After 10 years of raising children, my first 190km bike race

This past Saturday (June 20, 2009), my wife, Camilla, (former cross country All-American and 3rd place in US duathlon championships in '96) and I did the Lillehammer-Oslo (Norway) bike race. It was her third time doing the race and my first. It was my first the over race in 10 years since I decided to prioritize the kids and not me. What an amazing experience.

I have given lots of thought to what happened out there and it wasn't like a rebirth, it was an emotional and mental lesson on what it means to exist. During the first 100km I was riding on pure over confidence, that I can do this race because "I am man and I used to do these races before". It was all wrong!

At 40km, I pulled up to my wife and told her, "This is a seriously long distance race!" She smiled and said "I told you!". From 40km - 100km, I fought mentally to find a place for me but I couldn't. Nothing I had in my head for the race was helping me to ride the race. I was barely keeping up with my wife and my mind was in over drive thinking all the time about everything and nothing. It (my conscience and non-conscience mind) were looking for excuses and still I was not riding the race.

It was an incredible negative experience to be at war with my own thoughts. I had completely forgotten what it feels, what it means, what it takes to do a race. I felt like the overweight kid trying to go out for a sport in high school. I was completly out of my zone or comfort level. It was never this bad before, even when I did my first triathlon, I was more mentally prepared.

At around 100km, everything changed. I gave into the fact that I did not train enough for this race. I am 10 years older without 10 years of miles in my legs to show for it. I have spent most of my waking hours with my 3 kids and being as much a part of their life as they would allow me and I would allow myself. What I was doing out here in the middle of nowhere in Norway was ridiculous, insane, embarrassing and humbling! And that's moment, I clicked!

Everything fell into place. I found the rhythm that I had not had. It was not the same rhythm of 10 years ago but a new rhythm that still felt my own but different. My lower back now had elasticity and I was pulling on the pedals with ease no matter the terrain. I wasn't my old self but I was now flying and we were finally going at a racing speed.

What I believe happened was that I accepted where I am now and what I can and can not do now and completely forgot about what I did before. Those were great memories but if I want anymore, I must focus on achievements in the future not in the past. This is probably very much a "guy thing", something I didn't think would be applicable to me but I am 100% guilty.

My wife still complements me on my ride. I have apologized to her for staying with me many times since the race and will continue to do so until next year, if she decides to race with me, again. I expect my year of apologies will warrant an argument or two but I welcome it. She could have abandoned my stubborn, mentally over compensating, stupid macho self at any time. But she did not.

I learned a life time worth of lessons in this one ride. I decided that I would not do an Ironman when I'm 50 as I have promised myself since my 25th birthday. I rather take the time it takes to be so prepared and invest it in my family. It took me getting my butt kicked by myself to realize that the best life I can live is not training, all the time, but spending as much time as possible with the ones that I love training with them. I plan on having my kids crush me at a couple of races in the future. I looked forward to those days!

I hope everyone has such an epiphany. I will continue to train and be a triathlete once again but this time around you'll see me with my kids...trying to keep up with my wife, a woman that could have done a sub 5-hour race and instead she kept me company.


Thomas F. Anglero

Tags: Thomas Anglero, Lillehammer, Oslo, Norway, biking