In her first triathlon in almost 12 years, Los Altan Reid captures age division

By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer

photo courtesy of the Reid family Los Altos resident Lesley Reid, center, is recognized for winning her division at the South Bay Triathlon in Morgan Hill on May 15. Reid last competed in a triathlon in the summer of 1993.

Forgive Lesley Reid for slowing down since her last triathlon. After all, it’s been almost 12 years.

Not that Reid looked rusty competing in the 13th annual South Bay Triathlon May 15 at Uvas Reservoir in Morgan Hill. The Los Altos resident won the women’s 35-39 age division (featuring 48 competitors), placed 13th among all women (230) and 91st overall (564).

“I didn’t expect to do so well,” she said. “I was very surprised. I’m really happy with it.”

Succeeding in a triathlon - a race consisting of swimming, cycling and running - is nothing new to Reid.

“I did quite a few of them when I was single,” said Reid, who last competed in the summer of 1993. “I did well; I’d usually finish at the top of my age group when I was in my 20s.”

After she married and became a stay-at-home mom, Reid said it was difficult finding enough time to keep up her training. She did, however, take part in a marathon between having her two girls, who are now 8 and 5.

“I was still running and swimming to stay in shape, but that was about it,” said the former Santa Rita School teacher. “I started biking the last few years.”

Although these are the three sports that comprise triathlons, Reid had not considered competing again until her older sister, Karen Chequer-Pfeiffer, and Reid’s neighbor and good friend, Marlayna McNeil, persuaded the 39-year-old to make a comeback.

“They talked me into it,” said Reid, who also received encouragement from husband Cameron.

Chequer-Pfeiffer is an accomplished triathlete who Reid said “got me started in the whole silly thing.” The 47-year-old from Santa Rosa was the overall women’s champion of last month’s South Bay Triathlon, made up of a three-quarter mile swim, 16-mile bike ride and five-mile run.

Reid’s time of 1 hour, 46 minutes and 34.7 seconds was well behind her sister’s mark of 1:38.14, but she did beat another family member.

“My brother-in-law and I were joking about who would do better, and he was upset because I beat him by a minute,” Reid said of her sister’s husband, Jeff Pfeiffer.

Reid also sipped success last November in the Muddy Buddy Ride and Run, a seven-mile trail run and mountain bike race held at Grant County Park in San Jose. Reid and McNeil teamed up to win the women’s championship. The unusual race included five obstacles and required one partner to start out biking and the other running, then switch places after each obstacle.

Reid’s performance helped convince her to take on the South Bay Triathlon. Two months prior to the race, she embarked on a training regimen that included biking 20-25 miles, running 5 miles and swimming 3,000 yards three days per week.

“I’m best at swimming - I was a competitive swimmer growing up,” said Reid, who hails from Palo Alto. “But the swimming (training) was the hardest part; I haven’t been motivated to swim as much. I love running and enjoy biking.”

Reid raced on a new bike her husband gave her for Mother’ Day. Cameron Reid, who nearly made the 1984 Canadian Olympic Team as a 400-meter individual medley swimmer, is his wife’s biggest fan. He was not only proud of how Lesley performed in the triathlon, but how she was also able to make time to train.

“We have no nanny/au pair, so she works out when she can around the kids’ school, sports and social activities,” Cameron said. “I think she’s an inspiration for other parents who might want to take part in a competition, but don’t feel they have the time.”

Time was on Lesley’s side when she took to the water for the first leg of the South Bay Marathon. She seized a commanding lead with a three-quarter mile swim of 17:56.9, five minutes faster than the next-best competitor in her division. Reid’s times in the 16-mile bike ride (51:20.6) and five-mile run (37:17.2) were the third-best in her class, allowing her to beat runner-up Susan Robinson by 75 seconds.

“She caught me on the bike and run, but not enough, luckily,” Reid said.

Reid wasn’t sure she had won until the awards ceremony.

“They put your age on your calf and I never saw anyone (from my age division) pass me,” she said. “I knew I was first after the swim, but I wasn’t sure after that. I thought, ‘This can’t be right, maybe someone passed me in the transition.’”

No one did, and Reid left with a medal - and sore legs.

“The run hurt like crazy - that was the toughest part,” she said. “I for sure thought someone would pass me. It was painful.”

Not painful enough to keep Reid from trying another triathlon. After she participates in Sunday’s Muddy Buddy (moved from fall to spring this year), Reid may enter the Santa Cruz Sentinel Triathlon on Oct. 2 “or maybe do a half-marathon instead,” she said.

Regardless, it’s a safe bet Reid won’t wait 12 years until her next triathlon.