It's Time to Renew My Old Addiction: Triathlon

I haven't raced a triathlon since Ironman St George in 2010.

Weird.

Especially considering it was such a huge part of my life for 10+ years prior to that.

I guess I just got burned out after training so much in the 9 months leading up to that race, and I needed a break after. A change of pace is good for a person, right?

Well, if you follow my blog or Facebook or Instagram, you probably know I've filled the hole with golf.

A lot of golf. (see posts here, here, here, here, here, and here)

Yes, I consider myself a pretty decent golfer now, and I'm proud of that fact.

I enjoy playing, especially with my friends. But I worry because I'm starting to get the classic golfer belly.
Not too bad, but more than I want. I'd like to get that triathlon body back, and I think it'll improve my golf game if I'm in better shape, too.

I'll be stronger, more flexible, and I won't be sucking wind when it's a hilly course or I play 36 holes in a single day (yes, I've done that, and yes, I recognize it's excessive).

So as part of my rehab from the torn Achilles last year, I have been swimming and biking, and I'm slowly getting my jogging back to a level where I'll be able to run the 5K necessary to at least finish a sprint tri later this year.

I'd been hoping to prep for TriUtah's Jordanelle race, as it was always one of my favorites back when I lived in Utah previous to heading to DC, but it's more likely that I could prep for Ogden Valley on Sept 14th.

Fortunately, I also loved Ogden Valley, so it'd be a great return-to-triathlon race. Even though the distances are a little longer than a standard sprint, including a 4-mile run which will test me.

But if we don't push ourselves, and we don't try, then we can't succeed. So that's my goal.

Happy training and I'll keep you all posted on my progress!

Metallica Monday: Fuel

The saga of my healing from a torn Achilles tendon continues...

My doc and the PT cleared me just this month to begin doing workouts again, and it's been awesome.

Not working out was driving me absolutely crazy, so I've loved getting back to the gym.

Mainly I've been swimming and biking, and this week I've done a little on the elliptical.

And those sweet, sweet endorphins just keep fueling my fire to want to get back in shape for races and triathlons this summer, and to drop all the unwanted pounds I've put on both before and after the injury.

Which is why today's Metallica Monday song is none other than:

Fuel

If that video and song doesn't get you pumped up, I don't know what will.

So what fuels you?

Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride

No, not me.

But thanks for your concern, Mom and Grandma.

I was thinking about sports stars that were overshadowed by someone just a little bit better.
If not for the super-star, these guys would have owned their era, winning championships or tournaments or races all along the way. And their names would be the ones synonymous with excellence.
Note: I'm not saying they aren't champions; they just didn't get the glory they would have received if not for their contemporary.

Here are a couple I've identified [tormentor in brackets]:

Karl Malone & John Stockton [Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen]
The Utah Jazz stars played over 1,400 regular-season games together and went to the NBA Finals in two consecutive years. Unfortunately, Jordan and Pippen were waiting for them both times, and the pick-and-roll just wasn't enough to steal that elusive championship ring from the Bulls' clutches.

Jan Ullrich [Lance Armstrong]
Everyone knows who Lance Armstrong is. Pretty much only cyclists and cycling fans know who Jan Ullrich is. That's because Jan only won the Tour de France once (1997) prior to Lance taking the cycling world by storm and finishing in the yellow jersey 7 times in a row (1999-2005).

Phil Mickelson [Tiger Woods]
Yes, Phil has had a whole lot of success in his career, and he isn't done yet. Their rivalry has defined an era in golf, with most people remembering Tiger's ability to finish tournaments. On the flip side, Phil too often let leads slip away late in the weekend. Time remains for Phil to catch up, but at present Phil has 4 Major championships to Tiger's 14. Better get on it, Lefty.

Boston Red Sox [New York Yankees]
I have love for both teams, but you have to admit the Yankees have had more success when it really matters: the post-season and especially the World Series. Prior to Schilling's bloody sock in 2004, the Sox suffered an 86-year championship draught, during which the Bronx Bombers won 26 titles. Ouch.

Cameron Brown [Tim DeBoom & Peter Reid]
Outside of triathlete circles, not many people know of Cameron. At the Ironman Championships in Kona, HI, he took top 3 in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005, as well as two other top-10 finishes, but was never able to cross that line first. To his credit, Cameron has dominated Ironman New Zealand with 10 wins and 2 second-place finishes from 2000-2011.

