What turned out to be the most extreme event of 2008 so far for me was the Vikingman Triathlon in Burley, ID on June 7. The race itself is a half ironman distance and not for the faint of heart. Combine that with the sustained 30-40 mile an hour winds that were in Burley on race day and you'll be questioning your endurance. The race started out at 7 am with the swim in the Snake River. It was 39 degrees air temperature and white capped waves were rolling up the Snake reminiscent of swimming in the ocean with the tide breaking overhead. Several competitors succumbed to the conditions and "tapped out" of the swim and the race altogether. After the swim came the bike which was also directly into the wind for the majority. The bike was a long 56 hard I wondered if my legs would ever remember how to run as I started into the first few miles of the half marathon. All said and done the Vikingman 2008 produced some slower times but the finishers relished the experience as the course was accomplished in such adverse conditions.
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