Tri for the Cure

I had the opportunity to work Tri for the Cure this weekend. This is a women's only sprint triathlon that benefits the Denver Metropolitan Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to end breast cancer forever. It was at Cherry Creek State Park which is only 6 miles from my house, and since parking is a pain during events, we from the bike shop rode in. There's something so serene and quiet about riding a bike at 4:30 in the morning - the sky was clear with stars shining bright, and practically no cars on the roads.

Once I got to the park and found the rest of the crew, we set up and proceeded to service bikes as needed as the racers filed in. It's quite a site to see so many different people, of all shapes, sizes, ages and athletic abilities at this event. The difference in bicycles was just as diverse - everything from cruisers with fenders, to mountain bikes, to full blown tri-bikes. The race starts with the competitive/elite women hitting the water, followed by survivors. Then everyone else follows at 3 minute increments. There was something like 3,000 participants, and over 25 waves going out.

Once the race started, I was stationed at the bike mount area to assist riders with thrown chains or those who needed help onto their bikes after the swim. I must admit, this sounded odd to me, as no one has ever been in the mount area to help anyone in a race, much less help getting on a bike, and one can actually get disqualified for receiving assistance in a race. I found the race director to confirm thee rules to make sure I didn't DQ anyone with my help. We had maybe a half dozen people toss a chain, and one flat tire.

Now, here is where I have to "preach". I was absolutely amazed at the lack of knowledge participants possessed about their bikes, and how dirty and in disrepair they were in. While we've all been beginners at a sport at one point or another, if you're investing the time and money into training and doing a triathlon, somewhere along the line the conversation about equipment comes up. This should include equipment maintenance and repair.

First, I was amazed at how many people even came up to our bike tent for air. I always bring a pump with me to a race, or at the very least, pump my tires up before leaving the house. Now, things happen, and if you don't pack your equipment the night before, I can see how easy it is to forget a pump in the morning haste to prepare and leave. But not only was the number of people needing air ridiculous, I couldn't believe that only one person had tire pressure that was even remotely close to what it should be. It was as if these people hadn't checked their tire pressure in weeks, if at all! It was also incredible to see so many people coming up with flats and needing tubes, and then they were upset if we didn't have a tube in their size with us. Remember, I mentioned earlier how many different kinds of bikes were there....

Second, I couldn't believe how dirty some of these bikes were. Now, I know I can be a little anal when it comes to my bike, but since moving to a condo where I don't have a hose, I've been forced to refrain from cleaning my bike after every ride. At the very least, I do wipe it down every other week, and lube my chain on a regular basis. These things were filthy and gritty! No wonder some of these people tossed their chains - there was no place for the cogs to go!

Third, people just expected too much. Who goes to a race expecting a full bike fit or the ability to shop for parts and have them installed the morning of a race? Note, there were like 3,000 participants - we were there to help them all, not focus on a fit or full tuneup for a race that starts in less than an hour. One lady walked up and asked "Do you have an extra wheel? My friend forgot her front wheel at home and we don't think her husband is going to make it here." When we said no, she rolled her eyes and asked if we had an extra bike for her to ride. The glare we received when we told her "no" was insane. Another lady came up saying that she had her friend's bike that she's ridden a couple of times, but it hurts whenever she does so she wonders if she needs the saddle height adjusted or a different saddle entirely (of course, we didn't have a spare saddle laying around).

My favorite part, as these two ladies were walking down to transition, one threw her chain. Her friend told her to put it on, and the other replied "No! I don't want to get all dirty. THEY (the guys in our tent) can do it." Yes, our crew over heard that, and as the chain was reset, the thought was "hope you don't throw that mid-race, lady!" Come on, people!

While I understand that this race is popular with beginners, people need to understand that they need to be responsible for their equipment. We were there to offer assistance, a minor tweak here or there for something that maybe happened on the way over, a little air for those who rushed out the door, but we weren't there to make money - it would have been frowned upon to have a fully stocked mobile shop to sell from; everyone who needed a tube (and we went through a ton of them) would have had to pay for them, and there would be no way for us to stock parts and equipment for every single type of bike out there. As one woman went through transition, she threw her chain and cursed the guy from our tent as if it was his fault she didn't take care of her equipment and expected a miracle at 6 in the morning. Another lady went through and flatted her tire as she mounted the bike. I walked over to help her and knew it was a futile question when I asked "Do you have a spare tube?" as I saw no equipment bag on her bike. She replied that she had one, along with a pump, with her stuff in transition. I told her if she wanted to, she could run down and get it and I would pull the wheel and the tire to change it for her. When she returned (with a hand pump - CO2 is so cool, people!!) she was amazed at the speed with which I put the new tube in and set the tire (it was a mountain bike, and my time is less than 2 minutes to do this). And off she went.

My point is, come prepared! Ask questions, and be able to take care of yourself. We were set up in transition and at the mount area. There's another 11 miles where you're out there alone, without us to set that dirty chain for you (which wouldn't be so damn dirty if you cleaned it once in a while, and then it probably wouldn't have popped off while you were just walking it down the lane!). Preparation is a BIG part of the race.

That all said, this was a very inspiring race. There were kids there in their teens racing all the way up to women in the 80s. There were skinny minnies, and heavy weights racing (and my favorite part [not being skinny myself] is seeing the "heavier" women totally killing it out on the race and the skinny fit "looking" women struggling - weight isn't everything when it comes to fitness!). It was so cool to see families of women racing together to support each other. The last group through was a group of 5 or 6 - an 80 year old granny with 2 or 3 daughters/daughters-in-law and a couple of granddaughters. Granny was a survivor. When you see something like that, you have no excuse yourself. Yes, triathlon is difficult. The Swim-Bike-Run is hard on the body that isn't used to it. But when you break it down, it's only about 1 1/2 to 2 hours of activity, which isn't all that much. I've gone hiking and backpacking for a longer amount of time than that, and my usual Saturday bike rides are way longer. 12 miles on a bike isn't that hard, and you can always walk the 5k at the end. The point is to finish, to complete it, and when you see an 80 year old breast cancer survivor doing it, you know that you can, too.

So, get out there! Do something with your body. Even though it's "just a sprint", it's a triathlon, something most people will never do or attempt. But I'm here to tell you, YOU CAN DO IT! It doesn't matter if you're last, it doesn't matter if you need to rest. Just by finishing, you've accomplished something special. So DO IT!