All these poor guys/teams sadly had their incredible careers which happened to coincide with other guys/teams at a slightly higher peak. We still applaud their skills and accomplishments, but the rivalry didn't come out in their favor. Tough break, but that's the way sports are.

Runners Crawling to the Finish Line

On Tuesday, Christian Bergeron, a cross country runner in Lousiana, showed some serious guts and determination in finishing his final high school race. He was in 13th place and only 25 yards from the finish line. Then his legs gave out.

Dehydration robbed him of his ability to physically function. After multiple attempts at standing up and finishing, he crawled across the line and into his brother's arms. Here's a local TV station's recap:

If you've never seen the following videos from some of the Ironman championship races, they are incredible. These are finely-tuned athletes, who do their best to optimize performance through training and nutrition over months and years. But sometimes their tanks just get down to zero.

Wondering about that "spirit of Julie Moss" mentioned at the end of that clip? Here's her finish in 1982.

As heart-breaking as these clips are to watch, I'm inspired by their desire to finish and how nothing, not even the inability to put one foot in front of the other, was going to stop them from crossing that finish line.

I honestly get choked up every time I revisit these.
Man, I love sports.

I Am Ironman

Note 1: prepare yourself for a novel of a blogpost. I'm not apologizing; just giving you forewarning. This was a long race, and it deserves a long post. Pictures have been liberally added to reduce reader boredom.

Note 2: a minor/major distinction. Iron Man = superhero crime fighter. Ironman = endurance triathlon.

The Beginning (2000)

I did my first triathlon in the year 2000. The Wild Bill Hickman Triathlon was held in Tooele, UT at a local rec center. It was a sprint, and I didn't really know what I was in for. For those that don't know, a triathlon is generally in swim-bike-run order. However, as the swim would be in a pool, the organizers reversed the order, making the Wild Bill Hickman a run-bike-swim. I believe the main reason was so the participants would be spread out a bit by the swim portion and the pool wouldn't be too crowded all at once.

The actual race is kinda hazy after 10 years and so many races since then. But here's what I remember: The 5k run went pretty smoothly. It was a little chilly, so I wore my red gloves. And I wore my Adidas running shorts because I was embarrassed to wear just my Speedo. Anyways, I'd been running a lot, so I felt strong getting on the bike. The bike is a blur, except I recall going over some train tracks and that my calves started majorly cramping up with a couple miles to go. So I gutted that out and then hopped in the pool... where my calves promptly cramped up twice as bad as on the bike. I swam with my feet flexed (try to bring your toes to your shins), causing my legs to be like anchors in the water. Let's just say it was a slow and painful swim. When I climbed out of the pool, the finish line was close by and I was stoked to be done.

Turns out that I won my division in that race. It was the novice division, but still. Some of my family had come to watch, and I was happy they could see me do well enough to get on the podium. Then I did something that might be considering foolish and telling of my youthful exuberance: I decided I loved triathlon and I was going to do the Ironman before I turned 30 years old.

Building a Foundation (2001-2009)

Flash forward almost 10 years. Except for a 2-year hiatus from the sport, I've been doing multiple triathlons and running races every year. In 2007, I took the leap from sprint and Olympic distance races to the Florida 1/2 Ironman. As a training lead-up to St George, I participated in the Longhorn 1/2 Ironman in Austin, TX in late 2009.

Achieving the Goal (2010)

