Category: Racing Reports

  • Habenero 100 Relay

    I tried something new this past weekend!!! A friend of mine invited me to join their 100 mile relay team for the Habenero 100 put on by Trail Racing Over Texas ( TROT http://www.trailracingovertexas.com ). I do not have much trail running experience so I was very worried about the race for safety and endurance reasons. After the race I am so happy that I went along with our crazy idea!

    I arrived Saturday to find out our 5th team member had an accident on the way to the race and could not join. This meant that we would each have to do an extra lap, at 10am this didn’t seem like a big issue. ๐Ÿ™‚ After the high noon start I waited for William to get back for my first lap. He came in pretty fast and said it was a tougher course than anticipated. Since I had zero reference on trails and what to expect this kind of sent some fear through me. I took off on my first lap WAY too fast and ran out of water before the aid station and the finish. That was a very bad thing with the heat and humidity and really set me back in hydration and food. Overall I was pleased with aย  1:40 loop with conditions. There was LOTS of loose rocks and lots of roots to dodge through the whole trail.

    After we each had a lap under our belts our team leader made an excellent suggestion of dropping to the 100k instead of the 100m. We each wanted to do the extra, but after my second lap it was the best decision of the day. I struggled to get any food down after the first lap so when I started the second I was slightly behind still on hydration and nutrition. It was down to the 80s and dark though so I had a whole new set of challenges. I was running a lot smoother and consistent than the first lap, but the slimy frog that jumped on my leg caused me to jump about 3′ in the air. That was the only incident of lap 2 and I finished it in 1:44.50.

    Our team leader finished our final lap just before 3am and we collected our medals and called it a good day of running. My 2 laps were enough to convince me I need to invest more of my time and energy into trail running though. My entire body has been sore for the past 2 days and I have muscles with soreness that I haven’t ever felt before. I truly know why trail runners are usually skinny and strong now!

     

  • TWU Pioneer Sprint

    Pioneer Power Sprint Tri & 5K

    Thank you Dallas Athletes Racing (www.DallasAthletesRacing.com) for another great event! The TWU Sprint is one of my favorite races of the year due to the time of year, the long bike and plenty of hills. I do miss the outdoor swim from a few years ago, but I am not complaining.

    The @KMFEndure lady athletes really represented this year taking lots of podiums. It is awesome to see your teammates getting rewards for their hard work and determination. My performance was quite a PR from last year also even though there was no podium for me. As of this race I am officially an age grouper instead of a Clydesdale. Depending on the day I can still qualify, but due to experience and long term goals I made the decision to compete with the 40-45 class from here on out.

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    • Swim 3:18.2
    • T1 1:39.8
    • Bike 47:00.8
    • T2 1:19.5
    • Run 30:33.3

    The run this year was truly my highlight. I was 3 minutes faster per mile than the previous 2 years so that was a HUGE deal for me. I am still not elite or anything, but consistently running sub-10 minute miles after a hard bike is tough. Lots of races still left this year to continue improving!

  • Ironman BSLT – 70.3

    This post is kind of sad because I lost it and a few others when a joker decided to deface the site. I may have to redo this post a few times just to remember everything, but for now I will just summarize things.

    We drove down the day before and spent just over 24 hours in Lubbock this year. I will likely race this way again here, there isn’t a lot to do in the middle of summer in that heat. The conditions were VERY mild compared to last years windy and hot disaster. We met friends on Saturday at packet pickup and for lunch/dinner then went to bed. It was really an uneventful prerace day. I was mostly happy to eat since we had a stomach bug in the house most of the week. I went from Tuesday to Thursday with no solid food really.

    Upon arrival to the race site Devon got to really see the hills going in and out of transition. He had been told many times, but until you see them with your own eyes you don’t grasp the reality of IM BSLT. It is a very special race course. We setup and got ready to race with mild temps and almost no wind. The water was warmer this year than last, but still wetsuit legal.

    I had a PR on the swim of 38 minutes and raced into transition. Since I knew what was ahead I took my time in T1 and really prepped my body and mind for the bike (lots of Glide).

    Onto the bike I took off on my new girl (love this bike so much) and the first 2 hills felt nothing like last year. I did the first 20 miles right at an hour and realized I was going to blow up at that pace, no food for a couple of days prior to race equals bad nutrition for a 70.3. I backed off the push on the next 20 miles to conserve energy for the run and really enjoyed the course. It was rougher roads than last year, but almost no wind until the last 10 miles. I shaved 21 minutes off of my 2014 time even turning off the power (have I mentioned how much I love my bike). No excuses and no complaints, I liked my bike time and had enough energy to start running.

