And… just in case you didn’t see yourself in the last video…

Just over 900 images comprise this time-lapse video of the transition area at this year’s Woolsports mini-Mussel sprint triathlon at Seneca Lake State Park. The camera was set to photograph every 20 seconds, continuously, for 5 hours. (Starting well before your 750 meter swim – 16.1 mile bike – 3.2 mile run) Did I catch you in transition?

“Flight of the Bumblebee” Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, performed by The US Army Band

Had a wonderful weekend with friends at the Flower City Challenge in Rochester, New York. I thought I’d share a photo of one of our biggest race supporters, Max. Or maybe the littlest :)

Tried something a little different at the SU/Villanova game this weekend. Four hours of shooting (about 600 photos) condensed into one minute of stop motion video. Let me know what you think! At last year’s Villanova game I used a slightly different technique to make a time-lapse from start to finish, capturing the record breaking attendance of 34,616. You can still view that here on Syracuse.com.

.

2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run. For a while now I’ve wanted to see it in person, and as it turns out, this was the year! A good friend of ours participated, and it was incredible to see his commitment and sacrifice over the past 12 months pay off on race day as he crossed the finish line to complete his very first Ironman.

When I started doing triathlons a few years ago, I never thought I’d have any interest in going beyond the standard sprint race – .5 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. This year, I completed my first Half Iron – 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. Somewhere in between, I realized that I liked running more than the once-around-the-track I did in high school. And that a few hours on the bike was in fact how I wanted to spend my Me-time. Not to mention if your training partners are training for marathons, century rides and voyages across the sea, you tend to lean in that direction yourself.

Still, an Ironman is nothing to kid about! Being there the full 12+ hours it took many to complete the event made me realize just what an undertaking it is. But it also reminded me of the many reasons why I’m so attracted to this sport. I’ll skip the list, but highlight a key point. Triathletes represent a variety of ages and abilities, and I like the idea that anyone who sets personal goals and puts in the required training to reach those goals – whatever the distance – can be successful.

Jon Motondo of Camillus (stars and stripes cap) high fives Cory Fahey of Syracuse as they and other patrons react to the first USA goal, tying it up with England 1-1, during a televised game of the World Cup Saturday at Kitty Hoyne’s Irish Pub in downtown Syracuse. On the left are Megan and David Collins of Marcellus. On the right is Dave O’Connell of Syracuse. Lauren Long / The Post-Standard

Not a humongous baseball fan – although I do pride myself on having attended game 5 of the World Series back in 1995. (The Cleveland Indians beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 and the city went WILD!!!) I have however been paying some attention to all the hype over pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, especially after his major league debut with the Washington Nationals yesterday. Just a week or so ago he was pitching his final few games as a minor leaguer with the Syracuse Chiefs. I’ve never seen that stadium packed so tight! Thought I’d post a few so I can say “I knew him” when.

More photos here from the 5/29 game. And photos from Strasburg’s major league debut here.