Top Notch Triathlon

For the second year in a row a team consisting of Jamie Myers, Dave Stiles and Charles Dona won the team division of the Top Notch Triathlon, this year under the umbrella of Team Littleton Bike and Fitness. However, like last year we were beaten by a non-human super athlete named Kris Freeman, an international level Nordic skier on the US Ski Team! I guess it puts us in our place as endurance athletes not sprinters! We didn't beat our record from last year but considering the Franconia ridge run, three mountain bike rides, two road rides and a trek up Mt Washington earlier in the week we did ok. Jamie warmed up on his trainer while Charles and I did yoga before the start in downtown Franconia with streets lined with about fifteen 20 ft tall GoFast flags flying high (www.gofastsports.com). Gofast is one of the event sponsors, it's a natural version of redbull that tastes better and doesn't give you the jitters for some reason or another. So we were pretty happy to walk away with a case as a prize! The race meeting was short and sweet Jenny Johnson and Sam Brown were getting married later that day and warming up with the race. Charles and I took off to where the bikers went into the woods to give Jamie his split time on the first wave. He went by at mach 2 and I sprinted along next to him screaming his position and time. We drove up to Echo Lake and I jumped out with my wet suit to take position while Charles went to do his warm up. A few minutes later in a cloud of dust Jamie flew into the TA with the two PRO Dudes and a few people from the first wave already in the water. I took the timing chip and sprinted to the lake, A couple dolphin dives later I was dragging my carcass a half mile across. I don't remember anything but seeing the sky and the bottom of the bottom a few time and third buoy and looking for the shore only to see ANOTHER FREAKIN BOUY! Last year I thought there was three also. I after crying underwater I regained my form and hauled as fast as I could to the exit, ran across the timing pad and sprinted up the hill with Jamie running along side cheering me on! I kept going around the corner to the hand off screaming "Charles...gasp...You...gasp...Have to...Take...The Chip...off me!" I couldn't figure out which of the two Charles I saw was the right one but as I got closer the eyes uncrossed and he became one. He pulled the timing chip off and I collapsed in the grass gasping for air. I guess I should have swam more than 15 minutes between last years race and this years ;-) We got on the tram and headed to the finish with about 20 other people. We saw Kris in the lead again and another guy about two minutes behind. We waited for them right at the flags and cheered Kris across the line. For those of you who think pro athletes don't feel pain I urge you to watch a race like this. As He cross the line after an hour and five minutes for blowing himself up this super skier was grey and wheezing for any oxygen his lungs could find...Not exactly a "Walk In The Park". Charles came over the hill 4 minutes later and secured our team victory at 1 hour 9 minutes and change. After he dry heaved in the bushes for a minute we all hugged after a job well done.

The Top Notch Triathlon had over 250 solo racers this year and not just tri junkies it is a real family event that saw solo racers from 9 to 80 years in age. It is followed by lunch and awards with a big raffle for however are left. So next year make the trip to this event in the North Country it's always the first weekend in August.

Yacky