After flying from DC to Salt Lake and getting a good night's rest at my parents' house, I left early on Thursday morning, picked up Brea in Provo, and we drove down to St George. Our first order of business was to head to the race expo to sign in and get body-marked.
Unlike my previous races, where they just use a marker to write your race number on your arm and your age on your calf, at full Ironman events they prefer to basically spray paint the numbers on. My number: 916. Yes, it's the same upside down as it is right side up. Double cool.Note: my age for the race was 30, because USA Triathlon recently made a rule that your age for sanctioned events is whatever you'll be as of December 31 of the race year. This is to simplify the age comparisons for racers. I'm only 29 until December. Don't make me feel older than I already do!After grabbing some dinner, we chilled at the hotel for a bit and Brea gave me a goody bag (a.k.a. survival kit) for the race, which included all the delicious post-race treats as well as practical in-race food/drinks pictured here:Friday's required morning tasks were to drop off my transition bags and bike at T1 (bike/run in downtown St George) and T2 (swim/bike at Sand Hollow Reservoir). While we were downtown, we stopped at the finish line, which was eerily quiet but kinda got me excited just to stand under.Race day! I was up at 3:30 AM in order to eat and catch the athlete buses to Sand Hollow Reservoir. Of course I was feeling some nerves, but I was mostly just excited to get the day going. My parents, Megan, and Brea made it to the start on time, and we chatted for a bit before the gun went off and Ironman St George had begun!The water was ~59 degrees on race day, so a lot of competitors were wearing full-sleeved wetsuits. I don't like feeling constricted, and being a Utah boy am fairly used to cold water triathlon swims, so I used my new sleeveless. So glad I did. I focused on staying relaxed, avoiding big clumps of swimmers, and spotting often so I wouldn't swim off course. No sense adding distance; 2.4 miles is plenty long enough! My hands and feet were pretty chilly when I came out of the water, but overall I felt good and didn't feel like I'd pushed myself too hard, which was exactly according to plan. Swim time: 1 hr, 28 mins.I usually pride myself on quick transitions, but that wasn't my concern during this race. So after an almost 20-minute T1, due to a full clothing change, eating and drinking a little, and not rushing, I was on my bike and starting the long journey to and around St George. Aside: meanwhile, my adoring/adorable fans were back on the buses and continuing with their day. For a spectator's viewpoint on the Ironman experience, check out my sister's great blogpost.After 21 miles of riding to the outskirts of St George, I was into my rhythm and taking it fairly easy. I knew I still had a lot of racing to do. 112 miles is no laughing matter. As a result, I just relaxed and tried to be efficient in my pedal stroke and cadence.
Having reached St George, I started the first of two 43 mile loops. I'd heard stories of it being a tough bike course. At the expo, Brea and I listened to some guys discussing their practice rides of the loop and how they were going to approach it during the race. Still, I didn't know quite what to expect. I gotta be honest; the longest ride of my life before this race was an 80-miler I did during training. Scenery like this helped me keep going and not even realize how long I'd been on the bike:Here's my description of each loop:

1. Loooong, mostly flat section with brutal headwind. Some kinda bumpy sections and a few cattle guards. Winding canyon ride and pretty scenic.
2. Hairpin turn going into a 0.5 mile climb. Not just any climb, mind you. It feels like it's straight up. First go around, it wasn't too too (intentional repeat) bad, but the second time had me down to 3 mph -- yes I looked at my speedometer -- and just trying to inch forward and not fall over.
3. Kind of gently rising rollers and beautiful road surface for a bit. This lasted a couple miles; just long enough to catch your breath and take in some nutrition.
4. Climb #2. Longer but not as steep. In fact, only my first lap, I didn't realize until later that it was the 0.7-mile climb everyone had been talking about. Fast forward to second loop. I definitely noticed it this time.
5. Aero descent practice. Yes, all the tough riding was rewarded with a 15-mile downhill. This is where you refuel on the flat parts and go for mad speed whenever possible. On both loops, I was pushing to see how fast I could get. 45 mph. Loved it. To quote Ricky Bobby: "I wanna go fast!"
6. Lather, rinse, repeat.

During my second loop, I was greeted with this sight at about mile 75. Every time that I got to see my fans, it gave me a huge boost. Seriously, how could you not be stoked to see these smiling faces? They were awesome and I'm glad they had a good time cheering for all of the race participants. I know it was a long day for them, too, and I appreciate so much that they all came to support me.I was pretty happy to get off the bike, just because that meant I was one event closer to the finish line. Bike time: 7 hrs, 24 mins.

