Tri 4 Freedom

Last night I had the pleasure of going on a midnight run with an amazing individual.   Her name is Paula Heron & yesterday she completed a 27 hour triathlon to raise awareness for human trafficking.   Although I didn't personally know Paula, I was familiar with her since I had seen various Facebook posts regarding her campaign.  

Paula started the swim at 6AM & swam for 2.5 hours at the 25m pool at Spindletop.  She then rode the Legacy Trail for the next 13 hours followed by an 11.5 hour run.

Paula had a great support team & had lots of people come out to ride & run with her.  At dinner last night my friend Treacy mentioned riding a few miles with her in the afternoon.  So when Treacy asked if I wanted to go out at Midnight & run a few miles with her I said 'sure why not?'

Treacy picked me up about 10:30pm & we headed over to Spindletop.  When we got there she was running with two other local tri folks.  They were finishing up mile 6 of the run.  They had marked out a 1 mile loop that she would run almost completely in the dark.   Treacy ran 8 miles & I ran 6 miles with Paula.  Just after 1am we said our goodbyes & as Treacy & I got in the truck Paula headed out for another lap.

At the end of 27 hours, Paula swam 3.2 miles, biked 162.6 miles & ran 45 miles for a total of 210.8 miles.  Just amazing!

Since joining the ranks of endurance athletes I have met some truly inspirational people.  So many people are stepping up to the plate to raise awareness for causes close to their heart.  Endurance sports are tough & it really does help to have something bigger than yourself to motivate you everyday.   There are endless causes to get involved in and they all need your support.  Pick one that is meaningful to you & get involved.  You won't regret it!!!

More info on Paula's Story:  WKYT Story Before Race, WKYT Story at Finish, Tri4Freedom Website, Tri4Freedom Facebook page