    The run started off as normal except instead of going out to the Energy Lab II this year we turned around at the park entrance and ran around the lake for 2 loops. I found this much more difficult than the out and back both mentally and physically. The lake is surrounded by a LOT of small ups and downs that really take their toll after the first loop. At mile 10 I was officially done running so I resorted to power walking (see above, stomach bug and going out too fast on the bike). The last 5k seemed to go on forever, but I made some friends with others that had similar experiences. I left enough in the tank to run the last half mile and do a good Roger Airplane into the finish chute. It’s actually one of my better finisher pictures and I was genuinely smiling.

    Over all I ended up being more than an hour faster than the 2013 race and I took 3rd place for my final Clydesdale race. IMBSLT went from being the worst race of my life in 2013 to one of my favorites in 2014. I can honestly say I am looking forward to racing there again in the future!

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  • Legend Tri – 100

    Placeholder for Legend Tri 100.

  • Ironman Texas 70.3 – Galveston

    I had posted this update on the pre-hacked site, but that was a casualty of the kids with no supervision. This will act as a placeholder to re-do the post.

  • Ironman Arizona 2014

    I have written and re-written this post at least three times. I am unsure why I can’t get happy with my report since I am very happy with how my race progressed this year. So I think it is time to apply the KISS strategy and just write. Sorry for any rambling that may occur!

    Race Week!

    This year we took off a day earlier so we could have more time to enjoy the beautiful city of Tempe and the race venue. This really paid off as we never felt like we were in a rush this year and that relaxed feeling carried over into race day. Super Jen discovered her favorite tacos in the country on Mill Street at Loco Patron. She liked them so much that she had them every day while we were in Tempe. I must say they were good.

    Race check-in and registration for 2015 were very smooth this year unlike last. The lines and process were much better organized and I truly appreciate the volunteers that gave their time. I can’t wait to race beside so many of you that were volunteering to get your 2015 race slot. We did the normal stuff of buying some T-shirts and perusing the Expo over and over for things we “needed”. ๐Ÿ™‚

    There were a few highlights of the race week this year I must mention. First and foremost, Tribe Multisport, for putting on the underwear run and the excellent shop party. Both events were very well run and we were very happy to participate. The Arizona Zoot team was also very welcoming and accommodating with us and I surely appreciate all of the kind words and getting to race next to teammates. Also, the BOA Closure System’s team was truly awesome! I wish I would have had more time to get more shoes fitted! Mostly I wish my dogs wouldn’t have eaten a set when we got home, guess they liked the new BOAs also.

    Race Day!

    This year race day did not sneak up on me like it did the previous year. I knew it was coming, I was quite relaxed and I knew what to expect throughout the day. That was my thoughts at least the night before, little did I know there were to be some surprises thrown my way to test my will. This year I was privileged to race along side Megan and we had our spouses and teammates to cheer us on the course. This was comforting knowing I knew people on the course this time around instead of last year when I was ready to burst into tears anytime I saw Super Jen. The power of seeing a familiar face on an Ironman course is amazing.

    Transition setup was quick and quiet as planned. I only needed to drop bottles and nutrition since I was keeping it simple. The only problem I had was the valve core sticking on my rear wheel when I attempted to top off the tires. I went from 110psi to 0psi very quickly, that was a nerve racking couple of minutes trying to fix it on the rack. After some water and cleaning the valve though it was as good as new! After that I went back to meet up with our group for last minute words of encouragement and shaking off the nerves that had arisen. We suited up and hugged everyone good bye for the start of our long day!

    Megan and I stayed together all the way to the stairs somehow. After we jumped we became separated, but I figured that would be the case. I had a major blunder jumping off the stairs trying to dodge a lady that jumped right in front of me as I was jumping. I ended up hitting my right foot on the wall and bottom. It cut it pretty deep and I was pretty sure I broke my pinky toe, the blood stopped flowing pretty quickly due to the cold water so I just went on. The most medical could do would be wrap it and put ice on it so I decided the cold Tempe water would do just about the same. I was a couple of minutes late getting to the line due to the mishap, but I am pretty sure that helped me in the swim. I received a lot less damage this year from the swim than last. Passing more than being passed works well for me I have found over the last couple of IM races. A few minutes before the turn I looked up while I took a breath and Megan was right beside me. We didn’t start together, but somehow we ended up no more than a few feet apart among 2999 other swimmers. Little things like that really push you during a long IM day, those things that just make you chuckle or smile go a long way when you are in 62 degree water.

