Welcome to Cuba. We're Making History

Part 2. This blog is longer due to so many amazing stories.

The first part of my journey was from MSP-CUN, then CUN-HAV. Once arriving in Cancun, I immediately ran into three other Americans who were also on my flight to CUN-HAV. I thought "Alright, the group is starting to come together and in just a few more hours we'll be in Cuba. IN CUBA!!"

Check in process was a bit long as people had A LOT of things to check. And most of their luggage was heavily saran wrapped to reduce the chance of their bags being checked (I am assuming here). The Cubano flight only allowed one bag to be brought on the plane. So I checked my 2 bags which was free because they have an 80K weight limit for free bag check. 80K? That's about 176lbs free to check. Can American carriers have this for bike check? I could save a lot of money that way.

We had a smooth flight across the Gulf of Mexico to Havana. Touch down Havana! I am in Havana, Cuba!

We waited a while for our bags, but that gave time to people watch, and watch all of the things come onto the baggage carousel, which was an array of interesting things. All of the female airport staff were wearing military style dresses, with black flower laced tights and black shoes. Interesting let's say. Customs was quick and smooth. Passport, check. Medical insurance, check. Look into this camera, check. Have you been to Africa in the last 30 days, or and family/friends been there, No, check. Visa, stamped and check. Welcome to Cuba.

Next step was to exchange my Canadian money to CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso. This is only for tourists. The locals use the Cuban Peso) and hail a cab to Casa Matilde (which by the way was fabulous. It felt like home).
The first night there my roommate John and I went out for dinner and walk around our neighborhood. The next morning we got up early to watch the sunrise over the Malecon (the seawall), and go for a run.

At 8:30a our host Matilde served breakfast. It was bountiful with tons of watermelon, dragon fruit, papaya, pineapple, and oranges. A glass of juice, warm sliced bread, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and shredded carrots. Your choice of an omelet with or without onion, or fried eggs. to finish off breakfast was coffee of your choice (Americano, con leche, or black).

Once we finished breakfast we hit the streets. We walked all day, and all through Havana and Old Havana. We got a quick tour by a local, saw the Capital, the museums, markets, and regular daily Cuban life. It was a perfect day. That night our whole crew had planned to meet at the Hotel Nacional De Cuba. That's when the whole group came together. After weeks of talking on Facebook it was always to finally meet people in person.

Friday Morning our crew met up at CanBiCuba for a group ride. CanBiCuba is a bike rental company ran by Peter and Ana who are amazing great people, and very helpful. (I highly recommend them) We did a 50K ride total. The first 25K was lead by the boys cycling group out to a house where lunch was served and our donations were given to the kids. On the way home we made our way to Hemingway Marina to pick up our packets.

Two unfortunate things about our ride.
1- A guy in our group fell and broke his clavicle. He was a total trooper and held by Rule #5.
2- The black, diesel exhaust from all of the old cars really did make it hard to breathe at times.

One very interesting thing about our ride.
1- Being followed by the Cuban government. This wasn't a bad thing at all. But interesting. If you know me ask, and I'll give you the details.

Friday night a majority of our crew met up to go out to eat at this nice restaurant with Ana from CanBiCuba. She took us to a fabulous Italian place. It was out of this world and cheap. Most things in Cuba are very inexpensive. The conversation is 1-1 CUC to USD.

Race Day

It’s late Friday night, the night before the race, and I am lying in bed happy, full, and visualizing each part of the race as I fall asleep. I wake up around 8a to an overcast and very humid morning. It’s been predicted to rain all day, but I’m optimistic and have a good feeling the rain is going to hold off and it’s going to be a perfect day to race. My house host (Matilde) lets us know that breakfast is ready so three other American athletes and myself sit down to eat. We are served lots of fruit, a smoothie, veggies, and an omelette. Once we finish eating we get our things together, get our bikes and start our ride to the race site.

The race site is about 12K from Casa Matilde’s and we have to ride through the city and lots of traffic to get to the venue. Within 10 minutes of our ride I am sweating, the air is so thick, you can feel the storm coming. It feels like at any moment the humidity is going to break and the storm is going to unleash. But, I am still optimistic that it’ll hold out untill we are done racing.

En route to the race site we get turned around for a moment. Some of the roads do not allow cyclists, and a police officer points us in the “correct” direction. We have zero internet connection and no Siri to help with directions. Thankfully John (fellow American) is still able to get directions on a map via his phone since he saved it. So we figure out where we are and where we need to go. We arrive to a road that doesn’t allow cyclists; but wait… some Mexican triathletes just rode by! We decide what the heck lets just take this road, and we make it to the race site within a few minutes.

