The trip to St. Anthony was great because I got to stay with my friends Nick Chase and Karen Anthony. They are such good friends and have helped me a lot throughout the last few years. The race was okay. Much slower than the last time I raced in 2013 but training has not been ideal and I had fun getting to race again.
Nick Chase and I about to do a practice swim
Swim:
The waters were choppy but not too bad. Not as bad as 2013 when the officials shortened the swim for everyone except for the professional athletes because of dangers of drowning. We could have surfed on those waves. My swim was not competitive because I was not that aggressive from the start and lost the main pack after 200 meters. I got stuck behind someone who feel off the pace and I tried going around but it was too late. I ended up swimming with my friend Jake Rhyner, who is usually a very strong swimmer. I was about 2 minutes off the main pack coming out of the water.
My friend Rudy coming to say: “good morning”
Bike:
I felt stronger this year than 2013, but probably because stronger was a feeling from working harder. I was happy to see my friend Nick Chase pass me in the first 5 miles of the bike to have a pretty impressive bike. At least my bike and wheels were really fast and I looked fast on them, it was just my fitness that was lacking. I was rocking the Scott Plasma 10 and Zipp Firecrest 808’s. I only got passed by few individuals during the bike, who I passed back on the run. The course was flat with many turns. I like the hills personally. By the time I came into T2, many of the top guys put 3-5 more minutes on me.
Ethiopian food from the Farmer’s Market
Run:
Usually I can run myself into good contention, but after a couple of miles into the run, I started fading and did not recover. I ran an okay compared to everyone else but if I was on my game, the heat would not have been an issue. I was overheating and had not acclimated to the humidity leading up to the race. Granted, I did only show up 30 hours before the race and did not have the time to acclimate. My legs were starting to cramp but never to a point I needed to stop. By the end, almost staggering, I came in 9th overall with my USMES teammate, Nick Chase, seconds back in 10th. Only a few minutes and one more place and I could have won some money, not that I care about that part, it’s just a bonus. Overall, a great trip visiting my friend Nick and Karen Anthony. The race was good considering all the stress I have had to deal with over the last few months.
Post race recovery. I did not know it was going to be a long night.
Fly back:
This was probably the most interesting part of my day. I flew out about 10 hours after my race to return to Oklahoma. Not ideal, but I had to be back for class. The plane left on time and I actually fell asleep after takeoff. I woke up to the Captain coming over the speaker to tell us that the weather in Dallas was terrible and that we had to circle for a while. About 90 minutes later the Captain said he tried to get us priority to land because our fuel was low, but the airport was finally shut down. Because of that we had to fly to Tulsa, OK to get refueled. We sat on the runway for 3 hours to let the weather clear up in Dallas. We eventually flew to Dallas, but of course I had missed my connection and the next flight out was not until the morning. I was going to be late for class, so I decided to rent a car and drive 3 ½ hours through the night to Oklahoma City where my car was located. After I arrived, I had 2 hours to make a 70 min drive to Fort Sill, OK. Half way there, one of my tires blew out. My car does not have a spare because it uses a repair kit instead because of the electric engine is located where a spare is usually located. Fortunately, I was right next to a town that had a tire store open. The replacement took a half hour to replace and I was back on the road to show up for class at right on time. With no sleep after a race, I was out of it all day. I even feel asleep at my desk later that night writing a paper due that night. Just so you know my teacher understood and gave me an extension.
I am fortunate and honored to represent the US Army and race again for the US Military Elite Triathlon Team, part of US Military Endurance Sports. Racing and training is effortless and made possible by the following USMES sponsors: Boeing, Snapple, Scott, SRAM, Primal, Osmo Nutrition, Honey Stinger, Zipp, Headsweats, Rudy Projects, Xterra Wetsuits , ProGold Biking, Klean Athlete, Clever Training, and Schwalbe. I’m thankful to be serviced by and involved with my local bike shop, Jack and Adams Bikes. Team Sterghos also includes Vasa, Sable Water Optics and Total Immersion. I’m coached and trained by Tim Crowley of TC2 coaching. I eat and promote a plant-based diet for maximum nutrition, performance and recovery. I also promote the pursuit of living and relationships—be true to yourself and live life with others.
