THE 2011 BSP CHICAGO TRIATHLON FINISHERS!
THE TEAM: A HUGE congratulations to: Neil and Laura Morgan, Greg Jungels, Angela Davis, SJ Van Jaarsveld, Andy Rachmiel, John Gibson, Laura Kubalewski, Andy Weiss and Charlie Pennebaker for your dedication and tremendous accomplishments over the past months. This has been an unforgettable experience.
THE EXPERIENCE: Without question you will all hear first-hand how the day went, but here is a brief recap:
ALARM GOES OFF: At 4:00AM we were up and getting ready. Months of training were being filtered down to this day, culminating in an excited, nervous anticipation of hearing the trumpets sound and the race commencing. By 5:30AM our transition zones were organized and we were making our way toward the Swim Start.
SWIM: “The sea was angry that day my friends. Like an old man trying to return soup at a deli.”(George Costanza, Seinfeld).
For years to come when people talk of the 2011 Chicago Triathlon one word will first come to mind: “Choppy”. Lake Michigan was unforgiving. The waves coming in and crashing into the wall set a new tone in the minds of 10,000 racers: “I didn’t ever train in…this.” What this was, was rough. Every swim we do from this point on, I’m guessing we will compare to that day….and have a little laugh. Looking back at race morning, I see now that the real battle was fought on the pier prior to starting the race. Whatever we faced later in the day would be secondary to the mental fight before getting in the water.
Once out of the water—and boy were we happy to be on land—we made our way along the 450 yard path to the transition area, or, “T-Town” as they call it: Imagine 10,000 bikes and triathlon gear all crammed into the grassy knoll by the Chicago Yacht Club. Wetsuits off, helmets on, onto the bike course!
BIKE: “Thar’ she blows!”
Once on Lakeshore Drive with pedals blazin’, the elements commenced round 2. Headwind. Strong headwind. In the face. For 7 miles. Though the course was primarily flat, the wind screaming down Lakeshore Drive right in our faces made for a tough 1st half of the bike. We were all happy to see the turn-around to head back South. Tailwind: YES PLEASE!
Bikes racked, helmets off, time to run. The final event.
RUN: “Turn every 15 minutes to avoid burning.”
With the Sun now high in the heavens, the run course properly delivered its always-present motto: “Gut-Check-Time!”. After the first 2 events taking their toll, the run would be harder than expected. As I ran alongside the lake near the aquarium I laughed when I saw the waves white-capping out to my left. “Better here than there.” Now back toward Lakeshore. Under the tunnel……announcers voice…..crowds cheering….FINISH LINE!
Out of the 10,000 racers, along with the crowds of families and friends gathering to support their loved-ones, I did not see anyone, any group, any team, anywhere with as much support and enthusiasm as the BSP TRIATHLON TEAM. Something draws people closer together at these events. As each BSP participant crossed the finish line, he/she would wait until the next team member came across, until, at the end, we stood as a group of 10 individuals, colleagues, friends, brought together as one team victorious.
A resounding THANK YOU to all family members and friends who supported your loved-one during training and throughout this experience. It is just as much of a commitment from you as it is from the participant, and I thank you for being a part of this journey. A special thank you to Jenn Rachmiel and Laura Kubalewski for your extra efforts in Pre-Race-Day activities and packages, as well as to Vinay Gupta for documenting this special event.
With the exception of some inevitable pictures and stories floating around, I will now sound off from the 2011 BSP TRIATHLON CHALLENGE. This experience has exceeded any and all expectations I could have ever dreamed, and I am indebted to all of you for allowing me to be a part of something so impactful.
Thank you,
Charlie Peterson
Account Executive
P.S. The 2012 BSP TRIATHLON CHALLENGE commences its training in approximately 6 months….any takers?
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