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Show Page 10 StatesmanSports Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 At least I finished CONNOR JONES CROSSED THE finish line of the X-Terra Utah Mountain Triathlon Saturday in a time of 2:59.10. Pictured above Jones, is the time for the professionals who raced on the Snowbasin course. Jones undertook the event in an effort to best his little brother, however, finishing the competition ended up being enough reward for this year. photo courtesy of NANCY JONES T his account of my first triathlon experience may start out a little strange but I feel like I have to say it: My little brother is a bad ass. My desire to race in the X-Terra Off-Road Triathlon began four years ago after my then 15-year-old brother finished it in 2:45.08. A series of pictures from his race sits in our kitchen, mocking me every time I’m home. As an older brother I, of course, can’t allow my younger sibling to be better than me so four years later I finally decided to do something about it. On August 28 I registered for the X-Terra Utah Off-Road Triathlon. I was finally going to prove to my little brother that I was as bad ass as he is, or so I thought. I lackadaisically prepared over the following few weeks. I went on one mountain bike ride, swam a few times and put on my trail running shoes a couple times, but never made it out the door. I felt confident in my general athleticism and biking skill, and I figured I could doggy-paddle most of the swim and just run slow if I needed to at the end of the race. I had a restless sleep the night before the race, waking up every couple hours thinking I missed my alarm and then feeling every spring in my crappy, apartment provided, twin-size bed. Finally, my alarm went off at 5:45 a.m., dragging me out of some meaningless dream. It was race day and I was ready. I ate some breakfast but was unable to finish it so I packed up and left, arriving at the starting point, Pineview Reservoir, around 8:00 a.m. At check in, my body got stamped with race number 722, I received a nice green swim cap (so the safety patrol people can see you drowning), my race instructions and a verbal slap on the butt for encouragement. My parents had come to support (or witness that I actually did it), and my mother had brought me some delicious homemade cookies so naturally I was feeling pretty good. The U.S. Championship race began at 9 a.m., the distances – a 1.5k swim, 30k mountain bike and a 10k trail run – were double everything I was doing and was full of amazing athletes from all over the world. At 9:20 a.m. they blew the whistle for the start of my race, which included a 750m swim, a 19k mountain bike and a 5k run. I jumped in the water and was surprised by how warm it was, however, I then realized I was in the middle of a 234-person pack and tried to push stop wondering why the morning lake water was so warm. I started the swim strong and felt like a real triathlete. I was getting kicked and hit by my fellow swimmers and was feeling good. I looked up and realized I was barely off shore and came to a prophetic realization: This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. After attempting every swim stroke I had seen during the Olympics, I decided on switching between two, the butterfly(ish) and this one I like to describe as floating on my back and kicking. I reached land 27-and -a-half minutes after the whistle blew, about twice as long it took the pros to do it twice. At the transition I swiftly stripped off my wetsuit and put on my bike attire – this is the part of the race I knew I needed to make up time. From Pineview Reservoir the bike trail was 99 percent uphill to Snowbasin. I was right, the bike was my event. I was passing people on the tight single-track trail left and right. I felt the defeat of my younger brother within my reach, if I could just keep up this pace I was pretty sure I could beat his time. Karma slapped me in the face around mile 6 when my chain popped off and got jammed between the spokes and my rear cassette. I got to the side of the trail and frantically started trying to get the chain unstuck, one person passed, then two, four, eight and 10. People continued to pass by me and I began to get frustrated, I had worked especially hard early in the bike to pass all of these people who were now climbing by me. After eight minutes of pulling, turning and swearing I picked up my bike and started to jog up the trail, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was doing, but I had seen something similar on TV and decided I’d just carry my bike to the finish. About 20 minutes and a mile later, I heard cowbells from up above, I was hoping it would be the end of the bike segment but instead it was a water station. After a few more minutes of pulling at the chain, one of the spectators came over with his pliers and dislodged the chain for me. I rode with reckless abandon down the single downhill section of the race and passed half of those who had passed me after my incident. Five miles later, I was switching to the run. My legs were dead but I put on my shoes and started out of the transition pit. One thing I should have realized but didn’t, is that if the trail run is at a ski resort the section of the race will most likely be on the ski run, but who thinks the race organizers would make you run straight up a ski run, plateau and then straight back down? As I left the flat pavement of the transition area and hit the slope, every muscle in my legs felt as if they were going to cramp. As the run (I must admit at times more like a walk for me) came to a close my adrenaline started to pump, my cramps disappeared and I ran as hard as my little chicken legs allowed me. I finished in 2:59.10. I almost drowned during the swim, almost gave up during the bike and almost walked the entire run, but I finished. And the more I think about it the happier I am that I didn’t beat my brother’s time. I’m his older brother and his biggest fan and really don’t need some stupid number to tell me how superior I am: That is until next year when I really do beat his time. Connor Jones is a senior majoring in public relations. Comments can be sent to him at c.h.j@ aggiemail.usu.edu. WINDSHIELDS 905 NORTH MAIN 753-6671 up to $125 off deductible expires April 2010 Answers To Today’s Crossword Puzzle! $9.95 rock chip repair expires April 2010 |