CAPITAL OF TEXAS TRIATHLON

Austin - My streak of races with absolutely perfect conditions (and no major technical disasters) continued on Memorial Day with my participation and completion of the Capital of Texas Triathlon in downtown Austin in just under two hours and 25 minutes.

Ever since the 2008 Whiterock Marathon, every event I've completed has been picture perfect from the weather, to all my equipment, to my muscles, joints and endurance.

I posted a PR (personal record) in the half marathon in Austin in February, finished more than 30 minutes faster than my goal at my first Half Ironman in Galveston on April 5, and PRed by more than 15 minutes in the Capital of Texas Triathlon (1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run).

All events had very little wind, weren't too hot or too cold and couldn't have gone any better all the way around.

I was the first of my wave into the water so I had great position at the start of the race. It was an open water start and about 95 men from ages 25-29 were in my wave.

I hadn't been in the water in more than two weeks thanks to the three fresh tattoos on my arm, side and leg, but I had my best Olympic distance swim ever at just under 30 minutes.

My comfort level in open water is exponentially higher than in my first couple of races. I feel very at home out there...still one of the slower swimmers as all my times have been just barely better than average.

I got out to a quick start on the bike and was able to maintain a speed of just over 23 mph over the 40K course.

On my previous two Olympic distance triathlons, I've been pretty toasted on the run...even had to stop in each race to relieve the cramp in my side.

In Austin, not only was I able to avoid a side cramp, but I maintained a 7:12 mile pace and probably closer to a 7:00 mile pace over the course of the last 5K.

I credit my fast time to the Crossfit workout. If you haven't heard of this and are looking for a way to increase endurance, power, strength, balance, speed and on and on and on, I highly recommend trying it out. Crossfit.com and crossfitendurance.com - do them together.

I'm obsessed.

I guess now I'm just waiting for everything to balance out and have some really horrible experiences coming up soon...

Of course I did have my fair share of terrible experiences ranging from a DNF at the 2007 Whiterock Marathon, to a hellish open water swim experience in Lubbock, to an almost as hellish open water swim experience in Dallas in which the sun blinded everyone in the water, to a relatively slow finish in the 2008 Austin Half Marathon due to the fact that I wasn't sure if my body could handle the stress based on my bonking in Dallas a few months earlier.

My next event is the US Open Olympic Triathlon in Dallas on October 11...my mom's birthday.
Thanks for reading.