Hotfooting

Talk about stamina, talk about triathletes. Especially the 1000-plus of them who took part in the Batemans Bay Triathlon today in temperatures of up to 29C (84F). In the Ultimate class, the 2km swim would have been an energy-sapping but at least cooling workout. The 120km cycling leg that followed must have been gruelling in the hot sun. The 20km broiling run to complete the event . . . I can't imagine my body being able to handle that at any time of my life.

Yet there they were, both men and women, some almost my age, pounding past me along the foreshore walkway.

None of the athletes was known to me, but I looked up the main man in my blip, No. 379, in the results tonight, and found he is Nigel Gibson, a 43-year-old member of the Warringah (Northern Beaches) Triathlon Club in Sydney. He came in 80th of 190 finishers overall, in a time of 6 hours, 15 minutes, 2 seconds. Nigel, to us lesser mortals, that makes you a winner.