Show me state games triathlon

I signed up for another sprint triathlon today. This one is a part of the "Show Me State Games" which take place in Columbia, Missouri. I just found out about it and the entry was only $25; who can beat that (here's the link if you feel like joining). Given my performance in the last sprint tri, I know how much is too hard when it comes to pushing myself on the bike. But this time around I have a distinct advantage because I'm back in St. Louis for the summer and the neighborhood I live in is all hills. It makes a 16 mile ride if you go on all the streets there and back. Unlike when I train in Columbia where it's hard to find good biking that's not on a scarily major road.

This one is slightly longer than my old pal the TriZou which is 400 meter swim-14 mile bike-3 mile run. This sprint is a 1/2 mile swim-15 mile bike-3 mile run. So not a significant difference but enough of one where I'm really exited about it. I'm actually most looking forward to the traditionally most uneventful part of the race; the swim. Because the TriZou takes place in a pool and everybody starts a few seconds apart. This one is a mass start in a lake which is more traditional of a triathlon. I'm really excited about that since it'll be my first mass start and there's something really fun about swimming in open water as opposed to the pool. (Watch me end up hating it). The only part of the swim I'm not looking forward to is people bumping and getting in the way of each other. Well, that's about it in terms of current racing, nothing too exciting. I'll remember to take pictures and maybe a video or two.

In other tri related news, I've decided to become slightly more serious about the sport. My first step is getting tri-specific gear. One of which is getting a tri jersey/shirt because although my "wicking fabric" shirts are great, I need a tri shirt. And I'm planning on getting aero bars and pulling my road bike seat forward to make it a tri-road bike hybrid. As great as a tri bike would be I don't have $2000 to drop on a new bike. I've decided that next year is really gonna be the year that I pick up triathlon training. I hope to do a few 1/4 distance tri's. And it's my goal to do the 1/2 ironman in Branson two years from now. And from there maybe another year and off to the Louisville full Ironman. So that's my "5 year plan" as they call it...slightly different from other people my age, but hey might as well do it while you can.