"I remember training together on Saturday mornings after the Masters Swim and lake swim practice the week before the race (Labor Day?).
"Our family (the Happ family) all together this year, will have entered and completed 16 Reston Triathlons (including our daughter and our son-in-law in 2008).
"Terry Smith was the treasurer of at least the first Triathlon.
"Jack Schmidt did the original logo. Catherine and Walt Dewalt always did the packet pick up... or so it seemed. This was such a happy, fun, exciting time.
"One of the early Triathlons had a warm, very heavy downpour, and it was playful being in the rain for the whole time. We were all just slower, but it was still fun to be in the warm rain.
"I remember training together on Saturday mornings after the Masters Swim and lake swim practice the week before the race (Labor Day?).
"I have a picture in my mind of a typical race start: cool air, fog covering the lake, quiet when the violin played over this surreal landscape of colorful caps and suits knee deep at the lakeside, banners, big orange balloons.
"During the swim: people lined up with coffee cups in their hands on the shore surrounding the lake watching us as we swam.
"At the end... the lady in my age group who completed several years on a bike with a wicker basket.
"I remember going to the post office for the race applications in the early years... very exciting to see who entered and read the notes on the applications; some coming from a distance to join their family members in the race.
"Also, I remember contacting the winners who did not pick up their plaques and some who did not know they won their awards. I packed up the plaques and mailed them to the winners."