Kicking Off 2013 Race Season Where it All Began...

This past Sunday marked the 1 year anniversary of the last time I competed in triathlon or any endurance event for that matter.  I was forced to take some time off due to a lingering injury that would just seem not to go away.  Once I received the "Green Light" to start training again, I started a training plan, that really did not have a clear destination until we heard the recent news about "Kona Inspired".  I have to admit that it was hard to keep motivated because I just did not know where the finish line was.  Now that I know that Ironman Florida is my final destination of 2013, it was time to do some planning.

For me, finishing an Ironman is not just one journey.  It is a series of journeys and goals that have to be finished step by step.  When I first started my journey in 2010 to become "Shawn's Ironman" I had to strategically plan out each step to stay inspired. I planned a sprint triathlon, Olympic distance triathlon, 1/2 Ironman, and then eventually the Ironman Texas.  I have no doubt in my mind that if I had a bad experience with my first race, that I would have never made it through all the training.

Regardless of how far you want to go in your triathlon journey, I am pretty sure there is not a better place to start than where I started: The Bridgeland Triathlon in Cypress Texas presented by Onurmark Productions. I knew that if I wanted my Ironman Florida journey to be successful, I would have to include as many OUM races in my steps as I could. No matter how many times I you do these races, theyl never get old.

Onurmark Productions is Houston’s largest event production company. For the past five years they have set the standard in quality and safety in endurance sports in and around the Bayou City. Their goal is to supply Houstonians and visiting out-of-town athletes with a unique experience of the highest caliber.

I got to see the behind the scenes of how the race was put on last year when I was one of the OUM race coordinators for the Kemah and Bridgeland races.  It takes tons and tons of work to put on a race. Planning a preparing takes months and nearly non-stop work of several the days leading up to the event date.  It was very hard work for all those involved.  Aaron demands excellence from all of those that surround him and no detail is overlooked.

I can't say enough about the owner, Aaron Palaian, as a person either. I have gotten to know him very well over the past three years, and I consider him one of my closest friends.  He has been extremely generous with his time and money not only towards Shawn's Anomaly, but several local charities. Regardless how busy he gets, he always finds time to provide a word of encouragement or make me laugh. Some people may have a different opinion about him than I do, but that is because they have never taken the time to get to know him. The Houston triathlon community would not be where it is today without his contributions.

I very much enjoyed working the races, but what upset me the most about that experience was the fact that I could not race the best events.  It also was big demand on my time during race day that took me away from hanging out with the other athletes that are racing for Shawn's Anomaly.  I am so excited that I am going to be able to race both Bridgeland and Houston Triathlon this year.

There are still a few spots left, but I know they will fill up fast. I encourage you to sign up for the race, volunteer, or just come out and cheer on the athletes for free.  Who knows, maybe you will get to see Shawn and I cross the finish line together!