Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Renaissance Man Race Report - A Sonnet by Kasandra Garner

In honor of the "Renaissance City" I wrote my race report as a sonnet.  It's not Shakespeare, but I think I could take him in a triathlon.


When the humid air of summer had arrived

In a city by a river calm and cool

The time had come to swim, bike, run: survive

And socialize with similarly afflicted fools.

With spandex revealing more than might seem wise

And bikes that cost more than the first-place prize.


The swim was through a sluggish muddy swill

With room to hit a rhythm with my stroke,

The sun just peeking o’er the wooded hill,

When once or twice I swam into a bloke –

No worries, it was only Dennis Mix,

Who admittedly likes drafting behind chicks.


Up to transition through the sand and grass,

I quickly found my bike upon its rack,

Slipped into cleats and helmet fairly fast,

And pushed it to the line to mount its back.

As always felt like lead the first few miles,

But after the first hill I was all smiles.


The bike course had some rollers but was sublime,

With long straight stretches mostly traffic free.

My bike computer died so I was blind,

So I just tried to push consistently.

I finished feeling fresh, ready to run

A race is only worth it if it’s fun.


Onto the final leg and feeling good,

Until the first steep hill when in the heat

I started to regret my lack of food

My blood sugar didn’t seem to reach my feet

I was so grateful to the volunteers

When the first aid station finally appeared.


Cooled and refreshed by water and by ice,

I kept a steady pace to UNA,

I saw the lion’s cage was very nice

(I was worried when I learned of them that day)

The run course had a multitude of sights,

Not least of which a house by Frank Lloyd Wright.


Then to the finish close behind Rick Greif,

The most sincerely cheerful man I know,

He encourages people in all walks of life,

And also won his age group – he ain’t slow!

A paragon of strength in body and mind,

(And by the way his wife is also kind).


Kendra Raney owned the women’s swim,

She moves through water with an easy grace,

Lisi Bratcher smoked it for the win,

Most of Fleet Feet’s athletes took a place.

The inaugural race was a smashing success,

And racers aren’t that easy to impress!