My friend B did USA Triathlon Nationals last weekend. After a year of painful back problems, and very limited training, he wins his age group. The guy is unbelievable. On guy got a head of him on the swim, which is unusual. I think being compulsive helps him more than me. Now if he can hold it together for Hawaii.

My buddy W gave me his trainer bike to tune up. He has had it at a local shop twice, and they have not got it to shift well. I throw it up on my stand, and take a look. The front derailleur is all screwed up. You cannot even trim the damn thing. The rear just needed a touch, but the front was so far off, it was affecting it. It is a sad state of affairs for bike shops. I know maybe one good mechanic in Atlanta. All the rest are kids, or drunks who cannot tune up a tricycle. I need to get hold of his race bike before he leaves for his Ironman. Hopefully nobody has touched it since I worked on it for him.

8:01:51 PM    comment []

Last Sunday, September 1^st, was the Callaway Gardens Triathlon. It is my favorite local race. Over the past years I have finished 3^rd and 5^th overall, last year being 5^th. I looked forward to this race this year, even after fighting illness and injury. It is about a half-mile swim, an eighteen-mile bike and a 5-mile run. Just fewer than 500 people competed this year. The lake water was very similar to coffee with curdled chocolate milk floating in it. I did not want to even know what the smell was. After leaving the water in good time, I hopped on my bike for the great bike course. It consists of two loops through Callaway Gardens. I had heavy legs early, and knew it was not my day. On the run, I lost a few more places, as I tried to chase down a friend. I added five minutes to last years time, and dropped to 18^th overall, 5^th age group. The most frustrating thing was that the age group I am in, 40-44, was the most competitive. My time, which placed me 5th, would have placed me 1^st in the 30-34 and 2^nd in the 35-39. I thought I as I got older the competition gat easier.

The bad news is that one competitor collapsed leaving the transition area with his bike. He was not breathing, and had only a weak pulse. Spectators began rescue breathing until the ambulance arrived. It did not look good. Nobody has heard any word on him.

3:04:38 PM    comment []