Napa Valley 1/2 Ironman Triathlon

It was a great day in Napa for the 300 or so triathletes ready to brave the 60 degree waters of Lake Berryessa this past Saturday.  It was nice to be at a smaller race, very comfortable and just right for meeting new people and great conversations.... at least pre-race.  It reminded of me of the reason why I got into the sport now more than 23 years (am I THAT old!) ago.   It was always about the people and the conversations and relationships that are formed around this mutual love for pushing our bodies to see what God made us capable of doing.

The race itself went like a dream day for me as it set up perfectly for my skills (and lack-thereof).  The 1.2 mi swim was calm and with a staggered start had minimal body carnage involvement; the 56 mi bike was incredibly hard with virtually no flat road, continuous up and down with some steep pitches and about 2750 vertical feet; and finally the 13.1 mi run was also up and down with no flat roads and a double loop.  The hard bike really helps me and drove the results.

I came out of the water in 77th place, had the 3rd fastest bike split of the race to exit T2 in 8th place overall, and ended up finishing in 9th place overall managing 1st place in both the 40-44 age group and Clydesdale categories.  As said earlier, it was a great day full of blessings for me for sure.

Keep smiling and keep rolling!

Romans 12:1 "Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God." CEV