Race Coverage

"I Had No Idea What I Was Doing"...

Sunday, 28 June 2020 23:10

By Ted Treise

Race: Iowa’s Best Dam Triathlon 
Year: Fall 2012 
Age: 18
Bike: Trek 1.1 W/ bucket pedals

About 50 yards into the swim my lungs no longer worked, and I couldn’t breathe as I treaded water watching the pack swim away. The collegiate men’s wave has successfully swam over me after I was insistent about getting a front row spot for the run into the water and the woman’s wave was about to do the same. During the pre-race meeting, we were told to take our caps off in the event of needing to be rescued during the swim. ‘Is now the time to pack it in?’ I thought....

After a few Tarzan strokes in the direction of the first buoy I was on my way to finishing. It was my first triathlon outside of Iowa city and, well, I had no idea what I was doing. About 2 weeks earlier I was scrolling through the university clubs in my dorm room & I came across the triathlon club. And the cycling club too; but the cycling club didn’t email me back and the triathlon club did, so I guess here we are 8 years later. The tri club had a meeting the next day in the library. During the meeting I found out the last qualifier for spring nationals was in 2 weeks & registration ends in 4 days. “If you want to go, we’ll make room for you at our homestay and I can lend you a suit” current president, Paul Creger, told me. I said “sure, why not.”

Once I made it to the first buoy in Iowa tri, I found a rhythm. Not hard, just enough to stay float while executing a front crawl. Something learned after the 3 swim sessions during my ‘training’. I don’t know when exactly, but somewhere between finishing the swim, hammering on the bike and passing people on the run, I fell in love with this sport and have been doing it ever since. Triathlon’s lead me to meeting amazing people, my future wife, and is one hell of a community to be a part of.

ED. Now a professional triathlete, Ted placed 11th in his AG at Iowa's Best Dam Olympic Triathlon in 2012.