~Triathlon 2008 ~ What an Adventure!

"...I have felt the power here..."


That's it for triathlons in 2008, what a season. 12 races with 8 top 5 finishes!


This summer I packed in a lifetime's worth of traveling, racing, seeing triathlon friends, training, and suffering. Looking back it was an amzing season. I did it the way I wanted, I truely lived a dream.

 
I had so many new experiences like moving to a new city, new races, new friends and most importantly a new enviroment that brought new personal tests and built personal strength.

It's hard to not relive the highs, and occasionally the lows, of what I did the past year. The winter was cross-country skiing, early morining winter runs, and frigid bike rides. The enjoyment and fitness assessments of the local running races, the crazy spandex clad Frost 5k with near zero temperatures. The commitment to running, recovery, and goal achievement seem a distant, far off, adventure of a past life.

The spring was a whirl wind of school, going to alaska do taxes (exercising on the stair machine and treadmills in the small villages was pretty unique), racing my first Elite Heat at Grizzly, a moment I thought, 5 years ago, would never materialize.

Summer was full of the hard to reach moments that I dream about all winter and spring while putting in the training time; leading the races in Helena, Kalispell, West Yellowstone, and Seeley makes every sacrifice of now and the future worth it.

Winning was the most amazing delayed satisfaction reward I have ever achieved, a very rare lifetime moment of fleeting pain, elation and satisfaction. Racing, almost every weekend, my way into shape was a pretty unique approach. Working 8-5 Monday to Friday with every second focused on what my weekend races held for me. Never once waivoring in the face of an office full of doubters and disbelievers.

Oh course how could I reflect on my season with touching on the most impactful races, the meltdowns: Grizzly, Spokane, and Grand Columbian. While at the time I hated the experience, I now appreciate the fact that I was able to experience a level of suffering, mentally and physical, that most normal people will never subject themselves to.

Not to be left out, the wonderful people. My family reunions at the races, my loving parents that believe in me, Mack and the traveling humor fests, my sister and brother (in law) sharing the races and pictures, Evan and the Eck family letting me travel with them, traveling with L'Heureux and Halpin, being treated like a king by Loran and Ryan in Spokane, Dave Norman and his incredible compassion at Grand Columbian, and many more along the way. Memories I will never forget revolve around all these people, you're all amazing!

Finally, I reflect on my commitment, courage, knowledge, and humblings. Emotions that have brought me to another level of living. A level above the daily grind of most lives of work, taxes, and tv. This season held incredible fulfilliment in the time I spent catching, previously fleeting, goals. It was a season of having the courage to take the path that is different, in the hopes of finding whatever it is I am looking for. Most importantly of all, a season of doing the things that I love to do: swim, bike, and run.

I look forward to the new experiences that await me the rest of this year, and finding my true strength awaiting within.