RAINED OUT

So Saturday was the long-awaited Kokopelli Triathlon at Sand Hollow Resevoir. Southern Utah averages about 7 inches* of rain a year. I think we got all of it on Saturday.

They cancelled it. Big bummer. There were about 1000 racers there at 7:00 in the morning when the first wave was supposed to start. It was cloudy, but not bad at all. They started the first two waves, then just as mine got in the water and was about to start, they called off the swim.

Here's what I don't get - when it rains, the Race Directors will usually call off the swim, but still do the run and the bike. Why is that? I mean, it's raining. It's the swim. They're both water, right? The only explanation I can think of is lighting, but wouldn't a horde of people riding large, metallic machines in an enormously long line be more likely to attact lightning than those same people swimming in rubber suits? Is there a Mr. Wizard out there who can explain this?

Anyways, at first they just called the swim, making it a run-bike-run, but within a minute or two it got so bad they called the entire thing off. It was a good call too. I don't think the small rural town next door has enough ambulances to accomodate everyone who would have wiped-out on their bikes.

So that's it for triathlon this year. Kokopelli was the last one, and it was a rain-out. Kind of a bummer, but I feel far worse for the people who flew in or for whom it was their first tri. We just drove home and rented a movie. Then I ate cookies. I also feel bad for the race director, who gets to tell 1000 people that something they've planned on for months and invested considerable time and money has been cancelled.

In related news, I'm doing the Salt Lake Marathon in April. Giddyup.

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* I didn't want to take the time and actually check an almanac, so this figure is completely made up. You'll find the joke works no matter what number you put in there though. Seriously. Try it.