I am now officially a triathlete! Got to tell you…I really like the sound of that.

RACE DAY REFLECTIONS

• Got up at 4:00 am and journaled to God.
• Trying to communicate gratitude to God was emotional. How do you express thanks to someone like God? Basically, I told Him this…Thank you for helping and encouraging and kicking my butt thru this whole journey. I love you.
• Ate the breakfast of champions…oatmeal.
• I also ate bananas…they are a racer’s friend.
• Loaded up with the fam…headed off to the course.
• Registered and set up transitions stations
• My worst nightmare…they replaced the swim with a run
• Canceled the swim because of the surf (Hurricane Kyle and rip currents)
• I like swimming…I hate running.
• Second worst nightmare. No iPods. I can’t run without my worship jams
• Not cool…1.5 mile run, 15 mile bike, 5 k…No iPod.
• My goals? Don’t quit or stop and FINISH THE RACE.
• Made the first 1.5 mile…had to pick up my pace…old guy was beating me.
• Coolest thing ever to hear my family cheering for me!
• They all ran aside me with their posters and kept cheering!
• I definitely had the BEST cheering out of 700 traithletes
• Did I tell you I like the sound of that?
• Got on my Pee Wee Herman modified bike
• 15 miles here I come!
• Suffering from Railroad Tracks Phobia since my spill.
• Had to ride over 2 railroad tracks…made it…almost crashed on the bridge
• Saw about 4 bikers crash. Yikes!
• Half way on bike…feeling OK
• 3/4 of the way on bike…hamstrings hurting…stinking Pee Wee Herman bike!
• Old guy just passed me…he has a better bike!
• Finishing up with my bike. Debbie and the kids are screaming like crazy!
• I’m blessed.
• I like swimming. I hate running.
• Here I go…if I quit…this will be the leg
• I miss my iPod
• Kept going thru Scripture in my head (Heb. 12:11) (1Cor. 9:24) (Heb. 12:1-3)
• Same old guy keeps passing me…he has an iPod! Not Cool!
• Half way…haven’t stopped…water table…needed that!
• Can’t believe I’m almost done…insane that 6 weeks ago I was 40 lbs heavier
• I can’t see the crowd yet, but I hear them…getting very emotional
• Picking up the pace as fast as I can now. I see the finish line ¼ mile away
• I can now hear Debbie and the kids…running as hard as I can!!!!!
• I’m a basket case!
• Thinking about tripping the old guy…just kidding…I did pass him!
• I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Footage to come…from Devin…enjoy the pics

I asked my bride and kids to refer to me now as Triath-a-MAN. I think I’ll copyright that since I just made that up.