Mark Gives it a TRI

So what do you do when you decide you want to get into better shape? Join a gym? Call Jenny Craig? Start counting calories? These all sound like fine solutions to me but apparently not to Mark. Months ago Mark came home and announced his new radical plan for getting into better shape: He got online and registered for a triathlon.
For his very first Tri, he picked one in the lovely setting of Vernal Utah, population 7,714 and home of a serious plethora of what appears to be giant paper mache dinosaurs all in homage to the extinct beasts that once roamed its high desert valleys. As we make the drive, I begin to wonder if holding an endurance race in an area that's got such a harsh climate that it killed off formidable Jurassic creatures is really a smart idea.
As you can tell by the naive smile on Mark's face, this thought has eluded him. Here he is joyously filling out the paperwork the day before the race. No need for subtle foreshadowing about the events that you are about to read. You and I both know the grin in this photo will soon be diabolically sweated off his face...
And now for a few interesting complexities for those of you unfamiliar with triathlon racing...(this category would also include both of us.)

Because this is an event in which entails various outfits and footwear, racers get to enjoy a little permanent marker tattooing. Each arm gets your race number boldly printed on it while your calves get marked with the event you are racing on the left calf and your age on the right one. The letter stands for the event: "O" stands for "Olympic Triathlon" and the "S" stands for the "Sprint" race, which is half the distance in each event- Swimming, Cycling, and Running. It is interesting to see that this is the one time people are proud to be older and not younger. Mark admitted that several times during the race he would check to see the age of the racer he was passing and if said racer was younger he was sure to flash and flaunt his right calf at them so they'd know that just got passed by "an old guy". And yes, those are Mark's tale-tell legs pictured on the left.

The next interesting issue is what I call the "logistics race", this takes place the night before the actual race. When you enter a standard running race, my guess is that you lace up your shoes, put your number on and run. This Tri deal is a whole different scenario altogether. The evening before the race Mark and I were going through each part of the race blow by blow in order to get it all set up smoothly. It was a race in and of itself. The Tri starts with the swimming so you've got to set out your wetsuit, goggles, and swim cap. Then just up from the swim docks you need to bring your bike, helmet, water bottles, and then rubber band your riding shoes into an upright position locked onto your pedals and have them ready at station 2.
Then, hopefully you haven't forgotten anything for the cycle event before you drive off to set up station 3 where you set out your running shoes and sox and maybe some energy goo...oh yeah, and a baseball hat. Hopefully you'll remember where you set them out because once you've swam through a gauntlet of racers, deliriously crawled out of the water and make your way up the steep boat ramp to your bike, strip off your wet suit and ride your bike for 26 oh-so refreshing miles, you are not thinking too clearly as to where you set your shoes out for the running portion of the event at station 3.
Luckily for Mark, we all decided to make our own cheering section across from his running shoes so he was sure to find them right away. We camped out and waited for him to arrive. The kids spent their time working on posters and signs to hold up for him when he showed up.

Finally, Mark came though on his bike! I'm not sure how he found the energy to wave to the camera but he did it.

He hopped off the bike onto weak legs that were suffering from muscle confusion (are we swimming? biking? now you want me to run?). He hung up his bike and grabbed his running shoes and off he went...

We gathered up our signs and headed to the high school stadium where the finish line waited. Many racers from the shorter race were already coming though. We cheered as an 82-year old grandmother crossed the finish line, her first-ever sprint triathlon.

Finally, Mark rounded the corner and made his way onto the track. The kids were so excited and they ran out and ran him in. This is Chloe and niece Cailey running him towards the finish line.


And here's the Big Finish! That grin in the pictures several paragraphs ago, it was no where to be seen on his face. I think it sweated off during the first lap of the lake event.


Mark places SECOND in his age division.



Checking the times...and here with Mitchell who refused to make a sign out of his posterboard. Mitchell has to do everything in 3-D so he sat along the road, waited for his dad, and made a poster board trophy for him while he waited.


The last laugh was had by the kids. Vernal's Dino Tri is a family event, so while we all waited for the racers to come through they held a bunch of races for the kids.

Each child that raced got a metal just like the Triathletes! So much for the glory of the medal, Mark could have saved himself a lot of time and torture and run with the kids! Mark didn't want to talk about racing for the rest of the day but this morning, he was back online searching for another race...this time threatening to sign up the whole family! (I think I'd'rather hold a sign...stay tuned.)