Triathlete?......Triathlete!!!!

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted. I thought I would take a minute and post about my big accomplishment this summer. This is mainly for me since I doubt anyone is checking this blog these days.
So I have had an eventful summer, besides all the personal things going on, I participated in my first two triathlons! I really didn't know if I could complete one in January when I decided to do this, however I did complete it, signed up for another, and am really proud of this accomplishment. I am not a boastful guy, but I think it's important to point out this completed life goal and use it as inspiration for future goals. So here is a synopsis of the races.

The first race was a sprint in Boulder. It was a 750 meter swim, a 17 mile bike ride and a 5k run. The swim was super slow, but i finished it! The slowest of the 3 events for me, but more enjoyable than the run. If you've ever swam in open water with a wetsuit you know it's a completely different experience than swimming in a pool. You can almost swim without kicking as the suit keeps your legs afloat. This allows you to save your legs for the bike and the run.
The bike was awesome! I love this part and I am the most competitive at this part. I just bought a new bike two weeks before the race and it was amazing. Carbonframe so it was super light and great to ride.
The runs sucked. Let me preface that I hate running, every step reminds me of how much I hate it. I think for personal reasons my hate of running has intensified lately, but I was about to power through it in the race. I actually didn't run as fast as I could of, as I was being careful to not over strain myself in my first tri. Anyway....I completed it, very slowly, but I did it! It was such a rush, I was afraid I was addicted.

The second race, 3 weeks later, was an Olympic distance in Loveland. It was a 1500m swim, a 30 mile bike and a 10k. It was awesome! I swam so much faster and didn't have to doggie paddle in the water at all. I ended up finishing faster than a couple other guys I trained with that started with me. The bike was great too. It was a pretty tough ride, going into the foothills with 2 really big hills and a lot of rollers the whole way. It was good though and I ended up with an 18mph average, so respectable for me :) My transition sucked though. I don't know how, but I ended up taking about 5 minutes on it! The run was next, a very flat and shady run, but still challenging considering my loathing for it! The end result.....a more competitive and respectable finish. By no means am I saying I am an expert at this, but I really love it and love the challenge of completing the race and even the training up to it.

I actually trained with Team in Training, which raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. I ended up raising $2400 so that was awesome. Since it's founding in '88, TNT has raised over $850 million for cancer research! In fact they are the leading provider of funds for the society and the money raised can be directly realized in the lives saved from new medicines and treatments discovered from this funding. Besides the philanthropic side, while training with the group I met a bunch of great people, found some new training friends, lost a bunch of weight and realized my potential more than I had in the past. If you are thinking of doing your first tri, I would highly recommend the group. They are national and the money raised is for a good cause. http://www.teamintraining.org/

Anyway, I have attached a photo of me in the race. Just wanted to have a record of me completing this goal and use it as inspiration when the training starts for next year :)