I may have only actually raced in one triathlon in 2010, but I volunteered at a few as well. I think I got equally excited at the ones I was not participating in as I did for the one I did. You can't help but to get sucked in to the buzz at the start, regardless of the fact that you aren't in a wet suit. And it's fun to see things from the other side. To be a spectator to this amazing lifestyle. Some of the people you see are simply awesome.
At the Caz Tri I was fortunate enough to be able to see both the start and finish of the race. My friend Kristin and I enjoyed the sights of the wet, glistening, well sculptured bodies emerging from the water, and I swear, she was only looking at their ages on their calves, not checking out their butts once they passed. On this particular day, the water was choppy. Many people came out saying it was the hardest swim ever. One man, I think he was the last one out of the water, ended up collapsing as soon as he got into transition, and left the race in an ambulance.
Kristin and I were keeping the path clear where the swim exit and the finish line intersected. It couldn't be closed off because there were still swimmers in the water as the first finishers were coming in. That's how fast some of these local triathletes are! There was one woman who crossed, the first female finisher in the sprint, who I was in awe of. She came running down the chute to the finish, and looked as if she hadn't even broken a sweat. I don't think I look that good at the start of the run. And I am completely jealous of her form during the run. I hope to someday look that good running, but I'm pretty sure there is little chance of that.
I also volunteered at the 70.3. The aide station was at mile 9 of the run. That's 66 miles from the start. People were cooked by this point. But this same woman from Caz ran past, again looking like she could go for more than the 4 miles left. Again, looking flawless. I had no idea who this woman was, but I was impressed.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about watching Kona with The Big One. I got one comment on that post, and it was from Kristin. She too is a single mom, who is a triathlete. I decided to check out her blog. The first time I read, I figured out she was local. Then I noticed she had linked my blog in her blogroll. Then, one day when I had some extra time, I really checked out her blog. This was her! The woman I was in awe of at Caz and 70.3, And she is also a Kona finisher! And she commented on my blog! Encouraging me.
This is the second time I have been star struck by someone who "follows" me. I am just a newbie triathlete, who hopes to be able to make it to the start of a handful of local races this year. The fact that a Kona finisher would read my blog makes me giddy. Add to that she commented, and linked my blog on hers! I feel like I am in the presence of a rock star! I know I will never be anything more than an age group finisher. This is just another reason why I love triathlon. The best of the community is there to encourage the rest of us to keep "tri-ing"
At the Caz Tri I was fortunate enough to be able to see both the start and finish of the race. My friend Kristin and I enjoyed the sights of the wet, glistening, well sculptured bodies emerging from the water, and I swear, she was only looking at their ages on their calves, not checking out their butts once they passed. On this particular day, the water was choppy. Many people came out saying it was the hardest swim ever. One man, I think he was the last one out of the water, ended up collapsing as soon as he got into transition, and left the race in an ambulance.
Kristin and I were keeping the path clear where the swim exit and the finish line intersected. It couldn't be closed off because there were still swimmers in the water as the first finishers were coming in. That's how fast some of these local triathletes are! There was one woman who crossed, the first female finisher in the sprint, who I was in awe of. She came running down the chute to the finish, and looked as if she hadn't even broken a sweat. I don't think I look that good at the start of the run. And I am completely jealous of her form during the run. I hope to someday look that good running, but I'm pretty sure there is little chance of that.
I also volunteered at the 70.3. The aide station was at mile 9 of the run. That's 66 miles from the start. People were cooked by this point. But this same woman from Caz ran past, again looking like she could go for more than the 4 miles left. Again, looking flawless. I had no idea who this woman was, but I was impressed.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about watching Kona with The Big One. I got one comment on that post, and it was from Kristin. She too is a single mom, who is a triathlete. I decided to check out her blog. The first time I read, I figured out she was local. Then I noticed she had linked my blog in her blogroll. Then, one day when I had some extra time, I really checked out her blog. This was her! The woman I was in awe of at Caz and 70.3, And she is also a Kona finisher! And she commented on my blog! Encouraging me.
This is the second time I have been star struck by someone who "follows" me. I am just a newbie triathlete, who hopes to be able to make it to the start of a handful of local races this year. The fact that a Kona finisher would read my blog makes me giddy. Add to that she commented, and linked my blog on hers! I feel like I am in the presence of a rock star! I know I will never be anything more than an age group finisher. This is just another reason why I love triathlon. The best of the community is there to encourage the rest of us to keep "tri-ing"
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