Surprisingly, I actually felt pretty good overall at this point. I tried to restrain my pacing in the first 13.1 miles of the run, and completed the first of two hilly loops in about 2 hrs 30 mins. Not too shabby.Unfortunately, that pace and the full day of racing was taking its toll, and my stomach decided at mile 14 that it needed a rest from digesting the simple sugars of Clif Bloks and Powergels and Gatorade, mingled with the occasional Powerbar. The little Gatorade in my stomach found its way up my esophagus and onto the side of the road, and I shuffled along at a slower clip up the toughest hill, sipping on water when my stomach would allow. By mile 20, I'd regained some composure and ability to take in nutrients, and was able to move like this:Believe me, this is pretty fast compared to the speed I was moseying along at times. When thinking in miles became too much to bear, I resorted to focusing on the next cone ahead (generally 50 or so yards down the road) and telling myself to "just reach that one and then you can quit." Of course, when I got to that cone, I looked up at the next cone and determined to "just reach that one, and you can be done." This lasted about 10 miles. 50 yards at a time. Run time: 5 hrs, 27 mins.It was all worth it. Crossing the line and being able to put my hands in the air. Hearing the announcer yell, "Aaron Smyth (mis-pronounced Smith, as usual), YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" My family and friends can attest to my getting emotional at this point, and I won't deny it. My 10-year goal had come to fruition, and my body was exhausted. Not particularly sore, and I wasn't actually too sore at any point after the race, but utterly and completely exhausted.
If you do the math, and add in transitions, my total time was:

Swim 01:28:24

T1 00:18:31

Bike 07:24:19

T2 00:08:35

Run 05:27:15

Total 14:47:04

While I just wanted to finish, and thus didn't really care what place I came in, that time put me in 1,133rd position overall, and 135th in my age group. I'm plenty happy with both of those.

Prologue a.k.a. Mushy Stuff

I want to thank everyone who helped me accomplish this monumental life goal and for supporting me all along. The grad student who taught the UofU triathlon class for the one semester that I was at the UofU before my mission (seriously, if that isn't fate, I don't know what is). A veritable plethora of running partners through the years. Roommates who gave me a hard time about being comfortable in spandex and nicknamed me "Lance Armstrong," followed by either real or feigned interest in my training and race results.

Friends that didn't disown me for not being able to stay out late because I had a big training day the next morning. Employers who provided financial incentives to employees to stay healthy, by helping with race fees. Fellow competitors for teaching me to push harder and faster, making me a better triathlete in the process. All the competent and considerate drivers on the roads of Utah, California, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Maryland, who avoided killing me during training and races in your states. The countless volunteers and race organizers at all the events I've competed in. Classmates and co-workers that listened to the minutiae of technique and details of individual races that they probably didn't even care about.

And most importantly, I want to thank my family. A loving family which always encouraged me and looked past my insanity to see the passion and drive underneath. My parents split the cost of my first bike and were supportive even when races took me away from family events, and wonderful siblings who came to see races and/or asked how those races went afterwards.

Thank you all so much!! I couldn't have done it without you!!

I AM IRONMAN.

The Stars at Night, Are Big and Bright...

For my big triathlons, I like to make it a completely different experience. I figure, if I'm going to do it, I might as well travel somewhere fun for the race, right? So for my second 1/2 Ironman (see my first here), I chose to race in a state that's famous for going big and being big. The great state of Texas.Thursday
The Longhorn 70.3 Austin 1/2 Ironman was on Sunday, so I flew into Austin on Thursday to have time to acclimate and see a little of the city. I didn't want to just fly in, race, and fly home. If I'm going to Texas, I want to see the place and have a well-rounded experience. After getting my rental car and heading to the hotel, I used the internet to find a small restaurant where I could get some brisket, which Texas is known to cook well.

Friday
Having seen some of Austin, I can say that I really like it. There is a lot going on, but it still maintains that small-town feel. First I went to the University of Texas at Austin to see the campus. I parked right by the football stadium, and it was an impressive sight. The rest of campus was also very nice, and students were helpful in giving me directions.The Texas State Capitol is an interesting yet beautiful building. Maybe my favorite feature is that it's made of "sunset red" granite, so it kind of has a pinkish hue. Not your typical government building, to be sure.I also wanted to see if all the hype about Texas high school football is legit, so I went to a nearby high school game that I found on the internet. Unfortunately, I picked a game between two private, Christian schools, so it was a small (though high scoring) affair. Maybe next time I come to Texas I'll see what I've been hearing about all these years.

