Tri Tri Tri (and Tri) again..

Today was the 4th Annual Batavia Sprint Triathlon. It was my fourth year competing in this event. Each year it has gotten bigger, and better. I believe that there were about 650 competitors in the Triathlon (swim-bike-run), and another 200 or so in the duathlon (run-bike-run).

The weather cooperated very nicely, sunny warm (bordering on a bit to warm), no rain, and very little wind. It was a far cry from the overcast, drizzle, low 50's, and windy day we had last year.

Supporting Team World Vision (TWV) this year, and helping to raise support for the Ethiopian community TWV is sponsoring is my primary goal this year. Rather than just "doing it for the children", I guess you can say I'm "doing it for the whole community". As described in my "Welcome Message", I am hoping that through my own personal sacrifices, I can bring some good to others.

While supporting TWV is my primary goal, I still wanted to have a new personal record (PR). Last week, I had all but resolved to forgot that goal. I just didn't feel that good, I didn't have the mojo going.

I was relaxed and full of adrenaline this morning. I felt strong for the first 200meters of the swim sprint, but the second two hundred I really struggled to keep going. I don't have the official times and splits yet, I will post them once they are available. I felt my swim-to-bike transition was slow. But I felt very strong the whole bike ride. I had forgotten to start my cycle computer at the start so I can't really be sure on the AVG speed. I know it was 22-25MPH many times I looked down. That's well above my goals of 20MPH. The bike-to-run transition was tough, but normal from years past. That's when it hit me. I wasn't even to mile 1 of the 4.1 mile run sprint, and I felt awful. I cannot recall anytime I raced when I had a stronger urge to walk.

As I glanced at my heart rate monitor, it just kept climbing, 175, 185, 195.. YIKES! Even though I felt that I was slowing down a lot, I still couldn't get the heart rate down. If it were not for my wife yelling "Go Daddy Go" and my son yelling "Yeah Daddy" in a cute way only a 2 year old can do, I wouldn't have made made it much past mile 1. If it wasn't for my Dad at mile 3 cheering me on, just as I was about to hit the proverbial way, I would have surely started to walk. And I cannot forgot to mention my old running buddy Calvin, who made a surprise appearance to root me on with about 1/2 mile to go.

During that last mile, I remembered "Ted its about TWV and the families in Ethiopia you are helping". Cramped legs, exercise induced migraine already beginning, skyrocketing HR, with each step I literally kept praying "Lord let me finish", I lift it all up to to you for those families.

..Smile.. It is only partially evident from the finish line photo my wife took above, but from the comments from my Dad and wife made.. I guess I looked about as bad as I felt. In the end, I made it. I feel pleased with my effort. I certainly put it all out on the table, and left nothing behind. While the official times have not been posted, my unofficial time was 1 hour 20 minutes and 26 seconds. That would be 1 minute and 29 second faster than last years 1 hour, 21 minute and 55 second finish. It appears to be a new PR after all...

Thanks Calvin, Thanks Dad, Thanks J, and Thanks E for cheering me on today. It meant the world. And thanks God for giving me the ability to persevere and accepting my day as an offering for others.

Peace...

(Coming tomorrow, official race results and splits, and words on my good friend Luis who completed his first triathlon today after only learning to swim 2 months ago. Awesome Job!!)