For years I had thought about doing a triathlon since I do all the involved sports, but was nervous about combining the three. Since I had no vacation days for this summer it seemed like a good opportunity to spend the time training for a triathlon. The Seafair triathlon was a good one to try as it was only a sprint which included shorter distances: half mile swim, 14 mile bike ride and a 5k run. I was nervous about the swim as I had never done an open water swim and didn't like the idea of swimming with a large group of people with no lanes. Fortunately I got some tips from Diane who was an experienced triathloner and did some open water swims at Angle Lake with her and John. Rachel joined me on her paddle board for other swims. It ended up being an enjoyable experience. Training for the bike ride and run was easy as I ended up just reducing the distances I normally go. In fact the training was the best part of the experience as I exercised more often, but at shorter intervals.

I started the race day very early at Seward Park and was surprised Jamie and the kids were willing to forgo their sleep to cheer me on. As expected the swim part of the race was chaos. It was so crowded I had to switch to breaststroke occasionally to slow down and avoid other swimmers. I still got a good time in the end. Not surprisingly I did well on the bike ride and was able to pass many people during that leg. The run was a little tougher as my legs were getting tired at that point. The worst part was the steep hill at the middle of the run. It killed my pace, but I didn't stop to walk like some people. I finished the race at 1:27:39 and placed 178 of 760. I also placed 8 of 31 for my age group. In the end it was a fun experience. I might do it again, but I doubt I'll ever do the longer distances.

Ready for the Seafair Triathlon

Triathlon Swimmers

Transition to Ride

Triathlon Ride

Triathlon Run

Finish Line

Finished Race

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July 23, 2023