On Sunday, I competed in the Half Vineman Triathlon in Santa Rosa, along with a huge group of my best triathlete friends and training buddies! It was my last of 4 Half Ironman races this season and I really wanted to redeem my bike performance from my last race in Texas.

I always have some little goal of my own, but I realize each time that God has a bigger purpose for allowing me to continue racing, and I believe that is to bring exposure to Him through what I do and how I act at the races.

Carl and I drive to Guerneville for the swim start. He's doing an Ironman in 3 wks so we periodically talk about the rigors of balancing life, work, training, and relationships. We agree that Jesus has the best answer: give everything up to Him and He will in turn give everything back in the right proportions.

It's chilly as we bike through the lifting fog in an effort to warm up. The transition area is bustling. Soon the pros are off and our many waves are lined up for the swim up and down the Russion River. The crowd laughs as someone, late for their start, springs into the river 2min behind but swimming very strong. I learned this was my friend, Marco, beginning his last chance of qualifying today.

The Swim

I feel so comfortable during the swims now. I keep a good line and keep looking for feet to follow. The water is dark but seems clear and the perfect temperature. Before we're 3/4 to the turn-around, a guy in our group is already half way back! (He posted a 17min swim, 7min faster than the next guy and arguably a new world record. Although he was a 1992 Olympic swimmer, he was still disqualified for the cutting the swim course. Probably an accident)

I feel pretty strong on the way back and at the finish battle out the sprint with 4 other guys to finish in 29min.

T1

After hopping up with one leg for a while because my wetsuit was being funny and wouldn't release "Off Kujo!" I hustled to my bike while a friend, Cristin, yelled "Go Todd, Troy's right behind you".

The Bike

This is where I have to make it hurt. I'm determined to see what I can do once and for all on the bike because I feel I don't always push hard enough. I can tell this ride is going better than Buffalo Springs, 2 weeks ago, because I can feel a temporary pain in the top of my hamstrings. I had raised my saddle up and think that maybe it was too low in Texas. The pain goes away in 5mi and now I just focus on maintaining 23.5mph. If I can do this I'll be so happy! Only 2 guys challenge me during the bike so I feel I'm doing pretty good. 1 guy I'm going back and forth with finally pulls away at 30mi and I can't keep up but I'm still going faster than my last race. I eat a PowerBar and only drink about 4 bottles of water & Cytomax. I climb up and over Chalk Rd hill well, much better than I remember last year when I had to do it twice). On the final stretch I'm glued to my speedometer which reads Average Speed: 23.4mph. I'm going like crazy and wonder if those around are wondering why I'm hammering so hard as we get near the run transition. My legs are starting to hurt in different places. 23.5mph! Yes! Thank you, God! I guess it's a personal thing, I just feel better now and don't mind what happens on the run. Just wanted to prove I could ride fast. 2:24 was the actual bike split. I actually did this in 1995, too, when I was racing against Clint Gaver. That was my previous fastest bike split.

T2

Quick transition :)

The Run

I find myself surprised and saying out loud, "Wow, I feel pretty good". In fact I felt great and ran 5:26 and 6:20 for the first 2 miles (slightly downhill). The temperature is great. A cool breeze blowing in the shade. I know that Jim Grant (trying for a slot) is ahead of me. The Olympic swimmer is out there, too. And then another guy goes by me. I want to catch him. I commit to catching him later. I hear him asking for "coke" at the next aid station. This must mean he's struggling and needs a boost quick. However I never did catch him and he beat me by 3 min.

After 3 more miles of 6:37, 6:23, and 6:52 and an average heart rate of 160 (great!) I start to see my buddies (& fierce competitors!), who started in the earlier waves, coming back. I hear a spectator say, "Did you see Kevin Kennedy? He's running like a man possessed!". Sure enough, I see Kevin and he's flying! And so is Marco! Significantly making up his 2min late start in the swim. And then Jim Grant, Matt Bracco, Christine Heilman, Jamie Casio. Everybody seems to be at this race!

Mile 7. After making the turn-around and finding some targets ahead to go after, I'm really getting excited and pushing harder. My heart rate averages 170bpm the next 2 miles and my splits are down below 6:30. I see Mark Cosgrove and John Dougery behind me. I encourage John to "make the supreme effort". I know how bad he wants to qualify.

Mile 9. Heart rate staying at 175. My monitor alarm is beeping at me. At Mile 11 I'm going to turn off the alarm and forget about heart. Coach Muddy Waters rides by and hears my alarm beeping. "What's your heart rate?" 175". He says, "You have to bring it down" "I can't". He tries to understand why I'm going so hard and asks, "You already qualified, right?" "Yes, but all my buddies are out here". I realize there that my friends really help make me race hard. I love telling the stories afterwards and hearing what everyone went through to try beating each other.

Mile 11. I turn off the beeping, eat a GU and drop the pace. Way up ahead I see a group of guys going hard and alternate between believing "I can catch them" and "No way, just let 'em go". So I'm faced with 1.5mi, 5 tough competitors, and the pain of going faster.

Near the end of races I find myself hoping I won't see anyone so I won't have to go any faster. But I thank God later when I find I'm able to rise above what I thought was already too much.

It makes me reflect on the trials and tribulations of life. And the sinking feeling when we're already operating at the edge of our abilities, and then something worse goes wrong. I pray that God will help me, and you, to see these moments as blessings, as tests that God makes up knowing we can pass. And yet situations just hard enough that we realize it took a little faith in God to get by.

I feel God telling me "don't worry, you've got more" and I suddenly sprint towards the group. Rounding a left run, "On your left!" I go shoulder to shoulder with the pack. I'm in the middle. The heavy breathing and grunting all around me. One guy yells to the leader that I'm coming up. A volunteer directs us into a winding course of cones through the trees. On a right turn I take the lead but our feet are almost hitting each other. Out of the dark trees, the bright sunlight shows a 100 yd stretch to the finish line and the stands of spectators. 5 guys are on my tail and I wonder if I can make it to the line. Yes!! By 2 secs I finish ahead of them. It feels terrific and I have to thank God for putting that challenge ahead of me. Hopefully I will be that appreciative of the other "life" challenges that are put before during the coming week.

The Finish

Because of that "battle with the boys" I reaped other rewards I wasn't even aware of. I broke 4:20 by 5 seconds, something I've always wanted to do. I beat my 2 toughest friends, Kevin and John, that raced in other waves, by 10 and 50 seconds respectively. And I moved to 6th place by 34 seconds.

One of my friends came up and asked, "What can you attribute to racing so well this year?" All I could say was, "Jesus working in my life". He said, "That's great. Now really, what have you done?" :)

God bless. And remember, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matt 6:33

Troy