by Richard M.

I was not planning on doing Galena this year and only signed up the week before the race. Last time I did Galena in 2013 I did not like the course layout. They had two transition areas and then a different location for the finish line. That course got the best of me and I didn’t want to do it again. While chatting with fellow Experience Triathlon athletes at our Wednesday night group ride, I learned that Galena had completely changed the bike and run courses. They also put the finish line area with the transition 2 location. I immediately wanted to go back. I checked with Coach Joe and he gave me the green light to do it. I was like a kid in a candy store. Wooohooo!!

The day of the race came with the butterflies in my gut, as it always does. This was the start of the 2015 season for me. It’s a big year for me. My first Ironman is only 4 months away in Madison. Oh, my.

We arrived at the lake in the pouring rain, with big puddles in transition and mud everywhere. What a mess. I tried not to think about the cold water temps of 62°F, the wet, slick, super hilly roads and that monster two mile uphill run coming off the bike. It was a stressful way to start the day and my race season.

As I waited on the beach with the other swimmers in my wave, I could hear the words of Coach Joe in my head, “You are ready for this. Have fun and remember to smile.”

The horn blew, I ran into the water with my wave and in the blink of an eye I was crossing the finish line with the World Famous ET Cheer Crew screaming my name.

It was a great day with all my friends. Everyone had fun racing and nobody got injured. We celebrated our accomplishments and a fantastic weekend at our team kickoff race. On top of that, I walked away with a Personal Record (PR) at Galena and a smile on my face!

Enjoy all the photos from Galena on the ET Photo Gallery.