# 143 Clermont Sprint Triathlon in September

Saturday was the fourth and last Clermont Sprint Triathlon of the year.  I was looking forward to a strong finish for the year as I missed the third race due to Sandy's knee replacement.  Many of my friends from Seminole County Triathletes were there along with my usual competition.  Weather was perfect at 73' at the start and Lake Minneola had cooled down from Hurricane Hermione's heavy rains the previous weekend.  I racked my bike right next to a big Hammer Nutrition sign too.

As the sun poked over the horizon, I had a great start to the swim and felt strong throughout.  Exiting the water in 9:43, I hopped on my bike to began the circle around the lake followed by the hills back to town.  I rode conservatively, saving my energy for the big climbs in the last 4 miles. After the climbs, I rocketed down the big hill, hitting a maximum speed of 39.3 mph.  I rolled into transition, completing the course with an average of 18.5 mph.  My run began strong and I felt great all the time heading to the turnaround at 1.5 miles. Ken Junkins, the eventual winner, waved at me heading back as I was going out. Coming up to the waterstop at 2 miles, I caught and passed a man in my age group, 60-64.  I figured he would start chasing me as soon as he saw my age on my calf, so I picked up the pace.  Glancing back occasionally for the next 3/4 mile I saw no one.  With about 400 meters to go, I saw the guy running hard, trying to catch me.  I began running harder but saw he was still closing.  I really poured it on and turned into the finishing chute,beating him to the finish line!  I then looked at his calf and saw his age: 51!  It was the wrong guy!   I ran the 5k in 25:26 for a 8:12 mile split; my overall time was 1:14:22, good for 6th place out of 13.  Ken had finished in first in 60-64 over 10 minutes ahead of me too!  I don't think I'll ever catch him.  My friend Kerry Libroda Girona finished Women's Overall in second behind her coach, 10 time Ironman winner, Nina Kraft.  This is Kerry's first year of triathlons!

Hammer time!

Ready and waiting

Wave 2 swim finish; Wave 5 in background

Nina Kraft heading to a win

Ken Junkins out ahead

My chase begins

Seminole County Triathletes

Kerry and Nina after the race

Splash & Dash with Gwen Jorgensen

Gwen and Jack

Thursday evening, September 8, was the Splash & Dash training event put on by Sarah McLarty at the Clermont Waterfront Park.  The special attraction at this one was the appearance of 2016 Olympic Triathlon Gold Medalist Gwen Jorgensen and a group of other Olympians.  Competitors from Australia, South Africa, Hungary, Canada, Ireland, and the USA attended.  I left work in downtown Orlando at 4:00 and arrived there just before 5:00 for the 6:00 event.  Between the tri-children and adults, about 125 people showed up to see this amazing group of athletes.  Gwen worked at Ernst and Young (my employer) in the Milwaukee office after graduating college in 2010 and we exchanged emails several times back then.  She left the firm to become a pro and has won many ITU World Cup races and two World Championships since then.  Her 2012 Olympic bid in London ended with a flat tire on the bike leg so that made the 2016 Rio victory even sweeter.

I swam at Lucky's Lake on Labor Day three days earlier and found out later she was one of the many Olympians who swam by me (very quickly) on my second lap.  Today, the children started first and then the adults on a two lap 1200 meter swim followed by a 5k run.  With a race on Saturday, I took it easy and only did one lap and found the Olympians exiting the water with me.  However, they did TWO laps to my one!  Everyone took off down the trail for the two lap run with the Olympians setting the pace.  Gwen finished in a dead heat with two Australians, Emma Moffat and Charlotte Mcshane alongside.

Gwen and the others signed autographs and posed for photos in the next hour and everyone really enjoyed the experience.  I also got to meet Charlotte Mcshane, an Australian team member who is originally from Scotland  What a great group of people!

Swim start

Sarah with Gwen and her husband

Tagg LeDuc, Gwen and Reeli Reinu

Sara McLarty and Emma Moffatt

Charlotte Mcshane and me

# 142 Port Orange Triathlon

Today was the Port Orange Triathlon on the Halifax River by Daytona Beach. Finished 2nd in my age group (by 57 seconds to Matt Mahoney) but I think I would have been closer to the victor as the run course was 4 miles instead of 2 and I was picking up speed. The turn-around banner was placed at mile 1 instead of 2! Felt very strong on the bike and the run.  
Moulton SST performed great: now with bladed spokes on both wheels. Sapim CX-Ray aero spokes from Wheelbuilder.com.  Averaged 18.8 because we had 2 bridge crossings.
Water temp was 80', air was 80' at start, 88' at finish in the Florida sun! 
Lots of photographers on course and they gave the pix away. A Morgan trike showed up at the finish!

