Blog: 3       Of the project 

Continued from my previous blog:

More lovely Dottie memories 

The tattooed lady

Over the years Dot had completed a few marathons overseas after travelling with fellow club members.  We were always bemused with her travels overseas while her husband John remained at home looking after the dog and the cat. 

I recall finishing a Sunday run at the club and going into the ladies changing room for my post run shower.  Among the many full, half or totally unclothed members in the changing room was Dot.  My gear was on the bench next to hers and she walked out of the shower room to the bench without anything covering her body and as she turned I noted a couple of tattoos on Dot’s somewhat dropped buttocks.  “Dot,” I said, “you’ve got a tattoo on your butt!” 

“Yes,” she replied with a proud grin, “it’s a four leaf clover. I got it done after I did the Dublin marathon.  And this other tattoo on my bottom is an apple which I got done after I did the New York marathon.”

Somewhat between shocked and bemused I said, “What does John think about them?”

“Oh, he doesn’t know.  I never let him see me naked!”

 

She certainly tri’d

It was in the summer of 2005 when an event organiser had planned a series of women’s only mini-triathlon events, called Special K Women's Tri.  One was to be held at Mission Bay in Auckland.  To encourage some women to ‘give it a go’ (and to support the event organiser) Tony and I offered to coach some of the Y ladies to train for it as their first ever triathlon event. 

Dot was 74 at the time and jumped at the chance, as only Dot could. She had much faith in Tony and I as coaches so considered herself safe in our hands. 

It saw Tony & I at Okahu Bay on Saturday mornings running training sessions.  What a hoot that was. And what an ever-rewarding experience, helping women learn to properly swim and seeing some overcoming their fear of the sea water. The youngest in the group was 20 years old, oldest wasn’t Dot but one other who was 77.  We had them swim in the bay, transition to their bikes, cycle along the waterfront, come back to the bay and transition to the run.

The triathlon event was only a 300 metre swim, a 10 km bike and a 3 km run.  This seemed totally feasible and doable to everyone in the group, including our Dot.

Many had watched Tony & I compete in Ironman events over the years and noted swimming the 3.8 km swim for us Ironmen was always done in wetsuits so most of the ladies deemed it only right that they also wear wetsuits for their 300 metre swim.  Including Dot.

Three days before the event I answered a knock at the front door, it was Dot, full of enthusiasm.  All excited that her grandson had offered his boogie-boarding wetsuit for her to use, she’d tried it on and it fitted, did I think it would be ok for her to use?  I chuckled internally, especially in the knowing that the 300 metre swim was in waist deep water and we would most probably see Dot walking much of that distance anyway; and in our warm Waitemata summer waters any wetsuit would be of no advantage at all to anyone.  But I smiled and said, “Perfect Dot.”  She did seem greatly chuffed at the thought of wearing grandson’s wetsuit.

“But,” she said, “I don’t know what to wear under the wetsuit.” She then went into great detail that she wasn’t sure whether to wear her running bra for all the events, swim/bike/run, or to change bras between the bike and the run.  Or whether to wear her running shorts on the bike or borrow bike shorts from someone then change in transition into her running shorts.  And if she wore bike shorts should she wear knickers under them?  Or not?  Or if she wears either bike shorts or running shorts should she wear them under the wetsuit during the swim, or change into them in transition?  Or should she wear her swimsuit under the wetsuit and use that under her bike gear and run gear? 

Being both bemused and excited for Dot and her enthusiasm, and not wanting to dampen excited spirits in any way I said, “Dot, the swim is short, as is the bike and run so it won’t matter which or what of the choices you are thinking about, they would all work well.” 

“But I’m worried that if I wear my swimsuit for the bike and the run what people will think seeing my boobs bouncing up and down?”  To be fair, Dot always did have a lovely, healthy set of breasts so I understood her thought pattern.

Not wanting to deter Dot or have self-conscience blot her enthusiasm, I said, “Look Dot, it doesn’t matter what you wear under your wetsuit, you could wear nothing and nobody would care or notice, all they care about is seeing you out there, on the course, having a great go and a great time, so relax and do whatever you think you will feel most comfortable in.”

I could see the instant wave of relief fall over Dot’s demeanour.  “Oh thank you Verna, I’m so pleased I came around and talked all this through with you.”  And with that she scurried off to head to grandson’s place to pick up the wetsuit.

Come the morning of the event, Tony and I headed to Mission Bay early and enjoyed helping the twenty-plus women we’d had under our wing set themselves up in the transition.  This was one of a series of a number of women-only triathlon events and we felt so impressed at the numbers, the enthusiasm, the excitement and the adrenaline all these women setting themselves up in transition had.

At 7 a.m. the first of the many waves of women competitors began the event.  Tony and I stood on the sands at Mission Bay watching our various friends enter the water at one end and exit the water at the other then head to bike transition.  There was the 20 year old going, the 34 year old, the 48 year olds, the 56 year olds, somewhere in the many waves was Dot and her 74 years of excitement.  The two of us decided to wait on the beach and watch the waters until the very last wave of competitors entered then finished the swim. 

There were only 4 competitors still in the water when a non-competing friend of ours came running up to with an almost frenzied look on her face, “Oh my God,” she blurts, “you’ll never guess what I’ve just seen.  Over there in the swim to bike transition there’s a women, a really old women, who has come out of the swim in a wetsuit then stripped it off and has absolutely nothing on underneath, she’s completely starkers and taking her time to get her bike gear on!”

Tony and I looked at one another, and in unison, said, once again, “Dot!”

Rest in your happy peace Dot. 

                    Post event photo                    

                    Dot, front row - 2nd on left.    

Others in that row:  Liz, Dot, Mel, Julie

Back Row:   Marion, Flo, Michelle, Lynette, Casey, Barb, Self