Authorized newspaper of Fort Lewis, Washington
Michael Fitzgerald approaches the shore during the first race in the Triple Threat Triathlon series. FItzgerald won the event finishing in 1:12:15.
If 40 is supposed to be the new 20, then does that mean 50 is the new 25?
It may seem a bit confusing, but it makes perfect sense if you look at what 50-year-old Michael Fitzgerald accomplished at the June Triathlon at Shoreline Park last Saturday.
The retired Naval officer swam, biked and ran his way to a first place finish at the first of the three triathlons in the Triple Threat Triathlon Series, beating out many contestants half his age in his first competition in four years, with a time of 1:12.15.
“I practiced my swimming and biking because I couldn’t run because of my injury,” said Fitzgerald who damaged ankle ligaments during a basketball game in 2005, which prevented him from competing in triathlons until last Saturday. “If you can swim and bike well, you can maybe hang on in the run like I did with these guys.”
Fitzgerald, who said he swam while at the Naval Academy, went wire-to-wire as he took the early by being the first to finish the half-mile swimming course set in American Lake. The 2004 elite champion kept up his pace on the 15-mile bike course that wound through North Fort and Main Post, and was able to hold off Douglas Hill (1:12.31) and Richard Ling (1:12.48) to nab the win.
Those two “were just coming up on me, scaring me,” Fitzgerald said of Hill and Ling. “It was exciting at the end. I was looking back and they were coming up. They were right there.”
Taking top honors for the women was Elizabeth Thiel, who finished sixth overall with a time of 1:15.36.
“It was a great race,” said the elementary school teacher. “We had a great day for it with how calm the water was and that it was a little overcast so it’s not too hot. It’s perfect.”
Thiel said she competed in swimming and track while in high school and then joined the club cycling team while attending Indiana University.
“I’m just kind of OK at all three sports, so when I put them all together I do all right,” she said. “It used to be that cycling was my limiter, but I’ve been working on that so now running is my least favorite now, but I think that’s just because it comes at the end.”
Thiel said she enjoys competing in these types of events because it keeps her busy while her husband is deployed.
“I get into it because it gives me something to do while he’s away,” she said. “I have the summer off so I have to keep myself busy somehow so I don’t worry about him all the time.”
The second leg of the Triple Threat Series is scheduled for July 19 and the final leg will be Aug. 2. Final team results were not available to the Northwest Guardian at press time.
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