Westchester Olympic Triathlon: The Eye of the Tiger

Women 40 and over run in singing Katie Perry

"Don't give up!" was the motto of Claire Gormley Collier, who was one of the ALS sufferers this race honors.  Before the Ice Bucket challenge there was this race that raises funds for the Blazeman Foundation and other local charities.  And persevere I did - two years after I set out to do an Olympic distance race, I finally did it.  The knee injury that plagued me in my second season prevented me from doing it then and last season I could only muster 5K runs.  So despite some Olympic Aquabikes, the full Olympic had eluded me until now.

This was a great way to end the season -- I was confident throughout each race leg and gave each one my all.  As I occasionally passed people, I felt like I was truly racing and I hung tough until the end.  I felt like a true triathlete throughout.

The race inspired me at so many points.  Running into the water at Rye Playland, the organizers aptly chose Katie Perry's, "I'm the eye of the tiger... and you're going to hear me roar" to start the women 40 plus wave, which stuck with me through the whole race.

There is the very long hill "Claire's Climb" within the first half of the cycling course in honor of Claire, who passed away at age 46.  Tears came to my eyes for a women who was my age when she died as a bagpiper serenaded us as we started the climb.  At the top, her family welcomed us and cheered us on.

I've got the Eye of the Tiger...!

I caught up to a fellow 45-49 age grouper on the bike and we proceeded to leap frog each other on the bike.  First me passing her and then her passing me.  Then there was one turn that I was thankfully prepared for having checked out the course the day before and so I made the pass when she wasn't expecting the turn.  I made sure to make good use of the downhills - and boy did I, reaching a max speed over 37mph!  I made it into transition before her but saw her there soon after.  When she stopped to high five her kids exiting transition, I ran past her.

Early into the 10K run though she caught up to me.  "So you're my race buddy today" I said.  "Yes," she acknowledged as we ran side by side each keeping the pace.  A few more minutes went by and she said, "My name's Robin".  We learned we were both doing our first Olympic.  I let her know what pace we were doing based on my watch.  I'm not sure if she was glad or reluctant to be running with me when I told her it was good that she was helping me keep the pace.  Meanwhile we passed a few 40 something men (who started in waves before us..."You're going to hear me roar"...).

I could tell her breathing was harder than mine so I hoped I could pull away from her in the end, and after about mile 5 I did just that, telling myself "don't give up" and ending the 10K leg with a respectable 9:58 / mile pace.  I finished at 3:28:41 and a few minutes later I high fived Robin at the finish line...with the eye of a tiger:-) 

I cooled down, found Mike, went to the stretching/massage tents, and then Mike and I were waiting for the awards to start.  The race announcer then beckoned us to the finish line -- "Let's welcome our last two finishers!" and the speakers blasted "I'm the eye of the tiger and you're going to hear me roar".  A human reception line formed across both sides along the finish line and we all high fived and cheered the final two finishers -- two women whom we could clearly see "their eye of the tiger" and "hear their roar".  Sometimes we're inspired by the winner or an older or physically challenged athlete.  Today I was inspired by women who never gave up - Claire and these two final finishers.

...and you're going to hear me roar!