The triathlon was salty-sweet. My goal was to finish the mile swim in 30 minutes or under. My previous attempts were around 32. Jessie, our cyclist, wanted to average 17 mph on the bike, and Nick, our runner, wanted to keep a five-minute-mile pace. Everyone on Team 28 exceeded their goals: 28 minutes* in the water, 18.8 mph on the bike, 4:55-minute-mile pace. And when Nick sprinted those last fifty yards passing three other runners solidifying our first place dreams, all was right with the world. In the warm august afternoon, we gloried in free energy drink samples and our first place finish for another two hours until all the racers had come in. Timing ourselves, we figured all-in-all, we finished in about two hours and 20 minutes. As the award ceremony began, we readied ourselves to take the first-place position on the podium. I stood up half-way as they read the team name then slowly lowered myself back down. Still sitting on the grass with my hands on the ground ready to get up, they read two more unfamiliar team names. People clapped. With smiles and raised fists, strangers took the podium and accepted the award. Our team looked around in disbelief--shocked into open-mouthed statues. Racers dispersed and more unfamiliar names trailed off the loud speaker. "Something's not right, I passed all of those guys.""Yeah, yeah Nick, I know. I saw. Let's talk to the judges."
"Sorry, I don't have a time for your team"
"Wait what? What do you mean?"
"Sometimes the computer chip that keeps track of the time malfunctions and doesn't record your time. Sorry guys."
We figured out our actual time from the guys that Nick passed on his final 50 yard sprint, and it matched right on with the time that we had kept ourselves. We are the 1st place relay team by a full ten minutes and no one knows it but us. I stared at the empty first-place podium simultaneously knowing that I earned a moment to stand and be recognized, but also that that moment had past and I no longer belonged there. I felt cheated. Not only cheated out of victory, but out of the feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes with honest victory. I kept thinking about the classic parent speech I heard growing up, "You know in your heart that did your best, and no one can take that away from you. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks." I've heard that speech my whole life, having never won first place--at anything. Second place is where I grew up. Sometimes I would visit third, and I've even had few extended vacations in honorable mention. Now I legitimately had the right to enter first place, but I felt unwelcome, unsafe. Our new home had been broken into; our things stolen and claimed by someone else, all before we could even spend the night. Hesitatingly back to the car with my participation medal, I heard my heart argue with my mind, "we did our best and won, and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."
I'm going to do another triathlon. This time, I'm going solo. I'll let you know how I do, but somehow the idea of winning lost it's appeal.
Team 28 with Cherise (in red)
The next day after all the times and computer problems the race judges posted the actual results:
*my swim time below of 29:36 includes a 200 yard run from the lake to transition area
***************** OLYMPIC RELAY RESULTS
| Place | Bib | Team | Swim | T1 | Bike | T2 | Run | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2142 | Team 28 | 29:36 | 0:37 | 1:20:07 | 0:20 | 30:42 | 2:21:19.0 |
| 2 | 2143 | Spencer Fam | 36:16 | 0:50 | 1:06:04 | 0:26 | 47:34 | 2:31:07.3 |
| 3 | 2139 | Newmanson | 35:47 | 0:19 | 1:10:25 | 0:30 | 46:20 | 2:33:18.0 |
| 4 | 2146 | Davies and Odell | 39:04 | 0:44 | 1:21:05 | 0:21 | 36:48 | 2:38:01.0 |
| 5 | 2137 | 2137 | 1:21:30 | 3:13 | 48:29 | 1:32 | 27:43 | 2:42:24.0 |
| 6 | 2135 | Austin | 40:02 | 0:43 | 1:03:24 | 0:34 | 58:13 | 2:42:53.0 |
| 7 | 2134 | Coon Family Racin | 43:57 | 0:55 | 1:14:14 | 1:28 | 42:42 | 2:43:14.0 |
| 8 | 2105 | team allen | 35:20 | | 2:27:36 | 1:06 | 56:05 | 2:49:28.2 |
| 9 | 2138 | 2138 | 1:34:39 | 1:46 | 43:48 | 1:11 | 37:16 | 2:58:39.0 |
