Chapter 4: Natick

Chapter 4 is online at http://www.WebFeats.com/Transition/4.html.

In this chapter, Jillian catches up to the Kiergaard twins during the run portion of the event and engages in a brief but meaningful conversation with them.

Back in the early days of the triathlon, the women's events were dominated by Canadian twin sisters Patricia and Sylviane Puntous. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the Kiergaard twins are based on the Puntous twins, but they certainly were inspired by them.

As I was writing this section, I wondered if elite triathletes and marathoners actually talk to each other during races. I've been involved in a few short races myself, and I occasionally speak with fellow racers, but I'm not really competing in the true sense of the word, and my status is hardly elite. So I wondered: If you were a top athlete, and you found yourself running alongside someone you knew early in a race, might you strike up a conversation with them? Or would that expend too much precious energy? And/or would being friendly to a competitor take you out of your game and make it more difficult for you to put them away?

This is one of those cases where I'd probably leave the scene as it is even if I were to learn that it's improbable, because I like the way it works, and it is, after all, fiction. But I'm curious about how realistic it is, so if you have any ideas, I'd be grateful if you'd leave a comment here. Thanks!