Photo Collection Sharing #4

One of my favorite photos I have of me racing. The look on my face, you can see the focus in my mind. I'm racing the always tough San Dieguito Half-Marathon, thru the hills of Rancho Santa Fe, here in San Diego. I got second that day in 1:11, to Hector Hernandez. Not bad for a triathlete. I'm in second in the picture, trying to close the gap he put on me at mile 2, on a crazy uphill surge.

It also brings a lot of memories to mind. I had just gotten engaged to Orlanda about 24 hours before this race. I had also just returned from a training camp with a lot of the Canadian Olympic Triathlon Team and staff in Victoria, BC. I was a few weeks away from winning the famous Desert Classic Duathlon, defeating many big names in the sport, including 2-time Olympic medalist Simon Whitfield. I was headed to the US Olympic Training Center one month after this, and was quite fit and excited about the future.

This was the same season as Ironman Florida. It was a good year for me. And that's why I love this photo. It's also why I can't get back to training and racing right now. I don't have the same fire and desire I see in that photo. If it returns....wow, it's almost scary.

Vance