How I Jumped “Headfirst” into Sprint Triathlons

Clare Burkhart

April 19, 2011

 

 

 

I started running on April 1, 2010.  I “ran” for eight minutes in our hay field and walked twenty. I had optimistically entered the Goose Creek  5K at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park on April 10, 2010 since my daughter, Katie, was entered and I had to drive her there anyway, I lined up in front of the walkers so if in case I couldn’t make the 3.1 miles running, I could act like I really meant to walk in the first place.  My time was 30:30, way ahead of my goal of 45:00.

 

Second 5K April 17, 2010 – Norton Healthcare Classic in Cherokee Park.  Coming up Barringer Hill for the first loop I heard a crowd of people cheering.  Thinking they were yelling for the 52 year-old lady for making it up the hill, I suddenly realized they were cheering for the first place runner for completing the race.  I kept on going and won my age group.  I also kept on running.

 

After beating my goal for the Thanksgiving Day Fast Freddie Five Miler( under 40:00) , I took a break from running until the first of the year.  During that time  I saw the Headfirst Performance website for the Shelbyville Sprint Triathlon Series.  I smuggled myself into Katie’s high school swim practices over Christmas break (with permission from the coach) to see if I could swim 400 yards.  Later,I joined the YMCA to keep “training”.

           

First Sprint Tri—January 30, 2011  Shelbyville, KY-- Katie and I loaded up our mountain bikes and donned our winter running clothes over our swimsuits.  I think the “real” tri guys were amused by my antics with the ringy bell, rear luggage  rack complete with bungy cord for library books or for grown-up beverages, and the fact that I had removed the front basket for aerodynamic velocity.  At least my transition time ride to swim was fast since all I had to do was slap on the helmet, raise the kickstand and jump on.  Somehow I  won age group. 

           

Second Sprint Tri—February 27, 2011 Shelbyville, KY —My husband and Jack Russell terrier came to cheer me on as I rode my new Caad 9 complete with those clip on shoes that I had only used three times before race day.  No wrecks, however, and finished third behind two ladies both named Susan.  We ate a good lunch at Claudia Sanders on the way home.

           

Third Tri—Super Sprint Tri at the Y —April 3, 2011  New Albany, IN—Katie used my new bike and I borrowed a fancy Lemond tri bike from Patty Cobb, a fellow Landshark.  I was a little worn out  ( I mean warmed up ) just from carrying the bike over the floodwall to the start, but I managed to ride the eight mile course.  I sure felt that “brick” feeling starting the run, but it went away after the first mile.  I won age group there and got a gift certificate to Pat’s Steakhouse. 

           

Fourth Sprint Tri—April 17, 2011 Shelbyville, KY—After  spending ten days at the hospital with my mother who eventually passed away on April 13, I was stressed and tired that day when we left her room after making arrangements, and  with the bridge traffic the way it is to get back over to Indiana , I stopped at VO2 to redeem Katie’s $25 gift card she won at the Tri at the Y.  I will never forget the nice redheaded young man who kindly explained how to use Yanks, power gel packs, and how to do quicker transitions.  He and those guys getting ready to do a long training ride that day had no idea that my mother had died just 45 minutes earlier when they were showing me the VO2 tri kit with the symbols strategically placed on the front.

           

With the support of Landsharks like Rhonda, Jeremy and Mike, Katie and  I completed this tri in fine fashion:  she was second by only 7/10 of a second in her age group and I managed a win in mine.

           

We can’t wait for the next competitions this spring and summer.

           

Thanks to all the wonderful workers / volunteers, for giving us the chance to do something this fun with such nice people.