6, JAMES IS CUTE, AND RUGBY
  • August 10, 2009
  • CUTTER'S PAL
  • June 7, 2009
  • JAMES CLAYTON FOSTER
  • May 25, 2009
  • DISNEY WORLD
  • March 8, 2009
  • PEARL HARBOR DAY + III
  • December 7, 2008
  • SUMMER UPDATE - BASEBALL, RUGBY, HOCKEY CAMP, TRIATHLON, SOCCER
  • October 11, 2008
  • TWENTY YEARS AND GREAT GRANDPARENTS
  • July 20, 2008
  • LUKE IS 7, BC, AND MARTINDALE'S IN MA
  • April 27, 2008
  • BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU
  • April 10, 2008
  • SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
  • February 3, 2008
  • HAPPY THANKSGIVING CATCH UP
  • November 21, 2007
  • MAINEDEPENDENCE DAY
  • July 29, 2007
  • SUMMERTIME, NEW ABODE
  • June 24, 2007
  • NINJUTSU AS EASY AS RIDING A BIKE
  • May 28, 2007
  • SIX, SOX & T-BALL
  • May 13, 2007
  • HOCKEY SEASON OVER AND A YANKEE IN VT
  • April 22, 2007
  • CHRISTMAS TO NEW YEAR
  • February 4, 2007
  • HOCKEY SEASON
  • November 28, 2006
  • GRANDPARENT VISITS
  • October 9, 2006
  • 50265
  • July 20, 2006
  • 21 SECONDS
  • July 11, 2006
  • KNIGHT'S KINGDOM III
  • June 30, 2006
  • RED SOX, ROCKPORT AND SPORTS
  • June 25, 2006
  • 5 OAKLAND EASTER
  • May 7, 2006
  • SNOW SPORTS
  • April 8, 2006
  • WINTER UPDATE
  • March 5, 2006
  • HAPPY NEW YEAR--2006!
  • January 1, 2006
  • PIRATES OF NEWTON
  • November 13, 2005
  • ANOTHER SUMMER GONE
  • September 11, 2005
  • PRE-SCHOOL GRAD, 2ND B-DAY IN PHOENIX, TRI, AND POOL PARTY
  • July 20, 2005
  • ATL-ANNA
  • May 25, 2005
  • LUKE TURNS FOUR!
  • April 23, 2005
  • AWC, UPDATE, RAWLINS
  • April 4, 2005
  • XMAS/NEW YEAR RECAP
  • January 23, 2005
  • THANKSGIVING IN NEWTON
  • December 12, 2004
  • PRE-HOLIDAY '04
  • November 20, 2004
  • USAFA 10-YR
  • September 25, 2004
  • COUSINS ON CAPE COD
  • September 15, 2004
  • SUMMER FUN
  • September 8, 2004
  • ONE TO TWO MILES HIGH
  • July 27, 2004
  • SUMMER ACTIVITIES
  • June 20, 2004
  • BOLANDER WEDDING
  • May 10, 2004
  • III
  • April 10, 2004
  • TO MOVE OR NOT TO MOVE?
  • March 16, 2004
  • HOLIDAY PRIMER
  • November 30, 2003
  • THE WHOLE ENCHILADA, CANDY AND P. DIDDY
  • November 9, 2003
  • AHMANN WEDDING
  • October 21, 2003
  • END OF SUMMER PHOTOS
  • October 05, 2003
  • SUMMER UPDATE
  • July 29, 2003
  • BCF
  • July 01, 2003
  • END OF AN ERA
  • June 26, 2003
  • LOOK WHO'S 2
  • May 24, 2003
  • 13� X 59�
  • April 20, 2003
  • PALS AND PROJECT COMPLETE
  • March 8, 2003
  • POST-HOLIDAY PICS
  • February 8, 2003
  • DEJA BOY
  • February 8, 2003
  • THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS
  • December 7, 2002
  • SOMETHING IN THE WATER?
  • December 7, 2002
  • CATCHING UP
  • November 9, 2002
  • RESULTS AND RANDOMITY
  • October 17, 2002
  • SUMMERTIME
  • August 19, 2002
  • INDEPENDENCE DAY
  • July 7, 2002
  • ROCK AND ROLL MARATHON
  • June 13, 2002
  • 365 DAYS
  • April 16, 2002
  • A PLACID NEW YEAR
  • January 5, 2002
  • CHRISTMAS AT THE SAUMS
  • January 2, 2002
  • BANDWIDTH LIMIT EXCEEDED
  • 12 November 2001
  • FALL FOOTBALL
  • 10 November 2001
  • TRI AGAIN
  • 19 August 2001
  • TRI-ING TIMES
  • 06 August 2001
  • GLOBE TROTTERS
  • 22 July 2001
  • CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'
  • 04 July 2001
  • CAN'T SIT STILL
  • 16 June 2001
  • THE GODPARENTS
  • 9 June 2001
  • GRANDPA BRYAN
  • May 25, 2001
  • FOUR GENERATIONS IN ONE HOUSE
  • 21 May 2001
  • ARE YOUR TAXES DONE?
  • 15 April 2001
  • APRIL ANGEL
  • 12 April 2001
  • GRANDMA & GRANDPA SAVE US
  • 18 March 2001
  • HONEY, HAVE YOU SEEN MY BASKETBALL?
  • March 8, 2001
  • IT'S A...?
  • 24 December 2000
  • HOME S#!T HOME
  • 22 November, 2000
  • SIGNS OF LIFE
  • 07 November 2000
  • ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH
  • 9 October, 2000
  • A KID TURNS THIRTY
  • August 28, 2000
  • PARENTAL AWARENESS DAY
  • August 17, 2000
  • AZ TRIP
  • August 10-13, 2000
  • IT'S A BOY!
  • August 6, 2000
  • CONDORMAN!
  • July 24, 2000
  • LA TRIP
  • 20 July 2000
  • I'M A TEACHER! I'M A TEACHER!
  • Summer/Fall, 2000
  • SPRING AT STOWE
  • April 2000
  • SPRING BREAK 2000!
  • March 2000
    Want to rap with the Foster's? E-mail us at tlfoster1@comcast.net
    Home - Biography - Reflections - News -