Where Have All My Tris Gone?

As always, at the beginning of the season, I had great expectations. After Smithfield, I anticipated doing triathlons in June, August and September. However, the rest of my life intervened, and it’s likely I’m already done for this year. I’ve maintained a regular training schedule, but my desire to compete in an actual event has waned.

For one thing, I dislike paying the high entry fees. I don’t doubt the tri fees are warranted, but I don’t need to pay a lot of money for another t-shirt or socks and the “privilege” of finishing close to last. I can do that at swim meets and road races for less money, and less stress because I don’t have to worry about falling off my bike. (In May, I swam at the Virginia Senior Games and ran an 8K in Williamsburg. My performance in both events was not as good as I’d hoped, but they were fun to do.) And that brings me to the one event I may do this summer – a swim-run duathlon in August in Lexington. The swim is 500 yards in a pool and the run is three miles, probably with hills (not my favorite terrain, but better to tackle on foot than on my bike!).

The other reason my tri season may be over is that the remaining scheduled sprints I might have done are being held on dates when I’ll be elsewhere, and I couldn’t avoid the conflicts. So, instead, I’m considering another Master’s swim meet in October and an 8K in November. Then it will be time for indoor cycling to start, along with my hopes for next year.