Can you find me in this picture? Of course not! First of all, by the time I got out of the lake, there was no chance I would be riding with this many cyclists. Secondly, none of these pictures are from my triathlon. Since I do not have any (yet), I harvested these from the "net".
This could be me. Well, I am not that lean and I don't have a $3000 bike. In fact, I don't even have a road bike. That's right, I competed (?) on a mountain bike. It was a little like taking the Clampett's old truck to the Daytona 500. But still, I had a red shirt and black shorts. That might be me.
This might be my brother, Keith. Except he has never been to Australia. I sent Keith this picture to make him feel better. Keith and Josh (the associate minister) bought triathlon shorts for the race (like biking shorts) and family gave them so much grief that they almost did not wear them. Once you see all the crazy outfits, the self-conscious feelings fade quickly. At least they did not make the mistake this guy did and order the women's outfit.
The serious report is that the Georgia Veteran's Park Triathlon is an extremely organized event and was lots of fun. Yes, I did actually do as poorly in the swim as I anticipated. Once I survived that ordeal, the bike and run portions were fun. Keith did really, really, well. I am very proud of him. Josh also beat me but was a little gun-shy because of a bike crash during training a couple of weeks ago. If you are thinking about completing a triathlon some day, this would be a great first event. There were a good many first-timers in this race. I would like to add, as tactfully as I know how, that there were men and women of every shape, size, and age in this race. Please take this word of wisdom with you; never, never size up a competitor before a race based on age, size, or shape and conclude "I know I can beat that person." The odds are good that you can not.
Stay tuned for reports on these upcoming events;
Labor Day 1-miler Downtown Montgomery
9/29 5-K at AUM
10/28 Attack on Swayback mountain bike race (I have the bike for this one)
12/8 5-K in Wetumpka
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6 comments:
Woo-hoo! Way to go, Dad!!
Did you wear shorts that short when you ran? I may have to come out to one of your races just to see that. ;) I admire you for doing that! I can barely swim under water without holding my nose. it freaks me out!
Noooooo. Those shorts are not for me! Nor for that guy! In fact, my shorts were so long, they had to turn them up to write my number on my leg. By the way, they write your assigned race number in magic marker on both upper arms and both lower thighs, you wear a number pinned to your shirt, one glued to your bike, one glued to your cycling helmet, and THEN they write your age in magic marker on both calves. I am not making this up!
Wow. We definitely need to see pics of THAT! :-)
Almost theou persuadest me to be a runner :) NOT!!!!!!!!!
Bonnie
Come on, Bonnie, strap on the shoes. It won't be this hot forever. I am regularly inspired by an older lady I see in Wetumpka almost every day. She holds one arm close to her body as if she has had a mild stroke at some time. She will run for maybe 40 yards and then walk a minute or two. Then she runs another short distance and repeats the pattern. I do not know her age nor how far she runs/walks per day, but I tell myself that "chipping away at fitness" is lots better than giving up on it. Not that running is the only way or the best way for everybody, but for me it is the fastest return on my investment of time.
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