One of the things I enjoy about endurance sports is simply competing against myself. Every race I start my goal is to perform better than last time. Over time I’ve learned how to properly train to improve. I’ve gone from a back of the pack athlete (I placed 39 of 46 in my first sprint and 38 of 43 in my first Olympic) to breaking into the top 25% at much longer distances (84 of 320 in my last Half Ironman and 29 of 104 in my last Ironman). I enjoy the continual process of pushing myself and learning what I’m capable of.
In that vein I’ve had loose milestones for different race distances. Here’s my current list along with the race that it happened (if it has happened yet).
| Race | Goal | Achieved |
| Half Marathon | 2:00 | 1:55 Chisholm Trail 2014 |
| Marathon | 4:00 | N/A (4:06 on my only attempt) |
| Olympic Tri | 3:00 | N/A (3:02 on my last attempt) |
| Half Ironman | 6:00 | 5:21 Redman 2015 |
| Ironman | 12:00 | N/A (12:27 on my last attempt) |
This weekend I hope to check off another milestone as I head back to Waco. I often joke that I was born in Waco and I just may die there someday as their triathlon is hosted in the dead of summer. The race is a sort of homecoming for me. It’s where I raced my first triathlon, my first sprint, and my first Olympic. The Olympic is sufficiently challenging between the hills in Cameron Park and the heat. Overall I really like this race and love supporting the folks that put it on.
I’m optimistic that after five years the 3 hour milestone will finally fall this weekend. Stay tuned…
slowpope 