My friend Javi, and his wife Lisa wanted to learn to swim. While I will never be Michael Phelps, swimming is where I hold my own and was happy to help. Javi had a goal - he wanted to do a triathlon and decided on Gatorbait. Always ready to convert more people to triathlon, his goal became my goal, and we got to work. One thing you can say about Javi, he never gives up. There were days that things just didn't click, but he kept at it. His stroke got smoother, he felt less like he was having a heart attack each lap, and he didn't fight the water anymore. He still had yet to finish the distance, but I taught him the infamous Chavez float to make up the difference.
At our practice last week, I casually mentioned to him that he might want to try an open water practice before Gatorbait, since pool swimming and open swimming are very different. I also wanted him to get a feel for the distance before the race, since suddenly looking at how far you have to go can cause panic to set it. Not exactly prime conditions for starting the part of the triathlon where you can drown.
Things worked out well - there was a run in the morning for iRun, and we could skip over to SPI for the swim after. I asked Javi to bring his bike too, so we could get a lopsided Tri in. He would do the 5k, I would do the 10k (my first 10k race!), that way he could feel the distances out for the run as well.
The weather was perfect (hot and humid). The run went great (Javi, David, Donna and the others did awesome) and Javi kept mentioning how he was getting nervous because he was not nervous about the swim. After I changed, I found him standing near the dock, just looking out at the water. Yeah, sure, he's not nervous. I promised Lisa I would bring him back in one piece, and I've never lost a swimmer, so I was pretty confident he would make it.
That's where he was swimming to, he just didn't know it yet.
We got in the water, and after a few false starts, Javi got going. When you coach people, you have to figure out how best to do that. Some people like gentle correction, some prefer you wait until after practice. Javi works best when you get after him. So, much to the amusement of the people on their docks, I kept yelling at Javi "KEEP GOING" every time he tried to stop.
Meanwhile, I was having a blast. I swam next to Javi, yelling at him when I needed to, and watching the fish jump when he didn't. I grew up on lakes, fish do not bother me. They jumped next to me, and I even got bumped a few times. It would have seemed like back home if it weren't for the unbearable heat and the fact it was salt water.
Javi did it! He swam 450 meters, more than he would need to in the race. We worked out a good system of swim/Chavez float for him, since I would not be swimming next to him during the race. I left him to rest near the dock while I got a quick swim in to keep my still nagging shoulder loose. Javi and I started chatting when I came back, and we sat in the water for a few minutes talking about the practice. Suddenly, something LAID on my foot. I shrieked like a little girl, and Javi bolted out of the water like a shot. I swear he did not touch the water on the way out. Turns out a flounder thought my foot was a good place to take a nap. Javi had just finished reassuring himself the water was safe - no sharks, no jellyfish when I let out my yell. He did not look back to see if I was okay. I was laughing so hard I couldn't see where he went.
Imagine Javi moving as fast as the dog (couldn't see if he had the same face or not).
Other than a continual need to giggle, the flounder incident did not deter the rest of the day. We transitioned rather quickly, then headed out for a leisurely 10 miles on our bikes. No fish were evident on our ride, so it was relatively uneventful. Afterward, as we set out in search of food, Javi kept smiling to himself. He now had the confidence he needed to face his first Tri. In one day, he had done all of the distances he would need to. He dropped me off at home, and once I got settled, I text Lisa to let her know how proud I was of him. She told me that pretty much within five minutes of laying down, he was out like a light. Guess I should have warned him that three sports in one day could do that to you.
In a week, Javi is going to make his first step to becoming a triathlete at Gatorbait Tri. It's going to be an awesome feeling watching him cross that finish line. Knowing how many people have guided me along my journey, (sometimes gently encouraging me, sometimes yelling at me) it will have been in honor of them that I pay it forward. Have a blast Javi, because I already know you are going to kill the Gator! The bait has been prepped!
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