By Michael Giudicissi

Editor of TT New Mexico  www.transitiontimes.com/newmexico

Hey You! Yea, the one reading this article, nice season...good job.

As we near the end of yet another Southwest Challenge Series the feeling around the TT/NM World Headquarters is bittersweet.

Yes, I'll have time to work on my yard again and yes, the garage will finally get cleaned out but no, the car won't get packed for awhile, the race only clothes will stay in the closet until next season.

This season was fun for me. Maybe it was the inaugural year of TT/NM or the birth of Tri Team SW. More likely it was meeting all of you and sharing the laughter and smiles, the joy and pain, the thrill of victory (for many of you) and the agony of defeat (mostly for me). Actually even the defeats were pretty fun.

We had 25 races this season, with two dropping out due to loss of sponsorship - a dangerous trend to be sure. The debate still rages on the 10 race qualifying rule. A friend pointed out to me that there are 3 kinds of triathletes; the kind that can race short distances fast, the kind that can race longer distances well, and the kind that can race week after week without injury or breakdown. I would have to count myself among the latter group, as I'm neither fast nor accomplished on the long course. Maybe some of us who earned a Series title or placing do deserve it? Maybe not, that one still has me torn.

Of course there is still this weekends Stealth Triathlon left but I suspect for most of us the season is about over. We'll grow the hair back on our legs (men only please!) and some of us will grow the hair back on our heads (I'm not in this group). The northern group will take to the indoors for some of their winter training while our El Paso brethren will still be out in December in Speedos and singlets. Some of us will age up for next season; some will bulk up for a run at the Clydesdales or Athenas, while others will slim down to join the age group ranks.

Of course some will leave our sport. It’s bound to happen. As they say, nothing is forever. What's exciting is that for the few that will leave, we've got a bunch of juniors coming in to take their places. Someone will do their first ever tri at the Polar Bear. I don't know who it is, but find them and make them feel welcome. Someone will do their last tri at the Polar Bear too, find them and wish them a fond farewell.

Of course the rate of new info on the TT/NM site will slow down, as it must when the season ends. Fear not...we'll be back bigger and better than ever in 2003.

So get back to your life, get fat, get thin, do a better job at work, sleep later, eat chocolate, take a friend out to see a movie, go for a walk where you don't worry about your heart rate, ride your mountain bike, lay on the couch, give your significant other an extra kiss, give your kids ten extra hugs, and in the words of George Costanza, "Live dammit........Live!"

Or just keep on training...who am I to tell you what to do.

Whatever your choice for this off-season, make plans to come back to triathlon, it's just too much fun to give up.

What do you say - see you same time next year?

RACE HARD