Greenfield Lightlife Triathlon - Sprint - TriathlonSprint

I started at the left front and didn't get knocked around. Did mostly front crawl but did a few breast stroke to sight and slow down my heart rate. I got into a nice groove downstream where I didn't hardly have to use my legs. I am glad I decided to use the wetsuit since my legs got a nice rest.

I'd say I beat everybody who couldn't swim and nobody who could.

I'm the sort of person who doesn't drown in water, but goes unbearably slow. It'd help if I could learn to swim faster.

Sat on milk crate to take off wetsuit, it came off well. This was a fast T1 for me. A new thing I did was to squirt some saline solution in my contacts before I put on my sunglasses. It really helped with the dry eyes I get when I go from the water to the bike.

I should probably have taken a swill of gel at this point.

My bike computer registered 17.5 mph average, though the time here shows mounting and dismounting time. It was a fast mount and dismount.

I was annoyed by a couple riding together. He was on the right, she rode on the left right next to him. They kept passing me and slowing down. I kept trying to pass her but she was hogging the left. She was downright dangerous to the fast int'l people blowing by us. I passed her a couple of times and on the third (or fourth?) time I just hammered it to blow by her and drop her because she was annoying me so much. I suppose this is a good thing if it made me go faster.

I really hammered this course. I'm very pleased with the MPH avg I pulled in. I'd been doing 15.5 in most of my training runs.

Buy a better bike. It's time. I've got nearly 1000 miles on this entry-level K2 and in my top gear going downhill pedalling fast in the drops I can only bring home 31 mph. I need a better bike.

I was pleased with my stop-on-a-dime dismount right next to Bike Bob (the guy I ride with from my LBS.) He made me feel safe and like I had good bike skills.

I took a moment in T2 to stretch out my ITB and hamstrings and to take some gel. I don't regret the time spent.

Leave my sunglasses behind. I had a hat with a visor. I don't like wearing my glasses on the run and I forgot to take them off.

As usual, I gave it all back on the run after my nice bike ride. I'm not doing too terribly for an overweight 41 year old: those were 10:45 minute miles and I did three of them. I'm objectively pleased. But appparently no one who runs slower than me showed up to do a triathlon.

I've had an epiphany about running. If I want to be a runner I have to run more. 8-12 miles a week just isn't enough to bring in the sub-ten minute miles I dream of. My goal for August and September is to get my mileage up before the Spirit of Women 5K the first week-end of October.

I bitched to a bike buddy about the riding-on-the-left lady. Glad I got it out of my system. Later I went for a swim down to the pavillion where there was lasagna, mixed veggie salad and ice cream bars. They put on a nice post-race dinner while a local celebrity does the awards ceremonies. There are a lot of home-town favorites winning the upper age groups. These old folks aren't phoning it in, they're out there winning races in their fifties!


Bad swimmer, bad runner. You do the math.


This is a fantastic race that the entire community gets behind. If you want a small tri (about 200 sprint, 200 int'l) in a pretty place then I suggest you come on out to Greenfield for the first week-end in August.