Let the Racing Begin

The racing season has begun!  Well, not triathlon yet.  The 37th Annual Spring Thaw run at North Park was this past Saturday.  There was a record turnout, and despite the mild winter we've been having, it snowed!!!  Several Lebo teachers laced up their running shoes.  Heather, Oscar, Veronica and I weathered the snow and wind and each turned in fantastic performances.  Heather did an easy 10 miles mentoring a few runners from her running group, while Oscar, Veronica, and I each managed 20 miles.  I was very happy with a finishing time of 2:32.  More importantly, this was a significant step in my preparation for September's FullREV ironman.  Prior to Saturday's run, I had never gone over 15 miles in one clip.  This 20 miler posed a physical and mental milestone.  I told Oscar afterward, "I could have gone another six if I had too, but I'm glad I'm not."  The other six being the six more miles to complete the marathon that concludes an ironman triathlon.  Of course, I'm disregarding the 112 mile bike ride that precedes the run.  Oh, and the 2.4 mile swim that precedes the bike.  Oh well, we'll save those struggles for another day.

Oscar and I in the cabin after our 20 mile run.

Saturday night had more triathlon in store as I participated in my first BallouSkies photo shoot.  It was a lot of fun to be together as a team for the first time in 2012.  I must thank Ryan Ballou and his father, Ty, once again for inviting me to be a part of the team.  It is a pleasure and an honor to be part of such an important cause as raising awareness and money for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) research.  Ty's enthusiasm is contagious, and I will wear the BallouSkies uniform with a lot of pride this season.  As for my teammates, they provide plenty of motivation to live up to their tremendous accomplishments.  What a great group.

The 2012 Ballou Skies Tri Team (minus Kim) 

Ballou Skies HOPE.  I'm the post in the "P."