    I came out of the water not doing any extra distance this time and felt really well. The run to the change tent was a blur. We got ready at the table again this year and both went ewww at my torn up toes. As Megan said “you are going to feel that later”, all I could do is laugh it off and put socks on. She was VERY correct on feeling it, once the cold wore off I could really feel the cuts and the jammed up toes. At this point I was still pretty sure the little one was broken the way it felt.

    On the bike we were treated to one of the windiest days on the IMAZ course in its history. Each lap progressively got windier and the 17 miles out to the turn around was either a head cross or full head wind. There were lots of accidents from people crossing lanes and just going to fast with the downhill tailwind so you had to be aware of your surroundings constantly. I just put my head down in aero and rode, it was all I could do honestly. I wanted off the bike with a decent time, but I also wanted to feel good for the marathon still to come. I had no issues on the bike other than just it being tiresome. Battling the wind actually took away the boredom you sometimes get on a ride like that so even though it hurt I appreciated that it kept my mind busy. By the time we were on the third lap we were riding in 25+ MPH winds and I could really see it taking toll on other riders. As I was finishing my third lap there were people just going out on laps and I truly felt for them as the wind was just getting stronger. Being able to make that late turn though is the essence of being an Ironman in my opinion. When your body and mind is screaming to quit but you keep going, that is awesome.

    Going into T2 I was very fatigued. I got a big boost from Bryan Dunn, Team Zoot Arizona, and that was very appreciated. My toes were not getting better so I put on fresh socks, a fresh tri top and grabbed my other stuff for the run. I was both happy and sad to be on the run.

    Heading out of T2 my legs were working a lot better than I thought they would. I grabbed nutrition on the first few stops and was holding a good pace. I hadn’t seen Megan since lap two of the bike so I was hoping she was doing well. I found out at mile four she was doing just fine as we passed by each other and she later passed me at mile nine. I was happy to see her go by because that meant she was having a very good race. I was above my projected pace at that point so that meant we were both doing well and all of those training days were paying off. I had also said I would finish about 30 minutes behind her and that looked to be true after a long hard day. I kept on pushing until mile 12.5, that is when my world came crashing down.

    At mile 12.5 of the marathon I went from running strong and feeling great to almost falling over and not being able to stand up straight. I was confused and couldn’t really see straight. I started walking at that point in a semi-straight line just trying to stay up right. That is the first time I thought I may not finish the race. I had done everything right, I thought, and I had lots of energy and plenty in the legs. It took me about a mile to figure out that I had actually over-hydrated and that made me even more afraid I wasn’t going to finish. I stopped all fluids and just rinsed my mouth with water for a couple of miles to quench the thirst. I saw Jen and Grey at mile 13.5 and begged them to find Ben before I stumbled off to keep going. I was determined to keep going!!! At special needs I grabbed a packet of cookies I had stashed to see if I could soak up some of the excess fluids and put a little sugar back in the blood stream. This had almost an immediate positive effect and I was back to walking upright and power walking. By this time I couldn’t run any longer from wasting my legs by stopping like I did, but I could keep power walking so that is what I did. By mile 16 I was back up to speed and walking 15-17 minute miles just to keep going. I was so sad that I was going to be sub six hours on the marathon this year and I was then reduced to walking just to finish. I did the math and figured out the pace I needed to beat my 2013 pace and that is exactly what I did.

    Jenny, Grey, Ben and Tim were all there after my debacle to cheer me on and give me the boost I needed to finish. The wind had never stopped blowing and now it was down in the low 60s so we were all very cold, but I was going to finish. Never in my life had I been that determined to do something. I can’t recall a time at least. I kept doing my power walk and taking in fluids when I could, but nutrition was still hard to get down. Those last few miles were a blur that seemed to go on forever, but at last I could see and hear the finish! I decided since I was forced to walk that far I would walk it in and give as many high fives as I could. I think I got at least 20 people going down the chute and I was smiling. I could hear my entire team cheering when I came in and I had nothing but happiness in my head. None of the days events mattered any longer as they placed my finishers medal around my neck. I stopped paying attention to my jacked up toes hours earlier and the hydration issue was nothing more than a distant memory. I was officially a 2 time Ironman!!! The conditions were much tougher, I had a very messed up foot and I had battled back from over hydration to the point I almost went to medical. This medal means much more than my 2013 just for what it took to obtain.

