{"id":1294,"date":"2026-09-23T17:32:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T17:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racereportblog.com\/?p=1294"},"modified":"2026-09-23T17:32:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T17:32:01","slug":"westchester-triathlon-9-20-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racereportblog.com\/?p=1294","title":{"rendered":"Westchester Triathlon – 9\/20\/2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My goals for this Olympic distance triathlon were to not get hurt (especially because my older son\u2019s wedding was in a week), to have fun, and to win (despite my year of running injuries).  The last goal wasn\u2019t likely, but it\u2019s always what I want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 4:30 a.m., I texted this to Alan Golds, who was going to drive us to Rye Beach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We talked about not going, but I had just bought a helmet the day before with a wrap-around visor for the rain, and felt ready. So we went. (Alan later texted, \u201cI blame you entirely.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rain held off while we set up in transition, and only drizzled while we waited at the beach in our wetsuits with everyone else, including Kevin Carlsten. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Post-race, with Alan and Kevin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The announcer told us to swim only to the 2nd of 4 buoys, so we\u2019d stay within the jetties protecting the beach, because the coast guard reported the water was pretty rough outside the break walls. Our wave (as it were) walked over the starting mat, and stood in the water; I wasn\u2019t sure if we had started after crossing the mat, and started to run in — false start! Walked back, and THEN we ran in \u2014 which was a great way to feel my legs activated, rather than just squeezed by the wetsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This felt like the first time I swam aggressively (normally, afraid I\u2019ll burn out before getting to the bike) \u2014 but did without spinning paddles: long, strong strokes, pushing against the current as we went away from the beach, keeping a good reach and catch, breathing every 2nd stroke and sighting every 5th or 6th (when I did it less frequently, found myself off course), than rounding the second buoy (very familiar, this is where Alan and I trained the last few weeks) to make a left turn across the bay.  Some waves coming in from the right side, found myself timing the stroke with the waves\u2019 roll, the water is a delightful temperature but still glad to be in a full wetsuit, take the next buoy and head towards shore, this is a REALLY short course because my watch vibrates at \u201c500 yds\u201d and we\u2019re almost done, the waves and current pushing us home like a phalanx of dolphins, and I\u2019m passing guys in white swim caps (from the earlier wave) and walk onto the beach and strip off my wetsuit (having practiced stripping the wetsuit in my kitchen, down to 24 seconds) and run to transition and that was \u00bd the distance and twice the FUN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Onto the bike, magnets clip the visor onto the helmet (complete with a Darth Vader soundtrack), and light rain has started (which Coach Steve had warned was dangerous because it brings out the oils in the pavement, whereas a heavy rain washes the oils away) and I\u2019m just trying to keep my power above the goal of 180 watts, and feeling that easy light spin (passed one of the collegiate athletes and wanted to tell him to get out of that heavy gear, higher RPM feels better and generates more power), and finding I\u2019m closer to and then well over 200 watts, but defensively watching the road and the other riders (\u201con your left! thank you\u2026\u201d), slowing for turns (so glad I put wax onto my chain the night before, should be better in wet conditions), and realize it\u2019s started to pour, but the visor keeps everything clear. The watch dings every 5 miles, and that first interval was only 17 mph and Coach Steve has me shooting for 19.9 mph, but fine, here\u2019s the 2-mile \u201chill\u201d but it\u2019s nothing like the old course, this was easy, and it\u2019s relatively downhill from here, But a guy who looks in my age group passes me, and I shall call him \u201cStanley\u201d and I never seem to catch him the rest of the ride\u2026.  Going downhill I lock into aero and watch the road for any bumps but Greenwich, CT pays for well-paved roads, and as long as other riders heed my warning call (\u201cyour left! On your LEFT!\u201d), I feel safe (only later learning that I hit 39 mph at one point). A burly young guy with tattoos apparently is offended  by my passing him and suddenly I hear hiim say \u201cOn your right!\u201d And I yell at him \u201cPass on your left, dammit!\u201d(It\u2019s not just against the rules to pass on the right, it\u2019s crazy dangerous.) And Nurin, a 20-something athlete I met the day before when we were registering who\u2019s never done a triathlon before, passes me, and I pass him, and he passes me, and I tell him \u201cget out of the left lane unless you\u2019re passing,\u201d and I realize I\u2019m not ONLY an asshole but also an elder mentor, and Nurin thanks me, takes off and comes in 11th overall.  Damn, the kid is fast. The course is less than 40k, but I survived without injury, and avg. 19 mph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Into transition, there\u2019s almost no bikes in my area, but we\u2019re not racked by age group so I don\u2019t know who may be miles ahead of me, but I\u2019m out of there pretty fast, and I see a water stop (declined to wear my water belt) and that reminds me to take some nutrition, and between the carbon-plated shoes and the caffeine Huma gel, I. Feel. SPRINGY.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A convoluted, goofy running route takes us along the boardwalk, then back again, then into the trails through marshland and narrow muddy trails which slows me down from 8:15 min\/mile to 9:01 for the second mile (Coach Steve had predicted a 9:30 pace, so this is great), and I realize, despite a year of injuries, I feel fine, EXCEPT for the fact that running as hard as I can and sustain for 6.2 miles just sucks. Right? There\u2019s a reason people hate running, it\u2019s uncomfortable, but I\u2019m not injured so just dig deep and watch the collegiate athletes already running back from the turnaround and marvel at my sustaining an 8:30 pace on the 3rd mile and oh my god this is hard work And I remember my magic bib number: 816. 2 to the 3rd, 2 to the 4th.  \u201cI have hidden powers.\u201d Panting starts at mile 4, breathing hard every 4 steps, and that\u2019s okay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I enter the park again, Jeff Matoom (a coach who was at the Westpoint Sprint a few weeks ago and whom I\u2019ve known for years) is cheering on his clients and I say \u201cAny other old men, Jeff?\u201d And he says, \u201cyeah, yeah\u201d and then \u201cNo, you\u2019re the only old man\u201d and I\u2019m running hard because another guy I think might be in my age group might not have stayed too far behind me and I round the corner in the park and run the grass towards the inflatable archway and I FINISH!  Injury free! Feeling strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And the results are better than satisfactory:  Swam 840 yds in 16:04 (1:55 min\/120 yd. pace, 1\/12 AG ), run from beach to T1 in 1:29 (6\/12 AG because I took off my wetsuit before running), T1 in 1:37 (1\/12 AG), bike 22.2 miles in 1:10:07 and 183 watts normalized power (19.0 mph, 3\/12 AG), T2 in 1:39 (1\/12 AG), run 5.86 miles in 49:49 (8:31 min\/mile, 4\/12 AG) but \u2026. 1\/12 AG!  Beat 2nd place by 1 minute in the swim and 30 seconds in T2. It\u2019s a three part race, and it all adds up! And 44\/194 OA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nailed it again. (Took 2nd Place at this race some years ago.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This might be my best race. Not just because 1st place \u2014 sweet as that is, it\u2019s the cherry on top of enjoying the whole thing, rain and all, carefully avoiding injury especially without a bike fall before the wedding but still pushing hard,  the digging deep was enjoyable, the affirmation that my years of fitness actually are more important than the months of recovering from injuries, that I can race without being driven by anxiety. Nothing short of a blessing.<\/p>\n\n\n