By Janice Shade
Ok. We admit we had a ringer for the swim leg with our intern, Galen Broido, who swims for UNC-Asheville. Galen posted the fastest overall swim time in the Colchester Triathlon on July 28, with a 10:47 half mile. She started with the women five minutes after the men, and still “chicked” more than ¾ of them to give us a great head start on the bike.
Now it was up to us two old gals to hold on to as much of that lead as possible. Karen Bisbee and I are both in our mid-late ’40s, and luckily the Colchester Triathlon groups teams based on average age rather than youngest age, so Karen and I were at least competing with women nearer our own age.
Karen clocked the fastest bike leg of our age group. When she came whizzing into T2, I knew there were only six teams ahead of us and those were all men’s teams or co-ed, so we were first in the women’s teams. I set out with the goal of not letting any women with a 300+ number pass me (teams had been numbered starting from 400 and working backwards). Only one 300+ number passed me but she looked pretty young so I hoped she was in a younger age group, which she was. My middle-of-the-pack 9 minute miles were enough to keep us in first!
Next up for Team Vasa: Race Vermont Sprint Triathlon on Aug. 18 where Karen and I will each compete as individuals. That will be my first time doing a full triathlon myself. I’m excited and yes, a little nervous…