White Oak Triathlon...

Well, I've just seen the results of the race on Sunday. For Salisbury I was about halfway up (down?) the field and I was hoping to improve on that at White Oak but, alas, I came 175th out of 253.

My brother, Pete, came 9th. No exclamation mark there, as when he ran past me he looked like a Gazelle in full flow, a study in balance and peak physical conditioning. The backdraft almost knocked me over. (He recently did a half Ironman in Switzerland so White Oak is a bit like walking to the shops. And maybe back. For me, it's a test of ultimate physical endurance...). Oh, and whilst we were walking (OK, he was walking, I was limping...) away from the Sports Centre I said, "Erm, is your back brake rubbing?", and indeed it was. So, my little brother came ninth whilst cycling with the rear brake on! ("I don't know what it was, maybe it was the wind, I never really got into the bike..." Bro, your back brake was on...)

Now, in my defense, towards the very end of the "run", and I use the term in its very broadest sense, there was a sign issue which led me and about five other guys to go the wrong way. And get a bit lost. The right turn sign said, "Bike route". We were clearly not on bikes, we were running, so we went straight on up the hill for a while. When we realised we'd all missed the turning someone asked an old lady if she knew where the Sports Centre was...ever so slightly annoying. I reckon this added at least a quarter of an hour to my time. Maybe an hour. At least. I could have WON IT!

Anyway, it was a total but painful joy to complete another "Sprint" Triathlon and I shall wear the T-shirt with pride.

And, lest I forget, last December I was a fat man in despair. God put Michael Winner and his book in my way at just the right time* and here I am, at 39 taking part in Triathlons after an approximate "rest" of 13 years - a minor miracle!

To finish, I quote 1 Tomothy 1:8, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

* God's timing amazes and thrills me. The same thing at the wrong time leads to nothing, but He knows the time, the season, the very moment for life change. He is able to draw us to Himself at just the right time. Romans 5:6. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."