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Age Group: 35-39 nerves.....cold.....amped.....rockin'.......CRASH! Well, my fearless training/racing partners (Jennifer and Lee Ann) and I get to Sacramento for our first Triathlon. Good Times! We do our usual pre-race Nordstrom Shopping spree and pasta feed. Our car is loaded with I don't know how many thousands of $$$$$ of equipment/crap for our 2 hour race. We go to bed---I take several naps instead of a good nights rest. Alarm, 6:00 am----WHEEEEEEEEE! We cram down some carbs and a cup of Joe and off we go to the race----how old are we? We get to Granite Bay around 7:00 am and we are some of the first to arrive. We have to find a "bay" to park our bikes and set up our "transition" stations. I will list all of the stuff we have to set up.......for the swim---wet suit, goggles, cap (2), flip-flops....for the bike--bike, helmet, gloves, sunglasses, water, socks, bike shoes, spare tube, CO2 pump, tools, energy gel....for the run----running shoes, hat. Besides all of that we wear a Tri-suit--special shorts and a top and a racing belt----I took less stuff with me on a trip when I had babies-----Misc. other crap---heart rate monitor, sun screen, Body Glide, protein bars. WHAT????!!!!???? There is a certain way to set up said "gear" so that you are in "transition" for the shortest amount of time possible. For someone who has OCD like me, I had to check and re-check about 7 times (7 is my obsessive number) besides the many times I had to check my gear before even leaving for the race. My girlfriends are right beside me and on the other side is "Super Serious Tri-Guy." I accidentally bumped his bike and I thought he was going to cry---suck it up! Next we had to go and get our colored caps that designated our "wave." The race is divided into waves based on gender and age. I was in the last wave for the 35 and over women, senior men, Athena’s (women over 150 lbs) and Clydesdales (men over 200). Our caps were pink---gross, we have WAY more dignity than that. Okay, it is about 57 degrees so we spend some time in the car reading the paper, getting warm, and projecting about the day. Then we hear over the loud speaker that the race (1st wave) is about to start. That means that we have to get our wet suits on and do our "water acclimation" HUH? Yes, we have to get in the water 10 minutes before our wave to get used to the @#$#%% cold water---can you say 60 degrees? If that is not bad enough, getting a Tri-wet suit on is like putting a pair of panty-hose that you wore 4 sizes ago. We had to use tons of body glide (no, not what you are thinking) and take our time. Got them on and took our walk to the beach. It looked like a SleeStack convention----we were freaking out about getting in, but then just went for it. My ankles went numb; however after awhile it was fine. Then in for the "mini" swim to get my head in---ICE CREAM HEADACHE! This is why we wear 2 caps. At this point I WAS READY! My girlfriend Lee Ann said she could see it in my face---the endorphins had come out to play and I was ready. Our wave was called with 2 minutes to go---now this was an open water swim--1/2 mile. No sweat---we swam a triangle buoy to buoy to shore. Choppy waves, cold, and I found an amazing rhythm---got bonked in the ear, some chick grabbed my leg but I kept on swimming------well, I got out and saw 2 pink caps ahead and many behind—18 very cold minutes of my life had passed--I WAS ROCKIN!!!!!!!! Up the hill back to the transition area to get on my bike. As I was running, I had to hand off my swimming tag to a judge, shimmy my arms out of my wet suit, take off my goggles and caps and find my space. Yipes! Got there----got out of the suit----I didn't realize that my ankles were so fat-LOL! Into my socks, bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses on, screw the gloves, un hook the bike, look where I am going, get on bike, clip into pedals and away I go...... Bike, fun, hard, almost crash, not too many have passed me, cool, am I done? Oh man, hair pin turn, didn’t fall, I remember them saying stay to the right. Wow, that gravel looks ouchy..........oooops! From my past Leadership Trainings I have learned that your mind goes towards what it focuses on and the mind can ONLY focus on one thing at a time....... The path was old school black top with a 2 in lip and then nothing but gravel and nature....well, in my attempt to AVOID falling in the gravel and thus off the path, my little tiny road bike wheels veer off the path, no recovery, fall, crash, cool wipe-out, don't know how my bike ended up about 3 feet from me in the opposite direction, head/helmet bounce off pavement, right side just shredded, right knee and hip, well, not sure--better not move. Lady, stops, are you okay--lady go finish your race, just let someone know that I need some medical attention. What in the world happened--now I am getting REALLY MAD! I was rockin'!!!! Usually, I can bounce right up after a fall, not this time. Hello officer, you can't help? Great….Hello pit bull in my face. Do I like dogs? Not yours. Move him, I could kick your a$% right now. Yeah, I know, don't move. Eyes shut, wait, Hi Nurse Nancy (tri buddy) I know, don't move. Lots of guys in my face. Pit bull gone--what ever. Partner Jennifer rides by going opposite way--she thinks, "is that Leigh, no silly" comes my way, "Oh my goodness, it is Leigh" ( I have fallen several times in her presence on bike and foot, mind you), "Is she broken?" exact words. EMTs get there let’s move her, wait let me see your helmet, cracked, don't move. What do you remember, "thinking about gravel, falling in gravel, really pissed off." Do you remember exactly how you fell? No, too pissed. Could you have passed out---No---but you don't remember how you fell? Yes, OFF! We need to take you to emergency for a CT scan. I didn't pass out. Yeah, but your helmet is trash. Knee is huge, road rash from knee all the way up back---shorts, toast. Still super pissed. Other Friend shows, what the h$%^? Get in ambulance, I think Jennifer is praying--she so rocks. We'll see you at the hospital---into the ambulance and away we go..... TRAUMA?!?!? We are now going to the trauma unit of a different hospital--my friends think I am going to Kaiser, however, now I am a trauma victim and we are going to Sutter---my cell phone is at my station and I do not know ANYONES number including Jeff's. I just look up his name and push call----I feel homeless. Just take me to the soup kitchen I am freezing... WOW! I'm a big deal in the trauma center. Evidently bike accidents are a hot commodity----All they know is that I was going about 15-20 mph and crashed with a mangled helmet---It's like Christmas! Still freezing here! Hello?! Get in, lots of doctors, nurses, what's my name? How old---it says right on my calf! Don't bother with my heart rate, just look on my watch--cool! Cut my clothes off? No way lady, we will do that together later. X-ray hip, knee--again, I did not pass out! Everyone comes in, really nothing to see here---bike story after bike story, cool, yeah, another someone peeking in, hey. I AM FINE----every one is gone........ Do you have someone to pick you up? My friends are at Kaiser. I can help you call them. No you can't. Their numbers are in my cell and I don't have it. I'll call Kaiser. Oh you can wait here. Thanks, considering I am wearing (now) uno hospital gown. Social worker comes in. Yes, I really do have friends coming, I'm not crazy--no, I talk to all head trauma cases. Oh. She gets my girls and they are on their way. Jennifer and Lee Ann come in. THANK YOU GOD! YOU ARE SO GOOD. Jennifer is worried, Lee Ann is laughing. They help me get dressed in clean clothes that they brought--gotta love your girl friends! As I get off the gurney there is blood, dirt and lots of rocks---oh did I tell you that they did not clean me up OR give me an Advil? I was important for a moment, then the moment was gone. I didn't care. Hungry, cold, and have to go pee. Thanks girls. To the bathroom, knee is killing me-----off we went. They had packed up all my gear and we drove home-----next race May 6--watch out, I am in this to finish, mind you FINISH......Oh I got a new helmet, It matches my bike, I think that will help. I am an athlete, however I am still a girl. smiles, Leigh |
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