Saturday
In order to race, you have to go to registration and attend a safety briefing. That was my main task on Saturday. Registration and sign-in were held at Luedecke Arena, which is where T2 (bike-to-run) and the finish line would be for the race, so it was good to be able to get my bearings and know how that portion would be.Sunday
Didn't get much sleep, but I was up super-early to drive down, park, and take the shuttle to Walter E. Long Park, which is where the swim in Decker Lake and T1 (swim-to-bike) were. The professionals started at 7:30, but my swim wave didn't start until 8:40. My swim went alright; nothing too eventful. Just settled in and churned through it.The bike course was challenging. Not because it was hilly or too hot or anything like that, but because the middle third of the course was pretty bumpy. That leaves the butt bones a bit raw. No bueno. However, I finished the bike on pace for my overall goal.The run was a different story. I was pacing myself alright early on, and lasted about 4 miles with a 10-min/mile (run 9, walk 1). Then the run course had its way with me. Both the fronts and backs of both legs cramped up with a vengeance. The next 9 miles were a battle of will.I jog-walked the whole way, making friends during the frequent walk breaks and taking in the scenery. Each time I'd jog again, I'd last maybe a 1/2 mile and then my legs would threaten to fully cramp and buckle under me, so I'd have to resume walking. I pushed the last mile in order to make my overall goal, and entered Luedecke Arena with just enough time to beat that goal by 10 seconds, for a total time of 6:29:48. And boy, was I happy to fire off my six-shooters in the air and be done!

Takes a Licking...

Young man, there's no need to feel down.

I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.

I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town.

There's no need to be unhappy.

Young man, there's a place you can go.

I said, young man, when you're short on your dough.

You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find

Many ways to have a good time.

"YMCA" by the Village People

For the past 10 years, the Roanoke Valley YMCA has held a fund raiser that brings triathletes from all over the state (and some from other states, of course). The Big Lick Triathlon was a great event and very well put together. Smith Mountain Lake is a beautiful setting and the recent rain made the scenery green and lush.My race was fairly standard, with a little run drama due to my unhappy IT band. Using kinesio tape helped for most of the race, but the rain during the bike ride made the tape fail during the run. Oh well, it was good while it lasted, and maybe I can find a better way to adhere it to my skin. Superglue?In her final race of the season, Julie tore it up and came in 3rd in her division. Great job, Julie!

Crash and Burn: A Triathlon Story

A) I love running races right in Washington DC. There's just something so cool about running past national monuments and the highest seats of power in this great nation.

B) I love running triathlons. I've been doing them about 10 years now, and I've loved racing in lots of different states, from Utah to New York to Florida.

As they always said in math class, A + B = C

C) Since I moved to DC a couple years ago, I've wanted to compete in the Nation's Triathlon, and this year I had my chance.

I debated even showing up for registration, since my IT band has been bothering me a lot this summer, but I decided on Saturday to go for it. Getting signed in and dropping my bike off on time was then a close call, but we made it just in time. I woke up early on Sunday morning and drove across the bridge, parking my car near the Jefferson Memorial.

Swim
Supposedly, the Potomac River is pretty gross. I've always heard that, but swimming in it wasn't bad at all, at least in terms of water quality. The Schuylkill River, which I swam in for the 2006 Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon, was much dirtier and definitely had more debris in the water. Ew. Starting the swim going upstream was a little bit of a challenge, though, and my time showed it. [Swim time = a slow 34:09]Bike
Loved, loved, loved this bike course! Gentle rollers along smooth roads. That's a recipe for a fast bike split. My only qualm with the bike course was that the dismount was kinda sudden. As in, little to no warning that it was time to dismount. As in, I couldn't get my foot out quick enough and had a major wipeout for all the spectators to watch in horror and amazement. [Bike time = a fast 1:12:50 (and that's including the crash)]Run
Oh the run. That fickle, foul friend. Sometimes he's got your back, and sometimes he takes the opportunity to stab you in the back. Today was, sadly, the latter. I was rockin' and rollin' for about 4.5 miles, and then the debilitating shots of pain began exploding from my IT band.Let's just say that the last 1.7 miles were "off pace". Many of the people I'd blown by since the start of the run went plodding past me during my walk breaks, and that was hard to stomach. When I finally limped across the line, I immediately went to the med tent and got some ice and an ACE bandage for my IT band, and that helped a lot. [Run time = a painful 56:42]On the bright side, I realized that even with my terrible last 1.7 miles of the run, my total time (including transitions) was 2:47:57. Not blazing fast, but encouraging considering that it could have been about 10 minutes faster without the IT band issues. And that time still equated to an overall placing of 1,349/3,933 participants.

