Bob the runner

Finishing another Olympic Distance Triathlon!! Just like the name (sunset) of this triathlon, this event also marks the end of my 2016 triathlon season.  My mind keeps saying "do another" but my body says "NO".  2016 was the busiest triathlon season so far for me.  I completed 2 sprint triathlons,  3 Olympic triathlons, and 4 stroke and strides.  Considering my previous busiest year was 2 triathlons in a season, it is no wonder my body is tired.  I plan to recover for a couple weeks and then focus on getting back to running and eventually to some half marathons and my goal of running in every state.  But first, here is my race recap from this weekend. I signed up for this race because there were several other folks from the Arvada Triathlon Club (ATC) participating.  I signed up for the Olympic distance because I wanted to try and improve on my TriBoulder time.  I should have listened to my body and signed up for the sprint distance. ...

Approaching the finish line on the red carpet!!  Wow I was actually there!  There in Omaha Nebraska participating in the 2016 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships.  This event is exclusive.  To participate in this race you have to be invited.  Invites come from one of four methods: Finish first place or top 10% of age group at a USAT event Finish in top 33% at a regional championship Top 33% at previous years National Championship Be a member of Team USA I actually received 3 invites this year.  It was such an honor and a thrill to be there racing with the best athletes in only my 4th full season of Triathlon .     This event was top notch.  To make it even more special I won some sort of a luck contest and also was invited to hang out in the VIP area.  Not only me but Julie too!  This is normally an area that only people who win 10 events in a year get to be in.  I have no idea why they invited me...

TriBoulder was a race of many different emotions for me. I was nervous because I had only done this distance (swim 1500 meters, bike 27 miles, run 6.2 miles) once before. I was excited because I had high expectations after winning at Boulder Sunrise.  I was anxious about the swim especially after I saw how poorly the course was marked. I was excited about the bike ride, especially the back part starting on Nelson Rd since it included some nice downhill stretches. I was nervous about running 6 miles after the bike ride. The distance on the run was not a concern, it was the fact I had never run the back part of the reservoir and it looked hilly.   My goals for this race were to swim in about 34 minutes, transition under 2 minutes, average 20 mph on the bike, and complete the run in 54-56 minutes.  Overall I wanted to finish in under 3 hours. My only previous Olympic distance triathlon was TriRock Aurora in 2014 where my time was 3:16:55.  Hanging out wit...