Holloman AFB Duathlon review

    I will have to say that I was really worried about this race to begin with because it seemed very disorganized.  To begin with, both Cody Hanson and I had trouble with our registration.   Secondly, when I arrived at the event other athletes were told that they were not registered.  Once I received my packet, (which was a very cheap T-shirt, race number and a number to stick on you helmet), I went out side and had to move my bike because they decided to move the transition area to a new area.  At this point I was really beginning to wonder about this race and was thinking it would be my last one!  However, after everything was ironed out, it was a wonderful event and the race itself was run well.  There were plenty of volunteers that did a great job and always deserve many thanks because without them races would not be possible.  There were also plenty of signs directing the athletes along the course and plenty of water stations.  Not only was this a great day to race, a bunch of fast athletes were in attendance which is always great for a challenge.
    The 5k run was a flat out and back course.  Originally I was not happy with my time of 27:29 but after seeing my garmin I saw that the coarse was 3.25 miles rather than 3.1.  So my pace was about 8:34 which is not bad for this Clydesdale.  My main competition, Robert Lovett, told me that he had a bad run but he beat me by a full 3 minutes.  He is certainly blessed with the gift of being able to run fast.
    The 30k bike which measured out to be 18.8 miles on my garmin was also flat and fast.  I pedaled hard and chased Robert the best I could.  At the half way point I spotted Robert and had made up some time on him.  By seeing each other we both pushed hard to finish the second half of the bike leg.  I was able to make up two minutes on him but came up short.  He beat me by one minute.  Robert received 1st place in the Clydesdale category and I received 2nd. What a great race!
    Just to mention a few other athletes that I know, Cody Hanson, as always, had a strong race.  I can't say enough about Cody, he is so dedicated and driven.  After the race everyone was enjoying the meal that Holloman provided for the athletes but Cody is so strict on his diet that he had his own food (White chicken and fruit).  How does he do it?  Cody, I take off my hat to you, keep up the hard work.
   Jason McClure is beyond incredible on the bike.  How does such a big guy ride so fast?  Jason who has raced as a Clydesdale in the past decided to race in his age group and received third place.  I am certainly inspired by him to try racing in my age group as well in the near future, if God is willing of coarse.
    Brooks Vandivort, who I just met this year, is an amazing athlete.  He is fast on the run and the bike and received 1st place in his division and 3rd place overall with a time of 1:12:33.
    Flip Lyle, who is a legend Triathlete, always says that he wins because no one else is alive in his age group.  Today there were three athletes in the 60 plus division and Flip finished 1st place, winning by 13 seconds!  Did I mention that just a few months ago Flip had an bike accent in a triathlon breaking several rips and his shoulder.  He is truly and inspiration to all.  I can only hope that I will be blessed enough to be racing at that age.
     Despite the problems that were experienced with registration and the moving of the transition area before the race, I would still highly recommend doing an event at the Holloman AFB.  After the race lunch was provided for the athletes at the Raptors Nest, which was a really nice dinning facility.  It actually felt like smelly athletes did not belong in such a nice place.  As a matter of fact when I walked in the first thing I thought was steak and lobster!  Probably just the mentality of a hungry Clydesdale triathlete. I was a little disappointed that they were not on the menu, however, the pasta and salad that was served was wonderful.
    Thanks again to all who worked hard to put on a great race!  Most importantly Thanks to God who has given me the physical ability to race and for keeping all the athletes safe in today's race.  All of my accomplishments are thanks to God for his loving grace and especially for His Son Jesus Christ who died for our sins to save us.  May it be for his glory that I compete. 

Messia Valley Triathlon review

  As always Tri Sports put on a great triathlon at NMSU.  They supplied the athletes with a technical t-shirt and nice plaques for awards.  This race was a reverse sprint triathlon.  The 5k run was out and back and mostly flat with very slight inclines that really were not noticable.  I was able to run a personal best for the run so I was pleased.  The bike was also out and back, and was a fifteen mile ride with slight rolling hills that were not difficult.  What made the ride a little more challenging is that it felt like there was a head wind through out the race.  Unfortunately, one of my competitors and friends, Robert Lovett crashed on the bike.  He is such a fast runner that I had to chase him on the bike.  To my suprise he had not racked his bike when I reached T2.  The swim was held at NMSU at the Olympic size out door pool.  The total distance of the swim was 500 meters and the water felt great!  I did finish first but was disappointed that Robert was delayed with his crash.  In my opinion the thrill of racing in triathlons comes from the competition. Robert did get 2nd place despite his mishap but I am sure he will be back stronger than ever.
  I would also like to mention that Christy Jones, who is head of the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), got first place in her division.  She is an inspiration as an athlete and most importantly as a  Christian.
  This was a great sprint triathlon and I highly recommend it and sure hope that they will have it again next year.  I especially like the timing that Tri Sports supply.  They provide timing for all legs of the race, however, T1 is included with the bike split and T2 is included with the swim split.
  The South West series Challenge awards were also presented after the race and of coarse the awards were great.  I would just like to thank all who are involved in putting the series together and for all your hard work and also all of the volunteers and workers of the MV Triathlon.

Sully's Super Sprint Triathlon Review

Cody Hanson, John Gardea and Robert Lovett

   The Sully Super Sprint Triathlon is Held in Alpine, Texas and is a great place to visit.  I love this triathlon because it has the cheapest entry fee (35$) of the southwest series and the goody bag is great.  This year participants received a technical t-shirt, a cotton t-shirt of the University, sport beans and honey milk.    The metals for those who place are really nice.  Best of all are the volunteers which are posted at every turn.  I am certainly grateful to the volunteers because without them triathlons would not be possible.
    This race is a reverse triathlon and starts with a 5k run which takes you around the campus with some rolling hills.  The bike is out and back on highway 90 with a gradual up hill climb heading out.  Of coarse that means you get to go down hill on the way back.  The swim is up and back in each lane and totals 360 meters.  This is certainly a small triathlon but I highly recommend it because it is so well organized and the athletes are well taken care of.  The only problem I have is that because it is a small town finding a place to eat healthy can be a challenge.  I highly recommend Driving out to Marfa at night to check out the Marfa lights during your stay, should you visit Alpine.
    The best thing about triathlons is that I have been able to meet wonderful people such as Cody Hanson and Robert Lovett.  Both of these triathletes inspire me to work harder.  How wonderful it is to live a healthy life style when you take up the sport of triathlon.