The Secret to Placing 2nd in Your Age Group...

...find a small race. That's right -- I completed triathlon #2 on July 4 and finished 2nd in my age group! Trophy and all. Woo hoo!

The 2008 Freedom Springs Triathlon was a very sweet non-USAT-sanctioned race. Banjo-accompanied highlights included:
1) jumping from a floating dock into chest-deep spring water, alive with a mixture of muck, plants and God-knows-what at the bottom
2) sudden panic as the race director shouts, "Okay, go!" five minutes too early as half of the field is still trying to wade to the start line/area/random unspecified place in the water
3) bleeding feet as a result of sprinting across loose gravel between the swim and transition
4) insistance by race director's wife that the delay for the awards ceremony "is not as bad as last year," as everyone is still waiting hours after race is over

I'm sorry for the complaints. I shouldn't be such a snob after only two triathlons. I suppose I was spoiled by the Red Hills Triathlon, which I felt was very well-organized despite (or perhaps because of) the terrible weather they had to deal with.

Freedom Springs has a lot going for it. Held in a very rural county in North Florida, it has a laid-back quality that makes it perfect for first-timers and mid-to-back-of-the-packers. And I won an award! The transition was nice and open, and the bike/run courses very scenic and quiet.

I would recommend this to local athletes (it's certainly nothing to travel much distance for) -- as long as you can deal with the laid-back-to-a-fault nature of the race.

In related news, congratulations to Jennifer, Andrea and Nikki, for completing their first triathlons!