"Dude, seriously, what are you doing, oooooooooohhh, that is freaky!!!" - Some kid filling his tires at the gas station where I got stung by a wasp
I know its been a while since I last posted, but let me say, its been an interesting 5 weeks. Powerman left me with a strong desire to have a good race and more importantly, to ratchet up my fitness and race acumen. So, once I got home from Alabama, I got right back at it, training hard, and feeling good.
So I decided to head back to Toledo to do an F1 style DU and was feeling good. So good, I stopped at the gas station the week of the race to vacuum out my truck. No sooner did I drop in the last quarter then I felt something in my shirt. Thanks to Mother Nature bringing Spring early, the bugs were out in force. And it just so happened the insect that got in my shirt, was a wasp. Before I could brush it out. I got stung not once, but 3 times by that little bastard. For most people, this is an annoyance. But for someone who is highly, and I do mean highly allergic, it can be a death sentence. So, as best I could, I calmly went to my truck tool kit, took at my Epi-pen, and hiked up my right pant leg. At this time, a young kid was filling his tires with air, watching me do this, and started to freak out. Thus the above quote. Here's the best part about being allergic to bees, wasps, etc. You have like, 45 minutes to get to an ER, if you stab yourself with an Epi-pen, otherwise, your throat begins to close, your tongue swell, and you choke to death. If you get stung multiple times, it cuts that 45 minutes in half. But, all the while as you are preparing to stick a giant needle in your body, you have to remain calm and focused, otherwise, it speeds to poison to your heart. Its really awesome.
So after stabbing myself, I had to then calculate how long it would take me to get from 75th and Lemont Road to essentially 35th and Lemont road where Good Sams Hospital is. While trying to not freak out, or notice that I was having difficulty breathing and seeing straight. Miraculously I made it, and thanks to an ER doctor who saw me the minute I walked in, I got a room immediately where I was treated. Treatment at the level of allergic reaction that I have, required 2 bags of saline, mixed with benedryll, Pepcid and a steroid. Not to mention, 2 rounds of a breathing treatment, which is essentially pure oxygen that you breathe through a mask for 15 minute intervals. According to the doctor, I had less than 5 minutes before I would have died. But in true Type A personality form, my first question was, "Do you think I'll be ok to race this weekend?" I'm not positive but I think he shook his head in disbelief, looked over at my friend Sheila who was kind enough to come help me out, and muttered something about me being slightly off kilter.
Still, 4 days later, there I was, toeing the line at the Dooby DU. in Toledo. And it was 34 degrees. Sweet. The thin gloves I had on did not help as I tried to get on my helmet in T1. Although I was 3rd in, 10 seconds off the leader, I took 2:12 in T1, essentially giving away the race. I spent the rest of the morning chasing down the top 4 guys, and although I made it close, my normally quick transitions were hampered by being ill prepared. Running 5:20's is great, but not when you are taking 1:30 in transition to get back on the bike. But the race left me feeling strong, recognizing I recovered from the stings, and my fitness was definitely on the rise.
So today, I was up in Wisconsin racing the Paper Discovery Duathlon. I had heard good things, knew it was competitive, and had a field of over 800 athletes. One problem, not USAT sanctioned. I know I have my issues with USAT, but having an official on a rather flat course would have helped. I went off in the elite wave, and for the first 2 mile run, knew I had to stay close to the front to make sure I was in the fight the whole time, giving myself a chance to run down anyone in front of me. At the half mile mark, I was in the lead group, and we hit the first mile at 5:15. But I didn't warm up enough and went out too hard, making me have to back off a bit to avoid burning matches. Got to T1, in 11 minutes, and felt ok, a little tight in my hip flexors. Still, got out into the headwind at 24 mph and was feeling good. Up the road though, I watched as 10 guys formed a team time trial, each taking pulls, and working really well together to get away. I was stunned. It was the most blatant use of cheating I have ever seen. I sat back, refusing to draft, and again, basically giving up the race. I rode the 20 mile course hard, considering the heavy head and cross winds, and plentiful lake flies (which I am still finding in my race bag) and as I entered T2, I saw the lead pack running together, some guys barely hanging on, and others just flat out falling off. I knew I only had 2 miles of running to do something, so, I got off my bike and decided to go all in, and run redline. By mile 1, I caught 3 of them, and as I got closer to the finish I was able to out-kick 3 more. But it wasn't enough. There I was 4th place, and visibly pissed off. As I write this now, I'm still pissed off.
I know it wasn't a USAT race, I know money wasn't on the line, but its the simple fact that I thought that if you are an elite, that you would race with integrity. I'm not condoning drafting among age groupers, but if we pros are to be the standard, shouldn't we set the best example possible? If someone knew to the sport sees a pro draft, what's the first thing they'll think? "Hey if so and so is doing it, why can't I?" I know this sounds like sour grapes, but I know one thing, I may not have been top wrung on the podium today, but I had the clearest conscience of the top guys. And that is the kind of motivation that is going to keep me going all season. And fitness is still improving, considering especially I ran and rode the way I did without any speedwork. I really can't wait to race again. I just hope that the people I am racing against will have a much deeper respect for the sport and themselves.
Stay strong,
Guy
