Category: Triathlon Across The USA

Katy, Texas, April 28, 2012 – No Label Triathlon, Morton Ranch Natatorium/No Label Brewing Company.

A detour through Texas on the way to Massachusetts provided an opportunity to spend time with friends and complete a sprint triathlon in Texas.

During this time, I was splitting my work weeks between Champlin, Minnesota, and Chicopee, Massachusetts. A detour through Texas on the way to Massachusetts allowed us to be with friends and complete the No Label Triathlon a sprint triathlon in Texas.

Why this triathlon? Two reasons. 

First, we were eager to complete triathlons in as many states as reasonable this year, considering that we also wanted to stay in Minnesota during June through August.

Second, following the guidelines for race selection laid out in the post about planning triathlons, we chose a location where we could combine the ‘business’ of the race with the ‘pleasure’ of meeting friends.

Travel to the Texas Triathlon

For this race, we had two sets of friends that we could be with in Katy. Diana, a longtime family friend that had moved to Houston years earlier, was gracious enough to open her home for us to stay with her. Other friends, Alan and Carol, from Fort Worth, Texas, could meet us in Katy for the weekend.

Joy and I left Minneapolis Thursday evening for Houston. My Trek SpeedConcept 7.5 bike was packed in a Thule RoundTrip Sport hard side bike case for its maiden flight as a piece of luggage. Alan and Carol met us at Houston International Airport and we traveled together in the rental car to Diana’s.

The next morning, I reassembled the bike and took a test ride to confirm that it was working as expected. Thanks to a lot of foam padding and several straps to secure everything in place, the bike arrived without a single scratch and worked like a charm.

We spent the rest of the day shopping and touring Houston. The latter included a visit to Baylor University where we spent about an hour watching a college track & field competition.

Later in the afternoon, we picked up the race packet at the No Label Brewing Company. We took a drive around the bike course, surveying it for any potholes, loose gravel, and other obstacles to avoid the next morning during the triathlon.

1^st No Label Triathlon

2012 was the first running of the No Label Brewing Company triathlon managed by i Tri Events.

Distances for the individual legs of this USAT-sanctioned sprint triathlon were:

• Swim: 0.17 mile (300 m)
• Bike: 14 mile (22.5 km)
• Run: 3.0 mile (4.8 km)

This was my first triathlon with two distinct transitions areas. For the No Label Triathlon, the transition areas were separated by 2-1/2 miles.

The first transition (called T1), which is between the swim and bike portions, took place in the parking lot outside the Morton Ranch High School Natatorium. The second transition (called T2), between the bike and run legs, occurred in a parking area at the No Label Brewing Company.

Swim

Another first for me was that the swim leg took place in an indoor pool. I had reported a seed time of 6:00 minutes for a 300 meter swim so started with a group of people that I thought were of similar speed. The guy in front of me was slower, which made for what felt to be a relaxing swim. As it turned out, my time was still 6:00 minutes exactly.

Once out of the pool, we headed outside to the first transition area and our bikes.

Bike

The bike course was incredibly flat, with only a slight headwind in one short section near the end. In fact, five years and nearly thirty triathlons later, I still believe that this was the flattest and fastest bike course that I have ridden.

Police controlled every major intersection and every turn. The only real obstacle was a caravan of two trucks, each towing a trailer carrying lawn care equipment. However, after following them at a reduced speed for a minute or so, I passed them. Just as I was about to do so, they turned off the course to the right.

The bike leg ended at the second transition area at the No Label Brewing Company. After dismounting the bike, I ran barefooted from the dismount line to the bike rack.   Why barefooted? I left my bike shoes clipped into the pedals.

Unfortunately, this 30 yard run was on crushed rocks, a surface to which my soft, nearly callous-free feet were not accustomed. I made it, though more than a few utterances of “ouch” and “ooh” passed my lips.

Run

The flat run course took us through the neighborhoods next to the brewery.

I started out running faster than I probably should have. Thankfully, my GPS watch made me aware of this. I slowed a bit in order to complete the race with a credible time.

Overall, I ended up with a third place finish in my age group (55-59).

Post-race refreshments

After the race, we relaxed together with a glass of cold No Label beer and some food.

I spent the rest of the morning re-packing my bike for the next leg of our trip. Afterwards, I joined the others as we lounged around Diana’s pool. That evening, we enjoyed one last dinner together at a local Mexican restaurant. What a fun weekend!

Note: As I am finishing this post a little more than five years after the triathlon, Joy and I are once again in Houston. This time, the trip was to attend Diana’s daughter Christina’s wedding. More great fun!

