Newmanista Conquers the Longhorn Ironman 70.3 Triathlon

Gabriela Gallegos radiates after a 70.3 mile race!

70.3 does not refer to the latest version of a software program. Rather it is the total miles that one endures in a triathlon such as the one recently held in Austin, Texas on October 25th. First one swims for 1.2 miles, then bicycles for 56 miles, and finally runs for 13.1 miles! I would be good for a few yards of swimming before the guys with the gurney haul me out, work on my body while a priest with a purple stole slowly shakes his head and makes the sign of the cross over my blue, adipose anatomy.

Not so with Newmanista athlete, Gabriela "Gabby" Gallegos, who conquered the Longhorn Ironman 70.3 with an official time of 6 hours and 40 minutes! "The course was challenging but great," she told me. "I'm definitely looking forward to doing another next year."

Gabriela, an attorney and daughter of 388th District Court Judge, Patricia Macias, has also begun organizing a sprint-distance triathlon for El Paso, tentatively scheduled for August 29, 2010. This event, which will be produced by Race El Paso, will be sponsored by the El Paso Triathlon Club as well as several other organizations. As part of organizing the sprint-distance triathlon for El Paso, Gabby has become a certified race director with the U.S. Triathlon Club following special training in Salt Lake City. She plans on making the El Paso race special by giving participants more recognitions and by making it a truly "green" event by using the resources of Athletes for a Fit Planet.

Gabby is not just an outstanding athlete, but a reputable scholar. She is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters of Public Policy and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from UC Berkeley. She is an attorney in one of the oldest and largest law firms in the country: Vinson and Elkins.

Congratulations to our very own, Gabriela Gallegos, for her accomplishment at the triathlon in Austin and for bringing greater opportunities for fitness in her hometown of El Paso.