As I made the sharp turn back into the park that surrounded the Cain Center I knew that I was within a quarter mile of the finish line. I glanced at my watch and saw that I was within two minutes of 1:20 which was the winning time for my division last year. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I came to the realization that I would probably get my first podium finish...

Hi, my name is Chad Soileau and this is my account of running the 2009 Athens Texas triathlon. Athens was my first tri and it's where this whole crazy triathlon lifestyle started for me. As such, this race will be an annual event for me as long as I can swim, bike and run. The atmosphere and the hometown feel just make it all the more special.

Last year was cold. This year was cold and WET. The rain didn't let up for the entire 7 hour trip from Baton Rouge to Athens. We arrived, checked into the hotel, grabbed some chow at a local restaurant and were in bed for 10PM. I was exhausted from the drive so I'm assuming that was the reason I got a great nights sleep.

6:00 AM wakeup and I sucked down a Kombucha Tea along with a packet of honey. We arrived at the Cain Center to check in just before 7AM. After going through body-marking and picking up my timing chip I went out to transition to setup my gear. Thankfully, the rain let up on race morning but it was replaced by a fine mist that soaked anything exposed. I found some paper towels and tried to put them over my shirts but the effort to keep everything dry would be fruitless. I would arrive at T1 and T2 to soaking wet clothes and gear and there was nothing I could do about it.

I was seeded 31st of the around 250 participants. The swim was a time trial start in a pool. Each of the athletes were seperated by 10 seconds. I was anxious as 8AM came and went and the race hadn't started. There were some issues with the timing mats that caused the start time to be delayed 15 minutes. I felt sorry for the guy that was "me" from last year. He apparently seeded himself way to high and was doing a sidestroke / freestyle / breaststroke routine and I could see he was clearly struggling. I guess he was getting a lesson the hard way just like I did last year. I jumped in the pool around 8:20. Unlike last year, I had a plan, I was calm and I KNEW that I would have a good race.

What can I say about the swim this year? I didn't get kicked in the face and it flew by. I kept my heart rate down, relaxed and just did my thing. I'm not fast by any means and I bet I could have saved a couple minutes by not having to stop at each end of the pool and dip under the lane ropes. I ended up at 6:16 for the 300 meters.

I was greeted by frigid temperatures as I exited the warmth of the pool. A could of steam rose over my body as I struggled to put on my bike shoes and my long sleeve compression top. The mist had pretty much soaked everything which made it very difficult to slip on my gear. A kind gentlemen that was positioned next to me in transition saw that I was struggling with my top and helped me pull it on. I didn't catch his name but I think Beth caught a picture of him. Thanks buddy! :)

I ran my bike to the mount line, clipped in and off I went on the bike course. The bike this year was a bit more challenging with the wet roads. I had to slow around all the turns to prevent my back tire from sliding out. Thankfully, there was little to no wind for the duration of the ride. I got aero, got in gear and pounded my way through the course. I hammered up the hills and spun in a big gear on the way down. I hear a pop and a hiss in my rear tire right after I got to the turnaround.

I thought to myself, "PLEASE don't be a flat!"

I unclipped, hopped off my bike and inspected the rear tire. Everything looked good to go and the tire still felt inflated. I know I wasted at least 2 minutes checking everything out but I guess I should be thankful that I didn't have a flat.

I hopped back on the bike and hammered my way up the last big hill. The only 'gotcha' moment I had on the bike course was when a rider failed to yeild to my pass from just not hearing me or being a jerk. The result was me hitting a series of speed bumps and almost crashing. I felt the front tire grabbing the side of one of the bumps and was dreading my imminent date with the pavement. I pulled through at the last moment, had some choice words for the rider and continued on to T2.

Overall it was a great bike. Sure I could have saved a few minutes by not stopping but I'll take the 43:24 / 19.1 mph bike split for the 13.8 miles. I ended up having the best bike split of everyone in the Clyde division.

I slipped my feet out of my shoes and executed a slow flying dismount into T2. The moment my feet touched the pavement I realized that running was going to be a challenge. I yelped out in pain as they touched the cold pavement. I don't own a pair of toe warmers but you can bet that I will be picking up a pair soon. My feet were frozen through. I couldn't feel them and it felt like they had been replaced with two blocks of wood. I wasn't alone in my discomfort in T2 because everyone around me was complaining about their dead feet as well. At one point, as I was standing in front of my equipment, fumbling to try to get my helmet unsnapped I was trying to 'will' my shoes onto my feet. Of course that didn't work. I finally managed to slide the shoes onto my frozen nubs and just as soon as I was exiting T2 onto the run course a volunteer yells out, "Sir, your race number!"

I had left my race belt and had to turn around and run back to pick it up. An extra 30 seconds of wasted time but I didn't care because a glance at my watch told me that I was making good time.

The run course was exactly the same as last year. There were a few little rolling hills but for the most part the course was flat. At around the halfway point I could finally feel my feet again. I increased my pace and ran the second half of the race at a much quicker pace than the first. That was, after all, part of the plan. Coach Will Jones, my tri coach from 4th Dimension Fitness, instructed me to "do the race with the intention of going faster as the race goes on". I guess I saved it all up for that last mile because I damn near sprinted the whole thing. I was a sweaty, huffing and puffing, snot slinging, spitting machine as I turned the corner with the finish line in sight. I crossed over in 1:19:51. My run average was 8:37 miles. The funny thing about the run average is at no point during the race did I think I was running 8:37 pace. I felt like I was running much slower. I guess the plan is working because from what I understand that's the way I'm supposed to feel.

You only get one first time and the Athens Triathlon holds two very special memories for me. Not only was this race my first triathlon last year but now it is also my first podium finish with hardware.  When I started in triathlon I never intended and still don't intend to ever be "competitive".  I race to inspire the man or woman that is in the condition I was in 3 years ago, for my own well-being and to beat whatever course I'm on. The unintended result of my training is that I have now become competitive. I know it wasn't an Ironman and we only had 250 participants but I, Chad Soileau, former 464 pound man, took SECOND place in the clyde division.  That's a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Ironman New Orleans 70.3 in less than 3 weeks. Am I ready? You bet! I can't wait!