The men’s elite race is happening when we arrive and they have just started their first loop on the bike. As we are watching the guys race it happens - the lightening flashes and the thunder rolls. The humidity gets a little heavier, and the lightning continues. Now it starts to run through my head that this race may be canceled as I count the minutes of delay with each sound of thunder. “When will they make the call?” “Will they re-schedule for tomorrow? Later today? Or cancel it all together?”

We get close to transition when the dark, scary clouds start rolling in fast, the wind picks up immensely, and then rain lets loose. Thankfully there were a few trees bunched together that offered shelter. We duck under the trees and found Rebeccah Wassner (American female pro). Got her race update as the rain fell harder, the winds blew more fiercely, and the men’s elite race continued.

Within 20 minutes the rain started to let up, the winds died down and we made our way to transition. This is where the whole experience gets interesting. There were a few tents set up that were full of people still avoiding the rain, three porta potties, and a few bike racks. I didn’t see any bib numbers of the racks so I find a place for my bike and head to get my chip.

 It’s now 11:45 and the race is suppose to start at 12p. The race officials start to move things around, setting up the bike racks, and adding bib numbers for the bikes. 144 is my bib number, I find it and rack my bike and start to set up my transition. Within a few minutes of the bike racks being set up, they collapse creating a domino effect with all of our bikes. No problem, right? Things happen, the storm threw us a curve ball so we pick up our bikes while the officials attempt to fix the rack. The officials have used, wet duck tape, and flimsy zip ties, which they soon figure out will not do the job so they tell us to place our bikes on the ground which has now become our transition. Still no problem right? Ya sure, “Just stay relaxed and go with it. This is the first time this race has been put on cut them some slack.” is what I am thinking. Once everyone has their bike set up in the grass, transition gear in the gear box, they tell us to head to the water.

The men are suppose to go off first, followed by the women. As I am walking up to the pier I hear a debate from the officials as to how to start the race. Should they have us dive? Jump? Or do a water start? They decide to have us do a water start and tell to start jumping in. I jump in the water swim out a bit, make sure my goggles are right, cap is good. Then the officials ask us to come to the wall, so we start lining up on the wall, and with no count down or loud gun to initiate the start of the race, people start swimming. I think to myself and laugh “ I guess we’re starting!”

Half way through the swim the rain starts again. At this point I am just happy to be racing, and am not going to let anything get in my way. T1 is smooth and proves to work out ok. Bikes in the grass isn’t as bad as I thought. I’m on the bike, it’s raining, so the game plan is to just stay in control and mind the roads. With the old leaded cars and the rain the roads are a bit more slick then I’d like them to be. I quickly pass one girl, two then three, and I am now in first and on lap two of four on the bike. I did wipe out once on the bike, but because of the rain I hydroplaned across the road with no pain and quickly got back up on my bike. I come in off the bike and T2 proves to be just as smooth, I’m off on the run. The rain starts to fall harder, and harder. Finally in the 2nd and last lap of the run the rains stops, and the wind eases. I cross the finish line, break the tape, feel thankful to be done, and to have kicked off the season with a bang!

Once last glitch of the race was the awards ceremony. There were a few different stories about when and where the AG sprint awards were to be held. After watching the elite awards and waiting for a while after for the AG awards to start, someone told us they weren’t happening at all. Then Monday en route home there was an ITU official on my flight that said the awards were that morning at Hemingway Marina. It would’ve been fun to make them, I read online that the awards were made from local artists. I would have loved that. O-well.  

But with all of the glitches of the race my hat goes off to the race directors for pulling it off, for problem solving quickly, and remaining positive. The volunteers were fabulous and the crowds on the bike course cheered loud and still hung out even though it was pouring. I felt good, felt strong, and felt honored to be apart of history. This race was also a reminder to “Let it Go” (can anyone say that without singing it now?). To let go of what I do not have control of, and to remain focused and clam even though everything around me may not be going the way I thought. It’s experiences like these that make us stronger, more adaptable, and able to handle any situation that comes our way.

The rest of the trip was out of this world! Sunday morning our crew met at 10a, watched some of the long course races, cheered, gave our triathlon gear donations to the Cuban Triathlon Federation, got a salsa lesson, then broke off to hit the city.

We explored more of the city, the streets and shops. We walked, walked, and walked. Ate at some really good places. I truly feel satisfied with everything I got to experience, see and do. The people in our group were phenomenal. Truly outstanding human beings.

My last day in Havana, I woke up early, met John and we went for a run to finish the trip the way we started. Along the Malecon followed by breakfast.

Now to head back home.