# 220 Clermont Triathlon in September

Triathlon #220 was Sunday in Clermont, Florida. Sommer Sports always puts on a great event, and this was the last of the four-race series. I was not in top form for this race, so I was pleased with my 5th out of 5 finish in Male 70-74. It was just a tough day, but I received a Series finisher medal too. Where I finish also depends on who else shows up as I was 2nd of 4 at the August race. Lots of friends there and the weather was perfect. I also met Colonel Harry Fenstad; retired USAF fighter pilot who lives on top of Sugarloaf Mountain and has put out water jugs for cyclists for years.

# 219 Clermont Sprint Triathlon in August

I competed in the third race of the Sommer Sports Triathlon Series today, my 219th event. Checking registration on Thursday evening, I saw that five men had signed up in the Male 70-74 Age Group, myself included (the race sold out again). I was feeling a bit under the weather Friday, so decided to just relax and enjoy the race. Arriving at the Waterfront Park at 4:40 AM for a good parking spot, I got my bike into transition and set up my gear. Ran into Dawn Lane in transition; she was doing the Double Tri. I then relaxed, did a lot of stretching, and fueled for the 7:13 start of the Men 45+ wave. Hitting the water, I had a steady swim in the surprisingly cool water, due to a lot of recent rain. Getting onto the bike for the second leg, I accelerated up the first hills and hit 29.3 mph on the downhill. I enjoyed my ride as we circled Lake Minneola and climbed the last hills going into town. I felt a bit fatigued at the run start but pushed through it and with the help of a Hammer Gel, I got stronger. I was looking for my competitors by race number and saw first place, Doc Brown, heading back just after the turn around. I started counting immediately and at 30 seconds, spotted the third-place guy which meant I was one minute ahead of him. I soldiered on, occasionally glancing back but maintained my second place all the way to the finish. I was very pleased with my performance for the day and am looking forward to the final in September.

# 218 Clermont Sprint Triathlon in July

Triathlon #218 today; number two in the Sommer Sports series. Thunderstorm to the northwest lit the pre-dawn sky but stayed away for the event. Rode the Moulton SST instead of the New Series Speed. Tough race but I managed a third place. Sunny 77’f at swim start, great bike ride, very hot on the run. Met lots of friends there.

# 217 Clermont Sprint Triathlon in June

Sunday’s triathlon, my #217, in Clermont, had 237 finishers today along with over 800 doing the 5K, so it was a busy race. My times were close to my first race in 2025 so it wasn’t too bad, but I’ve been training harder in the past several months, so I was slightly disappointed. Some new (faster) guys were there and I ended up 6th out of six in Male 70-74. I did see lots of friends and the day’s highlight was a fellow Hammer athlete, Gabrielle J. Suver, won Overall Female. You may remember she was severely injured by a hit-and-run driver in November 2025 and spent months recovering. The cheers when she took the podium were deafening!

# 216 Great Clermont Duathlon in Clermont, Florida.

Triathlon (well, duathlon) #216 today! I decided the water temp was too cold plus my training has been curtailed by our cold weather (excuse). The Great Clermont Triathlon had a big turnout especially in the Olympic distance. First race of the year is always an adventure plus I awoke (!) at 3:00 AM (4:00 AM DST) to drive out there. I had a good race and kept pushing myself and finished Second out of Two, Male 70+. I was the oldest guy in the race and 35th out of 43 OA. The New Series Speed performed flawlessly as usual.