Race Firsts

• First triathlon for which I traveled by air with my Trek triathlon bike
• First triathlon during which we stayed with a friend
• First triathlon sponsored by a brewery
• First triathlon involving a pool swim
• First triathlon in which the T1 and T2 transition areas were in different locations, separated by 2.5 miles

 

Tell Us About Your Most Memorable Texas Triathlon

What triathlon(s) have you done in triathlon? In which area of this great state? Share your experience in the Comments section below.

Comments: Please note that I review all comments before they are posted. You will be notified by email when your comment is approved. Even if you do not submit a comment, you may subscribe to be notified when a comment is published.

Montgomery, Alabama; April 29, 2017—Baptist Health Capital Of Dreams Tri, Riverfront Park.

How can I describe my Alabama triathlon? Here is one way.

I jumped off a paddleboat in the middle of the Alabama River and, after swimming back to the dock, hopped on my bike for a ride in the country. I then ran around the Alabama State Capitol.

Just when I was wondering if I had experienced all the ‘race firsts’, I competed in the Capital of Dreams Triathlon in Montgomery, Alabama.

Planning for the Alabama Triathlon

Joy and I made a 10-day vacation to the south out of the trip to compete in the Tupelo, Mississippi and Montgomery, Alabama sprint triathlons on back-to-back weekends, the proverbial “killing of two birds with one stone”. You can read more about how we arrived at this decision in the post about the Mississippi triathlon.

Travel to the Triathlon

Following the Tupelo Sprint Triathlon the previous weekend, Joy and I headed to the Gulf Shores area of Alabama and western panhandle of Florida for some rest and relaxation. As part of this, we walked the white sugar sand beaches of the coast and watched beach volleyball.

On Thursday afternoon of that week, we made our way north to Montgomery, Alabama. Enroute, we traveled through mile-after-mile of green forests with the occasional cluster of flowering magnolias. We spent Friday exploring the historic sites of Montgomery, picking up the triathlon packet, and preparing for Saturday’s race.

5^th Capital of Dreams Triathlon

The 2017 Capital of Dreams Triathlon, managed by Team Magic, was the fifth time this race had been held. The triathlon’s name comes from Montgomery’s description as the Capital of Dreams.

The name is fitting. First, Montgomery is the capital of the state of Alabama. It was also the 10-year home of Pastor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King, one of the most important leaders of the 1960s Civil Rights movement, is famous for his 1963 “I have a dream” speech.

Distances for the individual legs of this USAT-sanctioned sprint triathlon were:

• Swim: 0.25 mile (400 m)
• Bike: 12.4 mile (20 km)
• Run: 3.1 mile (5 km)

The Capital of Dreams Triathlon got underway at around 7am with all racers gathering at the dock in Riverfront Park. Here, race director Therese Bynum shared pre-race instructions and safety tips.

Just before beginning the race, racers and spectators sang ‘Happy Birthday to You’ for those celebrating their birthday that day. We followed this by singing the National Anthem.

Swim

We then boarded the Harriott II paddleboat for a roughly quarter mile ride up the Alabama River where we would start the swim.

Once the boat had reached its destination for this trip and stopped, swimmers, one-by-one, started their race by jumping into the river as Therese called ‘Go’.

Once the previous swimmer surfaced and was on their way, Therese signaled the next racer to jump in.

Therese reported that the water temperature at race time was 72ºF (22ºC) making the race ‘wetsuit legal’ according to USAT rules. While I would have been comfortable without a wetsuit at this temperature, I used a wetsuit for its added buoyancy.

A wetsuit makes it easier for the swimmer’s legs to stay more or less parallel to the surface of the water, rather than dip down slightly. The reduced drag provided by the wetsuit helps to save the leg muscles by avoiding the need to kick in order to keep the legs at the surface of the water.

Swimming in the Alabama River

Aside from a couple of small branches in the water which caught in between my fingers, the water was free of debris. Despite looking for one, I never saw a snake. According to the locals, the snakes were probably nearby at the beginning of the swim. However, with the commotion we were making, they chose not to hang around.

About three quarters of the way through the swim, my swim cap popped off my head. I stuffed it into the front of my wetsuit and finished without the cap. 

This was not the first time I had lost my swim cap during the open water swim portion of a triathlon. The first time was during the swim in the Missouri River at the South Dakota triathlon. However, that time, I kept the cap in one hand while continuing to swim.

Upon reaching the dock, I climbed out of the river using a metal ladder similar to that used in swimming pools. From here, I made my way to the transition area along a concrete walkway and stairway.

Bike

The out-and-back bike course was relatively flat, with only a few small hills. My bike computer showed an average speed of 20.6 mph.

