Texas Man Triathlon.

This week we made it all the way to Valley View, Texas. It was a last minute decision and we were glad it happened. We drove for 3 days from Tempe, AZ to Valley View, TX (an hour north of Dallas). We stayed at the Ray Roberts Lake State Park. It was humid and warm until the thunderstorms rolled through. Everyone was a little nervous at packet pickup when it was pouring rain. However, the night before the race, the clouds passed, the storm disappeared and there was a bit of sunshine. We woke up race day morning to clear skies and a calm breeze.

Everyone involved in the race was very friendly. We were surprised to see that friendliness is a common Texas theme. The folks at Dallas Athletes Racing were more than helpful and wanted to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves. They put on lots of fun races. Their next race is the Disco Triathlon. It is one of the biggest hits in the Texas tri scene.
I was able to do the sprint race at the Texas Man Triathlon and I was glad that I did. It was a fast 500 meter swim with lots of water patrol. I saw 3 boats, kayaks, canoes, and park rangers all ensuring our safety in the water. The water was about the same temperature as the air on race morning, so while a wetsuit definitely wasn't necessary, I was glad to have one. Wetsuit strippers were also provided and they were fun to use!
Onto the bike, the roads were pretty empty. There is gorgeous terrain and small rolling hills. There weren't too many houses and we only crossed 2 intersections. The local sheriff's office was controlling traffic (although I hardly saw any cars) as well as being our bike turnaround marker. Headed back to T2 the women started catching me. They rode by like I was standing still (after starting in a wave 4 minutes after me!)

The run was through the woods surrounding the lake. Nice and shaded, it was great for someone from out of town like myself that worries about the heat everyday. There were lots of aid station and plenty of volunteers.
After the race, there was a live country band that made our first race in Texas feel very authentic. The post race food, pre race goodie bag, and friendliness of everybody involved makes this race worth doing! If you want to see how you rank against other triathletes, meet other triathletes, or see all the tri clubs available, check out a new online resource available at www.TriNationOnline.com.