Race Schedule

As an astute blog reader, you surely noticed the not-so-subtle RACE SCHEDULE table on your right. You did read it, right? Good. At the moment, it is in post-production-double-probation-finalization form, and, this I am muy excited about.

Kicking off the season at Marineland in St. Augustine should be interesting, given that I know almost nothing about the actual race. All I know about Marineland comes from a few obscured childhood memories of the Marineland Experience equating to a half-dead aquarium that featured those screened-in play pens with those colored rubber balls I utilized to beam my sister in the head.

Then again, I was in Little Brat Mode at the time (surprising, yes I know). I'm sure it is much more fun these days.

Regardless, St. Augustine is a great town and I'm happy to race there (twice) this year. Last year kicked off with St. Anthony's in St. Pete - an epic race no doubt - but I feel this is a great way to set the tone for the year.

This year's challenges will largely be characterized by smaller, unknown events. For example, the Gator 1/2 Iron is a first-year race, limited to 500. I was tempted by this race, because I know the Sarasota Tri scene, though small, is made up of a few wicked fast and completely scrambled-in-the-cortex athletes. The Great Floridian, though in it's 25th year, is considered small compared with the corporate Ironman(tm) machine that is IMFlorida(tm) in Panama City(tm), yet it is consistently regarded as one of the toughest iron-distance races in the world.

Performance-wise, my only goal is to push myself hard and see where I end up. You won't find any underlying qualifying hopes or aspirations for total global domination in that race schedule. We'll save that stuff for another season.

So let's go ahead and proclaim the theme for the year: Hit it hard, see where I stand. Support the indy races in the smaller venues. When I fall, get back up and hit it hard again. Support some good causes. Hit it harder. See where I stand.

Considering all the great people around me, it's going to be a fun year.