There were an incredible number of volunteers on the bike course to protect the racers. I am sure that there was at least one volunteer at every intersection.

The drivers with whom we shared the road were also courteous. At one intersection, a lady driver who was signaling a left turn that would cross the bike lane, stopped and waited with a smile on her face for me to pass before making the turn.

Her thoughtfulness was typical of what we found throughout our stay in Montgomery.

Run

By the time I got onto the run course, the temperature was around 80ºF. It was also quite humid by my standards.

For reasons I do not fully understand, I needed to combine running and walking. I also took advantage of every aid station for Powerade or water.

It was at this triathlon that I learned a new way to cool down, or at least feel cooler.

While I was drinking a Powerade at one of the early aid stations, a volunteer asked if I wanted some water to help cool down. I nodded yes.

I expected him to pour the water over my head. However, to my surprise, the cold water hit my upper back and ran down the back of my triathlon suit. The water cooled all the way down, instantly making me a fan of this method.

Having water poured down the back seems better than having it poured on one’s head. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I asked a volunteer at an aid station later in the run to repeat the process.

No Rest for the Weary

One more memory from this triathlon came through another volunteer. This one, a woman who looked to be about my age, was directing traffic on the run course.

About two-thirds of the way through the course, I came upon an intersection with a car waiting patiently to cross in front of me.

From at least three car lengths from the intersection, I yelled to the woman to let the car pass. My exact words were, “Let them go. I could use a break right now.”

Without hesitation, she answered, “I know you could, but I’m not going to be giving you one. C’mon through.”  

I thanked her and passed through. I couldn’t help but smile. 

“A cheerful heart is good medicine.” (Proverbs 17:22)

Inspiration from Other Seniors at the Alabama Triathlon

I am often humbled by the stories of other senior triathletes. While I was finishing the Alabama triathlon, Joy was meeting other racers to learn of their experiences with the sport.

She met one man who had completed more than 150 triathlons since the early days of the sport. Another man, who started triathlon later in life, had finished over 100 triathlons, including 27 races in a single year.

Yet another had started triathlon after the death of his wife. He told Joy that triathlon had given him a new focus and the opportunity to meet new people.

Triathlon is a tremendous sport for maintaining physical fitness. The three sports work different parts of the body. Besides, research has shown that regular exercise benefits mental health and slow aging of both body and brain.

It has also been good for keeping me humble, grateful, and aware of the amazing people who participate in the sport.

Race Firsts

• First transition area in a covered area,.the historic Union Station Train Shed.
• This was my first triathlon in which the race started from the deck of a paddleboat.
• The triathlon run past a state capitol was another first.

It’s Your Turn

What has been one of the most memorable experiences in your triathlon journey?

Tupelo, Mississippi; April 22, 2017 – Tupelo Sprint Triathlon, Tupelo Aquatic Center, Veterans Park.

We often hear, and maybe even use, the phrase “It’s a small world!”. The Mississippi triathlon, held near Elvis Presley’s birthplace, was testimony to this reality.

Planning for the Mississippi Triathlon

For 2017, Joy and I decided I would complete two triathlons in the spring and two in the fall. With these, we would stay on track for completing a triathlon in each state by age 70. It made the most sense to do these in adjacent states on either back-to-back days (such as Saturday and Sunday) or back-to-back weekends.

In early January, we started choosing the first two triathlons for the year. Here is a picture of the process that we followed:

1. Identify candidate states in which to complete races. We focused on states in which I had not completed a triathlon.
2. Look on the Running In The USA website for triathlons that fit our schedule on back-to-back days or weekends in April or May.
3. Document all potential races. At this point, we were still considering races in several states.
4. Confirm the race dates listed on the website and the date for registration to open with their race directors.
5. Double check our schedules for availability to travel during these dates and make the final selections.
6. Complete the registrations.

For more information on this process, check out another SeniorTriathletes.com post titled How to Choose Your Next Triathlon.

In the end, I registered for the Tupelo Sprint Triathlon and the Baptist Health Capital Of Dreams Tri in Montgomery, Alabama. One week separated the Mississippi and Alabama triathlons.

Travel to Tupelo for the Mississippi Triathlon

We left our home in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area on Thursday morning in the thick of rush hour amidst a light rain and arrived in St. Louis later that day on the opposite end of the rush hour cycle.

After checking into the Holiday Inn Express in Festus, Missouri, we ate dinner at the Main & Mill Brewing Company where we enjoyed burgers (try the Maple Bacon burger if you have opportunity), fries, and green beans that tasted just like those made by Joy’s mom, Velma.

