Last year at this time, I was sure that the Summer Open Sprint would be my introduction to the sport of triathlon. But then high levels of e coli in the lake forced the cancellation of the swim portion and the event was converted to a duathlon. As a result, the Greeley Triathlon became my first three-sport event and what an impression it made.
Even before I had registered, it had advantages. My parents live in Greeley, all of about 2 miles or so from the race site. I grew up in Greeley and was familiar with the terrain for the bike and run portions. It’s still about the cheapest entry fee out there at $55.
Once I arrived at the venue on race day minus one, my positive impression was improved. The director conducted a complete and informative pre-race meeting. Packet pick-up was easy and took little time. We had full access to the entire venue so it was possible to see everything up close (except go for a swim, but you can’t have everything!).
On race morning, things continued to impress me. Parking was plentiful and nearby. The “time trial” start to the swim made for less of a washing machine effect which was indeed a blessing. The finish experience was great including the iced towel and running under the giant gorilla.
So with all of that, going for it, the decision to run this race again was an easy one. I have now registered and added another countdown alongside the other races. At this point, there’s just one left to consider, the Rattle Snake on August 19. I’m leaning more toward doing this one. Again a familiar venue and closer to home than any race I’ve done to date.
There’s a lot more coming soon. I’ve officially started my 20 week training plan leading up to the HITS 70.3 on July 29. The GoPro should also help a lot in illustrating more of my posts as well.
Thanks for reading!
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