If at first you don't succeed, tri, tri again!

You are probably tired of checking my blog only to find those canned pictures of other folks competing in a triathlon. Sure, they all look like real athletes and seem very serious about competing. But if you want to see serious determination, check this out;

You see, someone as naturally fast as I am has to really concentrate to stay under the posted speed limit of 15 mph. One of the competitors said after the race that those signs did not apply to us, but with the recent "taking back the streets" campaign, I wasn't taking any chances! And just in case anybody thought I was kidding about riding my mountain bike in a triathlon, here is the proof;

This shot was taken about 5 minutes later and, as you can see, I have moved 20 or 30 yards closer to the cameraman. There is no telling how fast I was going. The official timer did say they were timing me with a calender. One guy said he had to line me up with a telephone pole to see if I were moving.



And for all of you who think I may not have finished before dark, here is a picture of the TRI-umphant crossing of the finish line.

The reason the finish line looks like a doormat is that sensors are underneath that pad that read the computer chip in the strap on my right ankle. This enables them to track each time you enter and leave the transition area. And they had computer print-outs posted at the end of the race showing names and times by age group. Actually, it was posted while some were still on the course. Later, I will post a more serious, philosophical perspective on competing in such an event. But, for now, have a good laugh. Yes, I know I look funny. No, I don't have any pictures of me drowning--I mean swimming. Yes, there were a few people still behind me at the finish--very few.