Sunrise

Ready to go!

I'm ready too!

Heading out.

On the course.

Run start

Moving now.

Great finish!

Matt Mahoney and me.

Me, Matt, & Dr. Sanford Kinne

Morgan trike.

# 141 Clermont Sprint Triathlon in July

After a very hot week, Saturday was time for the July sprint triathlon in Clermont.  The Seminole County Triathletes were out in full force and it was the 2nd tri for many people.  I got there earlier than usual and even more people came earlier than me.  It was 80' before sunrise so I expected a hot race.  While setting up, I prepared a "cold towel" for my run.  Not usual for a 5k run but I expected it to be plenty hot.  Race started on time but the lake was warm; 86' to 91' depending on who you talked to.  My swim was a bit faster but running to my bike I felt the heat effects immediately.  Felt tired on the bike for the first 4 miles until I "cooled down".  I had a nice time trial alongside a JHOP team member riding a BMC Time Machine with deep dish wheels coming down the first big hill but the Moulton pulled ahead with a top speed of 39.3 mph.  I then beat him to the top of the next hill.  Zooming into transition to the cheers of my SCT friends, I finished with an average of 17.6, about 1 mph slower than last time.  Viewing the splits after the race, many people had slower bike times. Had a great 5k run that was a touch slower and I think the cold wrap helped; 25:51 for 8:19 splits.  Final time was 1:14:34, good for 9th out of 19 in my age group.  Ken Junkins lost to a new 60 year old, Steve Gallagher.  Now more people in Male 60-64!  My friend Reeli Reinu fininshed 2nd in Female 40-44 and another friend, Gerry Librada Girona, won Female Overall in only her 2nd triathlon!  Great day!

Moulton SST ready to go!

Big smile before the start!

Swim start

Exiting the swim

Last turn on the bike

Heading in!

Heading out!

Into the finish

Hammering home!

Reeli Reinu

Me and my Moulton SST

Kerry on the podium

# 140 Tri-Y Triathlon in Ormond Beach

My 140th triathlon today at Ormond Beach, Florida. Race director gave me #140 too! 

Overcast sky over the Atlantic for the start of what looked like a calm ocean swim. Getting past the first break, the waves got bigger and after diving through two, the next one smacked so hard it knocked my goggles loose.  Then the chop picked up and about 100 yards out a jellyfish wrapped around my arm which made it more challenging. Never been stung before but pinpricks pain is a good description. Swim time was slow at 24:27 and everyone thought it was long.  

My bike leg on the Moulton was great; 19.8 mph average in a flat rectangle course down Granada to John Anderson Dr. and over to A1A along the shoreline. The run was an out and back on the beach for 3.1 miles.  I caught 2nd place on the run at the mid-point and poured it on to pull away. First place finish with a nice hat trophy! Sandy joined me too but our beach day ended when the storm pushed ashore as the last racers were finishing. Jellyfish sting subsided and just looked ugly. Great race and my first win in a while.

Facing the Atlantic

Ready to go!

Moulton SST among the big wheels.

On the left, walking down to start.

Here we go!

Sandy & Jack

Nice award!

Jellyfish rash

# 139 Moss Park Olympic Distance Triathlon

I headed out to Moss Park this morning to do my first Olympic distance tri in over a year.  I was quite excited and having raced this course many times over the years, I was anxious to compare those races to my current level of fitness.  Set up was quick and I ran into several friends like Bill Floyd and (unfortunately) Will Hathaway.  The swim went off as the sun rose over Lake Mary Jane and after two laps I exited the water at 31:13.  The long run to transition adds a bit of time but I headed out on the Moulton for the flat and fast 22.6 mile course.  The two laps took me 1:11:10 for an average speed of 19.2 mph.  Heading out on the run brought out a bit of heat as it was now 88'f.  The run twists through the park and the campgrounds so you do get a bit of shade but as I flirted with 8 minute miles, I managed to finish at 47:11 for a total time of 2:34:52.  This time and the splits were in the middle of my performances there so I was pleased.  I finished in second behind Will Hathaway as his swim and bike splits were faster than mine.  I was 5 minutes fast than him on the run but couldn't beat his lead. My friend and running legend Heather Schulz won the Women's Duathlon overall; there is no stopping her.

You can see the lake through the trees.

Heather always has a smile.

Small field.

Good for second place!