On Friday, we completed the trip to Tupelo, arriving mid-afternoon in plenty of time to find our way to the Tupelo Aquatic Center, check-out the Elvis Presley Birthplace Visitor Center, and pickup the race packet.

As typical before a triathlon, it was ‘early to bed’.

3^rd Tupelo Sprint Triathlon

Distances for the individual legs of this USAT-sanctioned sprint triathlon were:

• Swim: 0.19 mile (300 m)
• Bike: 11 mile (17.7 km)
• Run: 2 mile (3.2 km)

How Would Weather Affect The Mississippi Triathlon?

The pre-race e-mail sent by race director Aaron Ford set an ominous tone for this triathlon. Two days before the race, he wrote:

“The race is still planned to go as scheduled due to the weather, however, there is a possibility of changing the start time or modifying the course.“

Race morning brought rain, sometimes coming in downpours. As the morning proceeded and race time approached, we noticed the clouds thinning and small patches of blue sky peaking through.

It was still drizzling when we went into the aquatic center fifteen minutes before the start of the triathlon. Would it still be raining 35 minutes later when I finished the swim?

Aaron kicked off the race with a prayer that included a request for the rain to let up and for safety of the participants.

Swim

Swimmers lined up by race number along the deck of the pool. The race crew had assigned race numbers according to the swim time each person estimated during registration. Faster swimmers started first to avoid congestion in the pool during the triathlon.

Once the triathlon started, swimmers jumped into the pool at 10-second intervals to complete the 300 meter swim.

The course involved swimming to the opposite end, moving under the lane divider into the next lane, and swimming back to the other end. Except for the beginning and the end, swimmers went under the lane divider at each end. At the end of the six laps, we exited the pool using metal handles and steps cast into the pool wall.

We then headed out the door of the aquatic center to the transition area and onto the bike.

Bike

By the time I had finished the swim, the rain had stopped. Hallelujah!

While I clipped my bike shoes into the pedals as normal, both were hanging downward to avoid the rain from collecting inside the shoes.

Normally, the right shoe is supported horizontally using a rubber band looped through a safety pin run in the strap on the back of the shoe. I then connect the rubber band to the locking clamp on the wheel skewer. This makes putting the shoes on easier while on the bike.

With the change today, it took me longer once on the bike to get my feet into the shoes. Having a focus on keeping the shoes dry, I had not taken time to open them as I would normally do.

By this time, the roads were only damp with a few puddles. In fact, the only time I noticed water remaining on the road was as I passed another bike and felt the spray from her wheel on my face. The view through the lenses of my glasses was clear except for a few raindrops that clung to them.

The relatively flat course had only a few small hills. There were two turnarounds, one at the end of a side road off to the right of the main road and a second on the main road that ran north of the transition area. The last part of the bike course returned to the transition area from this second turnaround.

Run

The run for the Mississippi triathlon followed a trail along the edge of Veteran’s Park next to the Aquatic Center. The trail eventually led to Elvis Presley Parkway and past Elvis’s birthplace.

It Really Is a Small World

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned how we often find that we live in a “small world”. Following are two examples from the Tupelo, Mississippi Sprint Triathlon.

The first piece of “small world” evidence came from the man who won my age group, who was also of Dutch ancestry.

His daughter had lived north of the Minneapolis area where we were living before she and her husband retired. Now, they spend summers in northern Minnesota.

The race director provided another example. In calling my name and home city and state (Maple Grove, Minnesota) for the second place age group finish, the race director announced, “Believe it or not, I know where that is having run around a lake in Maple Grove”. His wife has family in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Later, Aaron shared the maps from his Garmin watch that showed that he had run around Cedar Island Lake and, in a separate run, Eagle Lake, both in Maple Grove, within a couple of miles of our home.

Race Firsts

• First triathlon involving biking around a dead possum lying in the road. (Does it seem like I am becoming desperate for true ‘Race Firsts’?)
• Running past a famous musician’s house was another first.
• First triathlon in which the age group award was a bag of locally roasted and ground coffee.

What Are Your Small World Stories from Triathlon?

Do you have a ‘small world story’ from triathlon?

What has been the most unique venue for a triathlon? Have any passed a celebrity landmark?

Tell us about your experience in the Comments below.

Stowe, Vermont; May 20, 2012 – Stowe Triathlon, The Swimming Hole.

As I am updating this post for the next issue of the Senior Triathletes Highlights newsletter, Joy and I are watching “Always and Forever Christmas”. This movie on the Lifetime channel is set in Stowe, Vermont. Seeing the area, brought back fond memories of this beautiful part of the country and its warm people.

