Welcome!
You have reached the information nexis for all things Tilden, the hero of the multisport world. A man, a myth, perhaps imortal, perhaps a god. This site is dedicated strictly to the legend, other sites exist on the less glamourous aspects of Tilden Moschetti, his work, his music, etc, but the legend may be most centrally grounded here, it this electronic tome. Enjoy, visit, communicate - your presence is most welcome.
“A return to where it all began… One year, eight triathlons, 2 swimming races, and 3 running races later. My, how different it all is now!
“The distance is longer, the unknown is now known, the little things matter more, and sadly, the big things matter less. It is harder now to remember to ask the questions “why am I here?” and “what does finishing really mean?”
“It is a lot like a journey by car. This crazy race will mark the end of the hometown city limits. Some of the rest of the route is known, but the truly exciting bit is that the final destination is just a hazy idea. Who knows what the rest stop will be like on the way? Now the reason to keep going is the hope for the inevitable detour that may lead me to someplace I was before unlikely to see, and that will make me all the better for it.
“What started as a crazy lark, a vague notion planted in my head by a friend, has transformed into the trip of a lifetime. The car is tuned, the tank is full. Let’s see just where this road goes…”
-Written one year after the beginning, shortly before WildFlower 2005
“This weekend begins the decent into the dragon’s den. Tomorrow morning I will awaken before the sun and emerge from my humble dwelling. Bike on the shoulder, swimsuit about my waist and neoprene cap on my head I will stumble to my car half a block away. I foresee already that my main thoughts will consist of: 1) why did I stay out so late last night at the karaoke fest?, 2) what the hell am I doing?, and 3) where can you get a whole mess of caffeine at 4:30 am?
“You see, this weekend I am amongst a brood of restless nomads who are not content to transport merely by feet, but must also ride bikes and swim in the open seas. This weekend I am amongst a fierce cabal of adrenaline junkies known as triathletes.
“Fear not, oh ye worried reader, for this is not the end nor the beginning of the end. This is just a mere taste, an opportunity to get a lay of the land, a greater opportunity for me to regret this triathlon nonsense. This weekend is a Dionysian foray to Lake San Antonio, the ultimate site of Tilden’s first, and very unlikely to be last, triathlon.
“In reality it is the dawning of an era. People will ask themselves years from now where they were on May 2nd, 2004 a little after 9 am when the Men’s Age Group Division 29 Under received its starting to cue and a triathlete legend was born. No, I will not win Wildflower. My time will be much closer to 4 hours and 22 minutes (last year’s final finisher in the group) than 2 hours 10 minutes (last year’s first finisher in the group), but time isn’t where I will win. I will win with class, fun, dignity, and enthusiasm which will set the sport on fire.
“And just as every legend needs a beginning, this legend starts tomorrow…”
-Written shortly before my first triathlon: WildFlower 2004 |
