The Great Adventure Challenge Triathlon--Part 2, GLORY!

Well kids, I did it. The unthinkable. The unimaginable. The most rewarding thing I've done for myself, personally, in my fitness lifetime. I won a triathlon. The Great Adventure Challenge 2011 is all mine. As is the fastest time ever on it for the 17-34 year old age group: 2:13:19. I beat the previous record, which was set last year, by 1 minute and 11 seconds. The second place guy finished in 2:21:40. Glorious. 

Not to mention I broke my own 17-34 age group run record (last year was 30:10, this year was 27:02). I took 2:37 off my 2010 kayak time and a 4:42 off my 2010 bike time.

Of all of it, I must say I'm most proud of the run. Literally you run straight up the face of Shawnee Peak, then around the warming hut at the top, then straight back down. Your legs are jello and the sun is blasting you for about 98% of it. It's the last leg of the race, directly following the grueling, and I mean grueling 14+ mile mountain bike ride. You want to die. If God struck down any of the athletes as they are climbing/running/limping up the face of Shawnee, I guarantee none of them would have minded if given the chance. None.

Fortunately the ambulance wasn't put to use. My parents and three of my friends came to cheer me on--without them I'm not sure I would have been so successful--and everyone at the event had a great time. Over $7000 was raised for Good Neighbors, a group dedicated to working with adults with disabilites.

It was a glorious day, indeed, and I look forward to training even harder next year to defend my title.