Switching Gears....

Hi Everyone,

I am switching gears this week to catch you up on training for IronMan Mont Tremblant. This weekend, the triathlon season in North Texas kicked off with the St. Pat’s Day Tri sprint distance. Dallas Athletes Racing once again was in full force and excecuted another phenominal event. The weather however was not so phenominal.

The weekend consisted of a kids tri on Saturday, then the big kids tri on Sunday. The kids tri went off without a hitch as the weather behaved. Sunday for the “big kids” was much different. We were dealt cold soggy conditions with lots of water all over the place. Strangely enough however, the rain did hold off for most of the bike and run portion.

Many stayed home in their warm beds but not Team FAANT. Two members along with Dr. Crane and I swam in an indoor pool, ventured out in the cold soaking wet outdoors to ride on a bike and then run. Tina and Maria are a part of our business office team and did very well! This was Maria’s first triathlon and while we wished the weather was not so sour for her....ok, us included...it did not matter. The smile on her face was evident she was happy and proud when we saw her leave transition and head out to the run.

The morning started off cold and rainy which made standing in line for body marking such a happy time for participants. Once the bikes were placed on the rack, participants quickly moved indoors to the pool where the temps were warm and the water was fabulous. Of course as I sat there, I was watching feet. There were all kinds of creatively polished toes from shamrocks to tiger stripes. I thought that was pretty cool and found a bunch of folks who could have used a pedicure.

The swim went well for everyone then we had to exit the warm waters and head outdoors to transition…ugh. It’s funny to watch folks whip on long sleeves, jackets and gloves after jumping out of the pool. Once you are pedaling on the bike, you do warm up and it was not so bad. Due to the rain and areas of flooding, the second loop of the bike course was cancelled and with good reason. Dallas Athletes Racing looks out for participants and it was a smart move to keep everyone safe.

The run was through a tree lined park and was peaceful even with a threatening sky. Mother Nature was kind enough to let participants finish the race without a torrential down pour.

Even with the bike route change, all had a great time. It was a wonderful way to kick off the season. After a nap, the day continued and text messages flew along with FaceBook updates on everyone’s performance. Congrats to Team FAANT, you are all superstars!