Everything You Want

                                                               

Has there ever been a truer statement? I know without a doubt I have missed out on certain opportunities in my life because of fear. Fear is a very real thing.  It is legit and it can be the "Thief of Dreams"

My triathlon fun first began in the year 2011. Up until this point I only participated in triathlons where the venue was a fresh water swim. I know ponds and lakes can be pretty gross with their murky waters, slimy fish, and gushy bottoms; but hey no big deal; give me a Snapping Turtle over a Shark any day! 

And there you have it - one of my true legitimate fears. Right there, up above has ultimately kept me from participating in a Triathlon with an Ocean Swim venue. And if you don't think there are Sharks around these parts. Think again. Buzzards Bay is a breeding ground for the Great White! So you say "they don't come into shallow water" Not so - a positive identification of a Great White was spotted just 2 years ago near the mouth of the Westport River! In recent years there has been more and more sightings in the Cape Cod waters. Now this can be attributed to the high Seal population, but let's face it I could definitely look like an injured seal in my wet suit in the eyes of a Great White.

I want nothing more than to overcome this fear and participate in an Ocean Swim. So I sign up for "The Escape the Cape" Triathlon on June 8, 2013 and mark my calendar. $85 bucks right there - no turning back now - ha ha!

The day arrives and I am still on a high from completing the Tough Mudder a week earlier. Escape the Cape ocean swim takes place in beautiful Onset Harbor - it is actually a perfect race to participate in if it ones first ocean swim. The water is calm and it is a point to point swim with the shore line on your left the whole way. The water is shallow; which should comfort me but somehow it doesn't. Physically I know I can do it but "Shark" is on the brain. 

Before I know it my heat is up and I am making my way into the Salt Water. I don't think about how cold it is, I don't think about how far it is. All I am thinking is get from point A to point B without getting eaten AND please let me be able to breathe in this wet suit!

Suddenly I am off to complete the 1/3 mile swim. My thoughts go something like this - one, two, three breathe, one, two, three, breathe. Wow! this salt water keeps me buoyant, sharks live in salt water. One two three breathe. Please don't let my wet suit fill up with water - that would really suck. One, two, three breathe. Oh my gosh that arch is not getting any closer. I hope nothing touches my leg or foot. This is taking forever. One, two, three, breathe. If the lifeguard sees a fin does he yell "Shark!" will I even hear him? One, two, three breathe. There's that freakin' finishing arch - get me the heck out of this water! And somehow I am done. I was never so happy to get out of that water and run; no matter how wobbly it was to my bike. And then suddenly I feel fearless!

The rest of the race I am on a high because I know barring any unforeseen circumstance I can finish this race. I am on the bike rolling along and I am happy. My friends and family cheer me on at different points in the race. My Mom, my hubbie and 2 Amigas are there - How blessed can one woman be?

I transition from the bike to the run. This is always the toughest part for me. My legs feel like jello and I feel a bit unsteady on my feet for a bit. Then somewhere around mile 2 I think to myself "Why the heck do you do this? This hurts!" Then a man sitting in his lawn chair in his front yard yells "You got this less than a mile!" I feel invigorated and I move to the finish.

I don't care how many times I cross a finish line,  when the announcer calls my name over the loud speaker there is a feeling of triumph and accomplishment. And there lies the answer to my question "Why do I do this?" I do it because it doesn't come easy for me. And although it is hard; It is ALWAYS worth it. I do it because I want to push past my limits and beyond my threshold. I do it because "If I never take any risks; I minimize the probability of reward" And yes I did it on this day because I would not let Fear steal my Dreams!

Big thanks to my Amiga Jen for the amazing professional quality pictures  - you captured my day!