Race Report-Small Texan Triathlon

We found out this weekend that the "small" in Small Texan Triathlon does not refer to the hills encountered on the course! This was a challenging olympic distance race and a good test of will and problem solving skills as it turned out. The elevation changes were comparable to Lubbock but instead of a 56 mile bike ride, the hills were crammed into a 28 mile course. That left us with little time for recovery between climbs and jelly legs once we got to the run.

The swim was not my best, by far. I struggled to get out of the pack and seemed to be caught up in the churn of other competitors for most of the 1500 meters. That combined with difficulties seeing the directional buoys led to the slower time. One of those swims that you just have to get through. The bike portion was tough (see above!) all the way around. Pretty much max effort for the majority of the course. I was happy with my time in the end but I had to work for it, for sure. That made for a difficult 6.2 mile run which also featured some unpleasant changes in elevation. I was happy to keep it together, even though I had to slow my pace a bit to make it through. My heart rate hit some numbers that I've never seen before. Racing or training. In the end I finished at 3:15:32. Good enough for 11th in an age-group with 24 competitors. Not bad considering my swim was 21st (out of 24). OUCH!

Hope all of you had a good weekend. For now, back to the training grindstone. Clear Lake International is right around the corner. Another olympic race but this time flat and in our own back yard. Clear Lake will also be the first time that Tri4Him-Houston will compete as a team against several local tri groups. Hope some of you will be able to make it out to watch.

Race Week-Small Texan Triathlon

It's time to race again folks. This weekend we're off to Boerne, Texas for The Small Texan Triathlon. A challenging olympic distance race (1.5K/45K/10K) that will offer another nice change of scenery and, once again, hills. Really looking forward to this one. It'll only be my second race at this distance, giving me a chance to see where (or if) I've improved. Also, a step down in distance, which is nice mentally. This race and Clear Lake, next month, will serve mostly to keep me motivated and having fun heading into the final few months before Ironman Florida...yes, it's just a few months away! Scary thought, but good scary. Three other Houston Tri4Himers will also be making the trip to race. Always a plus to have team support, encouragement, and mutual motivation on race day. Don't know a whole lot going into this one, but I'm sure it'll be a fun day.

Interestingly, we've got a pretty good race going between my training mileage and our WVR donations progress. This week, the 2000 mile mark was eclipsed and the current fundraising is at $1900. Don't let me log more miles than that dollar amount! Kidding aside, your contributions to this point are awesome and much appreciated. By the way, I just looked at WVR's current "wish list," and they've got a minivan listed as a need. What they're needing will range from $8000-$10,000. How great would it be to raise enough to get them in one or real close to it? If you haven't checked them out, I'd encourage you to do so by clicking the Wears Valley Ranch link on this page. Lots of information there including some testimonials from kids whose lives they touched. Inspiring stuff. If you haven't yet and would like to help out, just click the "firstgiving" link over on the right-hand side of this page. There you can make your donation in any amount, big or small. You know you want that mini van!

Once again, thanks for all of the support and interest you've shown. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers this weekend and I'll be sure to let you know what happens when I get back.