meralco and friends toastmaster's club - project speech # 4
Have you ever heard of the Ironman 70.3 triathlon event? It is a sporting event where athletes would have to swim 1.9km, bike 90km and run 21kms within the required cut-off time of 8hours and 30minutes. The Ironman 2014 was recently held in Cebu last Sunday, August 3. While it was raining hard in Manila, 2500 triathletes had to endure the heat of Cebu as they swim, bike and run in Lapu-lapu City. Fellow toastmasters, I am proud to say that I am one of those triathletes.
Joining the Ironman for the first time means so much to me. I’ve never wanted anything else this bad for myself. It is a dream come true! It is the culmination of all the training and pains I have to go through. Whenever I recall all the blood (yes! There was blood), sweat and tears (lots of tears!) that I have shed because of triathlon, I know, somehow, that I am ready.
During race day, I am a woman on a mission. I woke up early, ate breakfast and got ready. Minutes before the gun start, the feeling of anxiety is mixed with extreme excitement. And so I put on my goggles and swim cap and said my prayers. At last! The countdown started. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. BANG! And there we go like a school of fish swimming out to our destiny, to greatness. This is it. I am made for this!
During race day, I am a woman on a mission. I woke up early, ate breakfast and got ready. Minutes before the gun start, the feeling of anxiety is mixed with extreme excitement. And so I put on my goggles and swim cap and said my prayers. At last! The countdown started. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. BANG! And there we go like a school of fish swimming out to our destiny, to greatness. This is it. I am made for this!
Thankfully, I finished the swim smoothly and on time. But then I started having difficulty during the bike leg. Half of the race distance, all athletes would have to bike through strong head winds. I am going at around 17kph on flat ground. That’s half of my usual speed. Add to that the various uphills that we have to ride through. I finished the bike with 10 minutes to spare before the bike cut-off. This means that I only have 3hours to finish the 21km run.
I still managed to run the first 15kms. The next few kms were the hardest. Signs of fatigue due to the swim and bike are starting to set in. My heart rate was spiking up even from a little brisk walk. To my horror, my calves and toes started to cramp up. My toes are painfully folding up like this so the medics would have to come to my aid several times to stretch them. Finally, they asked me if I wanted to quit the race.
Fellow toastmasters, I hope I could end this speech by telling you that I mustered enough energy to finish the race before the cut-off. I hope I can say that some divine intervention has given me the power to sprint to the finish line so I can make it on time. But I can’t. I didn’t finish the race. I finished with a non-official time of 8hours and 40+ minutes. It was a struggle up to the very end. I was running and walking as fast as my cramping legs would permit me. I was past the 20km mark when I know that I finally ran out of time. Less than 1km to go, I had a flashback of all the sacrifices I went through. I thought of my mom and Doods and how much I’ve let them down. I started to cry, knowing that I cannot be an Ironman this year. Nevertheless, I continued the run-walk while crying until the very end. People were still cheering for me even if they know I won’t get the medal. When I finally saw my boyfriend, I ran faster towards him. I hugged him hard and cried harder and told him how sorry I was for disappointing him. He whispered, Cathlyn I am proud of you. And that’s all I needed to hear.
Triathlon did not only allow me to realize what I am made of. It has also made me realize what I am made for, and I am made for people who needed inspiration to be healthy. This is gift that I embrace fully. Because of triathlon, I have realized that I am far stronger than I thought I was. I had the option to quit but I didn’t. That makes me a champion, doesn’t it? Thank you fellow toastmasters for listening to my Ironman experience. Once again, I am Cathlyn Genabe. Not YET an Ironman. But definitely, a champion. |