Cannonman Triathlon

When we were at the New Jersey Triathlon, someone put a flier on my car that was advertising other triathlons. Shonni noticed that one of the sprint tri's was going to be held at Shawnee State Park in Pennsylvania. That was enough for her to decide she wanted to compete in it.In her first triathlon, Shonni did a great job! Though there is room for improvement in her swim, and she had some major leg cramping on the run, her cycling was phenomenal and she held on to take 2nd in her age group. Well done, Shonni!My race was decent. Ever since I moved out to the East coast, my hill climbing on the bike has declined, and I really struggled with it again in this one. My IT band issues are continuing, though they didn't really kick in until about 2 miles into the run. Despite all of this, or perhaps because of this, I enjoyed the scenery of Shawnee State Park.

Diamond in the Rough Triathlon

The DitRT was a great triathlon, though I realize now that there's a reason the word "rough" is in the title. Our experience with the race was full of ups and downs.

Up: cheering companion(s). Shonni came along, and she brought Baxter, too. Don't know when the last time was that I had my own cheering section at a race. Yay for fans! [Sidenote: I actually say "yay for fans" when I go past spectators during races, just for fun.]

Down: driving up the morning of the race. Waaaaaaaay too early to drag my old bones out of bed.

Down: puppy puke. Note to self: either Baxter gets motion sickness in the car... or he still doesn't consider me his buddy and wanted to make that clear.

Up: beautiful weather. You can't ask for a more beautiful race day.

Up: water temperature was juuuust right. Like Goldilocks, I like when it's in the middle. The lake wasn't too cold, but it was cold enough so the swim was wetsuit legal.

Down: hills, hills, and more hills. Somehow the race organizers were able to find every long/steep climb in the county and put them all on the bike course.

Up: flat, fast run course. Guess I was itching to get off that bike, because I had a great run.

Down: running with pain. The skin on my foot was still healing from a prior incident, and it really started to hurt by midway through the run. But I kept pushing through the finish.

Up: unexpected friend competitors. After the race, Shonni and I ran into David and Julie at the food tent. We didn't know they were going to be there, so it was fun to see them. They both had a good race as well.

Up: close victory. We didn't know during the race, but Julie and I actually finished within 8 seconds of each other. To her chagrin, I finished ahead of her.So although there were ups and down, and the event had some "rough" spots to it, we had a good time and I'm glad we went up for it.

Jordanelle Triathlon 2007

I signed up for the Olympic distance at Jordanelle Triathlon this year, and it was a beautiful day with a beautiful course.

Swim (1500 m):
Took a little bit to get into my rhythm, but went surprisingly well considering how little swim training I've done in the past few months. My buddy saved the day by letting me use some of his BodyGlide. I'd have had some serious wetsuit chafing on my neck if not for him. Thanks Devan! [He went on to take 16th overall. Major stud.]

So hot! I hear wetsuits are all the rage in Paris these days!

Since the water is low at Jordanelle right now, we had a 1/2 mile run from the water's edge to the transition area (which was fairly long on its own). My trusty yellow velcro-strap shoes did the trick just right for that run.

Bike (24.8 miles):

I'd describe the bike as mostly a small incline for the first half and then lots of downhill with one big climb on the back half. I certainly didn't have a PR on the bike, but we rode by some pretty country-side and next to the river, so that was a good distraction. I tried a new energy drink called HEED, instead of my usual Gatorade (or occasional Accelerade), and I really liked it. Not too sweet, but enough flavor to be tasty.

Top speed on the bike: about 47 mph, coming down the hill from Francis. Gotta love being in your hardest gear and feeling the wind on your face!

Run (5.2 miles):
My right hamstring was getting a little tight as I finished the bike, but I was hopeful that it would loosen up once I wasn't in the aero position anymore. Fortunately, I was right. However, then my right quad started to hurt. So the first loop of the run wasn't as fast as I'd have liked, but I got into a groove and was able to negative-split on the second loop.

"I hurt!"

It was a fun race, and I'm really glad I did it. Doing a big race like this was just what I needed to get motivated again to train consistently and have a good last couple races of my season. If you've been inspired and want to join me, I've got Ogden Valley (Huntsville, UT on Sept. 15) and the Osprey Sprint Tri (Public Landing, MD on Oct. 6) left this year, along with some 5Ks. Happy training!