Giving it a tri

Brandon Swanson

Herald columnist

The Sandman Triathlon is a first for Moses Lake, and a first for me

When I decided to enter My First Triathlon, it was with a little reluctance.

I thought back on all the major "firsts" in my life — my first baseball game, my first job, my first date — I realized what utter disasters they were (none of them involved reaching first base). Naturally I grew more apprehensive as my entrance into the event became more certain.

My First Triathlon is a quarter-mile swim, a 12-mile bike and a 3-mile run at Heron Park Saturday morning. I could tell you what a full triathlon entails, but that would be like summitting a mountain only to see another one three times its size.

I've done all three legs of the My First Triathlon, but I've spread them out over, say, four years.

The running will not be a problem. When you are a pitcher, baseball coaches want you out of their hair in order to work with the real athletes so they tell you to run away and keep running.

The cycling stood to be a major problem. My last genuine bike was a Big Wheel. I do have a unicycle, but I doubt that would work. This may be surprising to some, but unicycles weren't engineered for 12-mile races. And I think the organizers might not appreciate the way I ride it (while juggling flaming chainsaws).

Luckily, Corey at Moses Lake Multisport let me borrow his twice-owned first generation Triathlon bicycle. I now have 24 hours to learn how to ride the thing.

The first leg will be the worst. My swimming style prevents me from swimming where lifeguards are present because they constantly come out to save me from the peril I only appear to be in. I tried the quarter-mile swim on Tuesday and it was, in a word, humbling. I'm relying on God and a strong pair of water wings to get me back to dry land.

Come out Saturday and root for friends and family. I'm sure they will appreciate the support.

If you don't know anyone entered in the triathlon, come anyway and root for me.

You will have no trouble finding me — I'll be the pasty white guy in the mesh speedo bringing up the rear and hacking up his second lung. I need all the support I can get.