Milkman Triathlon

  The Milkman Triathlon is one of the best events of the southwest series in my opinion.  This triathlon has been going on for 27 years and the race director, Larry Marshall has all the little details worked out so the event is very smooth.  I was especially pleased that before the race Larry said a prayer, praising God and also thanked the men and women who are serving our country.  As a matter of fact the t-shirt for this event says "God Bless America" and has a picture of three cows dressed in military attire, one cow holding swimming goggles, one with a bike helmet and the other with running shoes around his neck.  I would just like to thank Larry Marshall for acknowledging our one true sovereign God.  After the race the sponsors give lots of goodies to the athletes such as honey milk and ice cream (after all it is called the Milkman triathlon).  The awards for the top three finishers in each category are top notch.  The awards are old style milk Carafes and also coffee mugs are given to all first time triathletes.

Russ and I praising God for giving us the strength to race

  This triathlon is a sprint distance with a 500 meter swim, 12 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run.  The race is organized by waves, spaced apart by about 5 minutes.  The water this year was cold (68 degrees) but doable without a wetsuit.  I have never seen the water so clear which was a nice surprise because last year you could not see your own hand in front of your face.  This year was really special because my good friend and brother in Christ, Russell Shute,  joined me for the race.  Russ is such a blessing, as I mentioned in one of my first blog entries God introduced us and used him to inspire me to lose over 180 pounds competing in triathlons.  Both of us got into the water before the race to get use to the temperature which was a tremendous help. As the start gun went off I swam hard because my other friend and top competitor Robert Lovett was also part of the race and he is really fast!  One thing about open water swims is that they can be like a mosh pit and this year was no exception. I was hit, kicked and bumped into, several times, but that is just part of the sport.  This year I broke my personal PR for the swim so I was pleased.

Not for my glory but for the glory of God!

  The bike portion of this race is somewhat hilly but nothing to serious.  If I had to complain about anything, it would be that the roads on this race tend to be bumpy but that is also part of the race.  I pedaled hard and at the turn around point it felt like I hit a wall because of the head wind.  Also shortly after the half way point I spotted Robert Lovett which made me pedal harder.  I finished the bike slightly behind my PR by about 30 seconds.
  As I started the run I new that I would have to push the pace because Robert would be right behind me since running is his strength.  Half of this run is on pavement and the other half on trails which makes the changing terrain nice.  The run goes around the lake and about half a mile into the run it detours onto a trail which goes around a fishery.  Every year it never fails, around a mile and a half into the run you really feel the heat beating down on you.  A little after mile two the trail comes to an end and the final mile heads back around the lake and on pavement. I pushed during the final mile of the run and broke my PR for this race by 17 seconds.  No big deal but I am happy with any improvement.  The best part of the race is the many blessings that God has given me including the ability to swim, bike and run for his glory.