After six years of not participating in Triathlons, I recently signed up for a 1/2 ironman race. If you are going to jump in, well jump in big. After 5 ironman races, I figure some time off was well worth it. Getting out of my car I stood speechless. In six years things have changed but not changed. The bikes were amazing. The new P3 full carbon time trial bike was everywhere. Zipp wheels, low profile everything, it was simply amazing. What did not change was the sport. The swim was still rough, people not knowing how to navigate in open water. The bike times are getting faster. The run times were amazing. What had changed were the people. Not who they were: as I walked into transition I knew about half the people there. Everyone saying hi as they were amazed to see me out again. Almost everyone there had an ironman race shirt on. Or they wore an ironman hat from one race, shirt from another, socks from a third. Their bikes had ironman stickers on them. It was a full display of who had done what races and when. The converstion was just about what ironman you were preparing to do. If I was a first timer, I would have not spoke with anyone and sat backed and watched. Personally, I wore a none descript hat from an adventure race, an adidas shirt with nothing on it. My bike had no tri bars and my water bottles only said gatorade. If you didn't know better, someone might have thought I was a first timer. That is just the way I like it. Everyone was ripped. Rarely did you see an overweight person like the good old days of the eighties. Even the 50-70 year old guys and gals were ripped and pulling incredible times. It was almost like a circus. People were strutting around, guys with their shirts off, ladies in the latest tri fashions. I was pretty amazed by all the new gagets that people had. The transtions areas have not changed, still cramped. There was still the lack of Johnnies and paper (that has never changed). The course was partially opened to cars and people were still mad at being delayed, that's nothing new.

The sport of triathlon is alive and well. Remembering my first days in the early eighties and the bikes and wetsuits I would see. Today $600 wetsuit is not uncommon. A $7000 bike is the norm, $250 running shoes, $300 sun glasses, $100 hats, $250 racing suit. But remember, at the end, it's just a race and you win when you get to the starting line.