TRI Harder…..GK17

I couldn’t of asked for a better day to run this race (5-10 degrees cooler would have been fine). The sun was out, the wind was light and the smell of running was in the air! Elm Creek Park Reserve in Maple Grove, MN is home of some of the loveliest landscape I can think of. Today I was too zoned in to notice it all. My best friend, Drew, who is a 2 time half ironman participant (just this year), a marathoner, and elite olympic triathlete, was running this with me along with long time friend John K.! John was gonna go slow and steady and do his thing, Drew said he would do the same (just coming off some minor surgery a month ago), but when that gun sounded Drew was off like a cannon!

He and I paced each other the whole race…he would coach me along in the treacherous flats and the much hated downhills, and I would try and hold pace for both of us on the uphills! I would say, quite honestly, that there were probably a total of .7 or 1 mile of flat terrain on this course, the rest was up and down the whole way through…made for a tough, and great challenging run. I fought hard through miles 4 and 5 falling off pace few times, but Drew would not let me lay down, he pushed me hard as my brain thought too much about finishing, I was talking myself out of victory, losing some composure…but it didn’t get lost, not today. Hitting the 5 mile mark was glorious, but I knew the tremendous pace we had held thus far would only be heightened to a new race pace and it was to my horror and delight. The last mile seemed to float right on by and before we knew it we could hear the commentator over the loudspeaker loud and clear…JUST 2 tenths of a mile to go…ALL uphill around a sharp corner out of the woods and onto a parking lot to the finish. We had biked this trail so many times it was mentally handicapping at times knowing what was ahead of you, but I blocked out the big hill as much as I could. Hitting the parking lot and seeing the finish makes my legs happy and no matter what I have left in the tank there is always reserve for one last sprint (our old soccer coach in high school is to thank for that). I could hear my wife and daughter off in the distance, just before the finish “Go Sean, good job Daddy!” I love it, and it makes it all worth it! Never retreat and never surrender…Spartan Law some would say, my law, Drews law! We had beaten the mental game today, and now it is time to hang the race number on the race wall and hang up the running shoes until next year (let the old wounds heal).

Bigs Ups to Drew, my friend, my Mentor, my coach and my Brother!!! It truly has been a pleasure racing with you this past season!!!

Until next time, keep sweating for goodness sake!

GK17……….. OUT!

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