I decided a long time go that I should share my experiences of the last 12 years of triathlon racing in the hopes of sharing my Zen like wealth of knowledge and wisdom accumulated over those years, and some of it actually has to do with triathlon. It has taken me several years to start. I am new to blogging so I have no idea how this will look but I will adjust and learn.

As an employee in public education serving in rural, urban, suburban, and inner city schools for the last 17 years I have accumulated much experience but little to no wealth, therefore I consider myself a Tri-Peasant. I started this triathlon venture as a peasant in all manner of the word. Not only was I short on material means (money) but also short on time to train, equipment, and knowledge of the 3 sports.

I was a high school and collegiate athlete with Junior college paid for with a football scholarship. I transferred to Utah State in the hopes of continuing my football dreams there. It quickly became clear that a higher power had other plans and that I was not intended to continue. (that is a different story for a different blog).

Upon graduation I found mountain biking as new sport to push my limits. I raced locally (Park City) for a few years including some NORBA races until I moved my family to Las Vegas. Mountain biking in Vegas is not bad, but neither was it close or convenient.

One lovely Sunday, that would prove to be a turning point in my life, like the day somebody said "Hey Obama you should run for president"a friend approached myself and another friend at church and said" Hey, you guys want to do a triathlon with me?" "Why not" I replied and my fate was sealed.

Don't get me wrong. I had seen triathlons on TV before including the infamous footage of Julie Moss in 1982. I thought Triathlon meant Ironman. I had no idea there were actually different distances and races for the regular folk.

The 3 of us registered for the Saint George Triathlon. This was before it became the behemoth run by BBSC that it is today. Then it was run by some kid named Jared and operated by his family members who served as the volunteers. The event featured a $5 refund at registration if you let them shave your head, and only cost $25. In fact my shaved cranium is on the 2005 postcard sent out by Jared to all previous participants. The race was started with a pistol, and precluded by jared dumping a cooler of ice into the 52 degree Gunlock reservoir. We laid our bikes down on the parking lot or leaned them against trees or rocks. It was awesome!