Uplifting cheers from friends and whanau worth gold

The Crew: Daughter Clementine (left), me (VW) and Rebekah
wearing our pretty pink triathlon medals. Photo: Warren Smart

By Virginia Winder

First goal ticked off.

Completed the Contact TriWoman New Plymouth Triathlon this morning and the pink medal is now hanging beside my desk.
I didn't do brilliantly, mainly because of my slow running, but I did what I said I was going to do.
My swim time says 12 minutes something, but actually, I was eighth out of the water.
But 37 women passed me in the transition from beach to bike.

Never mind, because I succeeded in my goal to stay on my trusty red steed going up the hills into a westerly wind. I passed a few women pushing bikes up those steep rises, but there was no way I was going to allow myself to walk. No reflection on those other women, honestly, I don't blame them at all, but my personal goal was to ride all the way.

So I gritted my teeth and began self talk: "I love hills, I love head winds, I am strong and powerful."

There was one part there, I was dry retching but I pushed through it.

Then came the run/walk.

I mostly walked, but did a bit of jogging, just like in my Pukekura Park training.
Yes, the inner runner in me was frustrated, but the word "restraint" screamed in my head every time I thought about pushing it. I'm not ready to do that yet, am still too heavy to stride out like in the old days and don't want to end up snapping an Achilles tendon.
So I got through the triathlon uninjured, but not unscathed.

"You didn't do yourself any favours by doing it," the doctor at Phoenix told me after looking down my throat. 

"So working and training last week wouldn't have helped much either?" I said meekly.
 He agreed.

"Drink lots of fluid and get lots of rest," he said kindly, but sternly, handing me a certificate for two days off work and a script for antibiotics for a nasty throat infection.

But I had to quickly write this before heading to bed (for two days) because I want to say a big "wow" to some of the amazing women in the race.

There were others who managed greater feats than mine, who reached personal goals, who gutsed it out on those gruelling hills up Centennial Drive past Paritutu and down and up past the tank farm and towards Omata and back again.

One of those was my daughter, Clementine, who did the bike section in a team with my niece Rebekah, who did an amazing swim time and great run. Clementine just kept going and going, despite having a bike that wasn't built for racing. She showed true determination.

Another was the woman who was last to cross the line after finishing her duathlon. We go to Contours gym together and she is the most upbeat, energetic and supportive person imaginable.  

It was also great to have people cheer me on, say "well done" and "keep going" and to be uplifted by my personal champions, husband Warren, French daughter Camille, the wonderful Irena Brooks (this is sounding like an Oscar speech now isn't it?), dear friend Cheryl with Sam and Evie, Clementine and Rebekah and Coach Clint holding son Finn.  

When I finished, I felt like I'd just won a gold medal.

It's so important to celebrate and think, "Yeah, I did it."

Now it's time to rest - and drink lots of fluid.

Today, I:

Completed the Contact TriWoman New Plymouth Triathlon