Planning the Vermont Triathlon

I registered for The Stowe Triathlon in Stowe, Vermont primarily because of its timing early in the season. To complete triathlons in the remaining New England states within 2012, I needed to find two or three races in the spring. My ‘go-to’ source for finding races, Running In the USA, showed that the Stowe event was scheduled for two weeks after the Polar Bear Triathlon in Brunswick, Maine.

Getting to the Stowe Triathlon

Joy and I left our house in Chicopee, Massachusetts, on Saturday morning. The trip between Chicopee and Stowe, Vermont, took a lot longer than the maps show. Why? There were so many places along the way to explore: Harpoon Brewery, Martins Hill Covered Bridge, King Arthur Flour, and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, to name a few.

We eventually arrived in Stowe in the late afternoon. After a quick tour of Stowe, we checked into the Town & Country Resort. I had chosen The Town & Country primarily because it was both economical and within walking distance (1/2 mile) of The Swimming Hole.

After checking in, we drove the bike course and ate an early dinner at O’Grady’s Pub. The rest of the evening involved inflating bike tires, preparing pre-race and race drinks, and setting out the gear to be used in the morning.

12^th Stowe Triathlon

The Swimming Hole, a non-profit fitness center and pool, was headquarters for the 12^th Annual Stowe Triathlon.

Founded in 2001, the Swimming Hole serves the community in and around Stowe. According to the website, “Small town life has its advantages, but a facility like this isn’t usually one of them.”

Having stayed within a half-mile of The Swimming Hole, I rode my bike to the race venue, arriving at the same time as the race event staff. Needless to say, I had my pick of the transition spots even though this would not be important for this small, pursuit-style triathlon.

Joy was also happy that she could sleep in and take her time getting ready for the day.

Distances for the individual legs of this sprint triathlon were:

• Swim: 500 m (0.3 miles)
• Bike: 14 mile (22.5 km)
• Run: 5 km (3.1 km)

I approached the race with two physical problems in the days before the race – lower back spasms and a sore left knee.

Swim

Each person swam the required ten laps in the 8-lane, 25-meter long pool inside The Swimming Hole.  Swimmers started with others who shared the same estimated time for completing the 500 meters.

Just before the last length (after the eighteenth length), a volunteer put a bright orange “Last Lap” sign into the water to let us know that we had one more lap to go.  At the end of the swim, the volunteer marked our swim time on our left hand.

Racers then prepared for the bike leg and waited in the transition area until all swimmers had finished.

Bike

Once all racers were ready, the race director started a large digital clock at the exit of the transition area. Each racer left the transition area on the bike course as the clock displayed their swim time written on their hand.

The bike course followed public roads, initially toward the downtown area. The course headed through the southern end of the downtown area and southward out of town. Cars and bikes raced side-by-side through the town. I know this because this is the only triathlon in which a car driver has honked his horn at me because I cut him off after I passed him along the side of the road. (Disclosure: I may have been guilty of not following all the rules of the road.)

The course turned onto the much less congested Moscow Road that took us past small farms. We proceeded along this road until the pavement ended. 

At this point, we turned around and returned on the same road. Part of the way back, we turned left onto Barrows Road, which eventually led us into the west end of Stowe and back to the transition area.

Except for a relatively steep hill on a section of Barrows Road, the course was flat and fast.  I knew that the swim had been longer than expected because of my back pain.  I also expected my sore knee to slow my run.  As a result, I gave my all on the bike leg. 

My bike split turned out to be the fastest in my masters triathlon age group (50-54) and ninth-fastest time among the 53 racers.

Run

The ‘out-and-back’ (run to a point, then turnaround and return along the original path to the finish line) run followed the Stowe recreation path.  

As anticipated, the run was hard because of a sore knee. Fortunately, the injury healed before the next race two weeks later. 

Getting Back Home

After a quick shower and some stretching at the Town & Country, we headed back to our Chicopee, Massachusetts, home.

We made the trip back directly, with no sightseeing stops. We dropped off the triathlon gear in Chicopee and headed to Bradley Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, for a flight to Minneapolis. We would be back for the Connecticut triathlon in two weeks.

State #6 was, as they say, ‘in the books’.

Race Firsts

• First triathlon without a timing chip for recording times of the three legs and two transitions. For this race, there was only one transition.
• First triathlon in which I raced while injured (lower back, right knee).
• This was my first triathlon with a ‘pursuit style’ start. With this type of race, there is no T1 (transition from swim to bike) time.

Questions and Comments About the Vermont Triathlon

Tell us about a triathlon you have done in Vermont in the Comments section below.

Comments: Please note that I review all comments before they are posted. You will be notified by email when your comment is approved. Even if you do not submit a comment, you may subscribe to be notified when a comment is published.