My Husband: The Tin Man

It must be the testosterone that makes a man desire to conquer a challenge set before him. I could never understand why my husband at the ripe age of 50 wanted to run a half marathon. Despite all my misgivings, he proceeded with his plan and finished it in spite of the pain he experienced. I was so proud of him.

Then he heard about the Ironman Triathlon. If the marathon was a bad dream, the Ironman is a nightmare! Imagine swimming 3.86 k, biking 180.25 k and finishing it off with a 42.195 k marathon. To me, the queen of a sedentary lifestyle, only the insane would want to attempt to do anything like this! Or someone like my husband!

Thankfully there are many mini versions of this triathlon called sprint triathlons. One of the more popular ones in the Philippines is done at CamSur ( on the island of Luzon). When Doug heard that one of our friends participated in a relay (a group of three with each one doing one phase of the triathlon) and finished with an impressive 5^th place, he started setting his sights on the CamSur 70.3 Triathlon for Aug. 2011.

Just last Oct. 9, there was a sprint triathlon in Naga City. It was a short notice but since the distances were quite manageable (1 K swim, 30 K bike and 7.5 K run), Doug decided to give it a try. I jokingly told him that since the distances are only a fraction of the Ironman, if he finishes the race, he will be called the Tin Man! After signing up, Doug told me that he was the oldest participant! Well, if you finish that alone will make news I said.

So on Oct. 9, Doug, the girls and I left at 5am for Naga City. As expected, I hardly slept the night before, intermittently praying for his safety between tosses and turns. I was tired but excited. So was Doug who had a nervous stomach. As we were pulling into the parking lot, we were impressed with the bikes that some of those athletes were bringing in. To the untrained eye, they just looked quite ordinary until you find out how much the wheels on those things cost! Doug had a mountain bike which a friend gave him since he started biking a few months ago.

Doug knew some of the participants and easily made friends with the others. Mateo Guidecelli, a teenie heart throb, was one of the celebrity participants. High school students who were in the plaza for a fiesta presentation provided the screams wherever he appeared! Everyone wanted to pose with him for photo ops.

Before Doug went to the sea, I gave my famous last words: Pace yourself, arrive alive and promise me you won’t die of a heart attack. The starting gun was finally shot at past 7 am. Doug did well swimming in the sea but tried to keep his distance from the others so that he won’t get hit. When he got out of the water, I thought he looked tired. Are you ok? I asked while he changed shirts and put on his biking gear. He just nodded. Then off he went on the bike. Doug later told me that the bike path was easy but those with road bikes just whizzed past him. I’m not sure how long it took him to bike but when he entered the transition area, he parked the bike, quickly put on a hat and off he went. Doug told me later that at that point, his legs felt like jelly!

We were thankful that there was a cloud cover during the whole morning of the event. Otherwise, the heat would have been unbearable! The girls and I all got a tan while waiting. When Doug finally appeared at the finish line, he clocked at 2 hours, 29 min and 45 seconds. We were so proud of him!

Later, during the awarding, Doug finished first in his age category. Need I tell you that there were only two of them! Still, Doug was a finisher and deserved the title of Tin Man. However, unlike the Tin Man of the Wizard of Oz who had no heart, Doug was all heart and gave his best. I think that will always characterize Doug in everything he does. I am so proud of my husband, the Tin Man!

Next year, CamSur here we come! (unless I can talk him out of it!)