Season Opener
This year’s season opening race for me is the Azalea Triathlon in Wilmington, NC. It’s a short sprint that can be done in about an hour or less. This year it is a remarkable race for two reasons.
I Have Two Reasons To Race
Reason One
The race date is March 11, 2017. For many Americans, that date doesn’t mean too much. September 11 is usually more meaningful. However, it was on March 11, 2004 that Madrid, Spain suffered its worst terrorist attack in modern history. The train station bombings left 197 dead and almost 2000 injured. Events like this affect me deeply and I want to show Madrid that there are people around the world who care. I will commemorate the event during the Azalea Triathlon by wearing a symbol of 11-M (the 11th of March). One small symbol will be painted on my left calf and another will be on the back of my number belt.
A symbol of the March 11th, 2004 train bombings in Madrid Spain
Reason Two
My goal with the TriRiot webshow and blog is to inspire others to join an active lifestyle and discover that “finish line feeling”. One of my coworkers will be racing in his first triathlon this weekend. I’m happy to have trained with him and excited to find out what he thinks of triathlon after the race. But there’s something more amazing in this story beyond one person beginning their journey into the endurance lifestyle. This coworker I’m talking about lost 180 pounds in the last 18 months. Two years ago, he said he wanted to do this very race. For him it started with a dream and soon it will be a reality.
Anything is possible. It took triathlon to make me believe that and through triathlon, I keep seeing it over and over.