    I cannot wait for Ironaman Arizona 2015!!!

    Thank You!

    First and foremost thank you Super Jen! You are the best specator, supporter, friend and wife an IM could have. You put up with the insane training and ridiculous race schedules. You even trade around days so we both can train and race, you are the best and I love you!!!

    Ben, thank you for putting up my my whining and bitching all year long every year. You are a great coach and a great friend. I am honored to be racing with you in 2015!

    Megan, thank you for being my training partner and comrade during the race. It made everything so much easier suffering alongside someone this time than the previous year when it was just me training for IMAZ.

    My KMF teammates where would I be without you? Bored and training alone mostly! Thank you all and I can’t wait to race alongside so many of your in 2015.

    Team Zoot!!!! I am so proud to be a part of ZootSports and to have such a good group ofย  friends. I am honored to have been a part of 2014 and to be selected again for the 2015 team.

    Onward to 2015!!!!!!

     

     

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  • Ironman Buffalo Springs 70.3 – Race Report

    If you haven’t noticed I have taken a while to post this. Honestly this week is the first I have felt decent since the race. I truly raced into a dark hole and it took some time to come out of it both physically and mentally. That is the whole idea of Ironman, how mentally and physically tough can you be and still function. This year at BSLT I finished, but it wasn’t much more than just a finish time/position wise.

    We drove out to lovely Lubbock, Tx on Friday and met up with all of our @Team Zoot 2014 โ€“ Texas Athletes for aย  very nice dinner at the local Chophouse. It was great to see everyone in non-race gear and have all the spouses and kids there with us. My favorite aspect of triathlon has to be the relationships we have and the insanity we share together. Being able to allow our family members to meet the other insane athletes family is a great time. After dinner we did a quick IM checki n and listened to the baby cry most of the night. Saturday was a nice lunch and letting the kids swim. Luckily the baby slept really well so I had plenty of rest for race day which is unusual. We really kept it low key for the day and stayed off the feet as much as possible.

    Race day came very quickly after closing my eyes Saturday night. To get to Buffalo Springs Lake we had to wake at 3:30am to drive only 6 miles. The traffic tends to backup we were warned so I had no intention of adding to that stress to already stressful transition setup. The half mile walk to transition includes a 9% downhill which you guessed it, you get to walk that back out pushing all of your gear. It was an ominous realization when all the course started to become reality. None of those elevation charts ever seem as bad when you are viewing them in PDF format. Transition setup was very non-eventful other than forgetting my sunscreen. We were all able to meet up for a pre-race team picture and get all of our families together so they could all find each other throughout the day. It was time to start the race!!!

    The water at Buffalo Springs Lake was absolutely perfect. No bad smells and the temperature was awesome, especially since it was wet suit legal. I had the pleasure of starting at the final wave this year which was nice. I just walked in the water and started out at a mild pace with the intentions of not stressing my body at all on the swim. This worked very well as the currents were nice and the course was very easy to follow. I hit every buoy and didn’t swim a lot extra like I normally do, it turned out to be my best IM 70.3 swim to date. I was really encouraged as I ran out of the water to T1.

    I took my time in T1 and ran out onto the bike. It was time to face a a very hilly and windy course, the wind never dropped below 20mph over the day with gusts up to 35. Less than 200 feet out of T1 you start your first climb, yup you guessed it that 8.9% hill that we took our gear down coming into the canyon, it was immediately followed by another hill less than a quarter mile ahead. This was all in the first mile of the race setting us up for a fun time. Most of the course had a crosswind or headwind to fight so only a few times were you actually not working on the course with a tailwind. The designers put it together to be a challenge. The hills just got more and more challenging from there with one called the stair case that you carried zero momentum into and snaked up the side of the canyon. The problem with all of the hills is they were hard going up, but scary going down. I am not a speed demon when it comes to downhills and I hit my all time high speed at 45.7 miles per hour HOLDING THE BREAKS on one of the downhills. I could smell the pads I had so much pressure on them and the crosswinds had me holding on for dear life. The bike course is tough, but I persevered and had a good ride. I went into T2 feeling tired, but still holding together.

    In T2 I found a lady willing to share sunscreen so I coated myself as thick as I could. I knew the sun was going to start burning me in the run and needed all the protection I could get. The run started off pretty well after a fluid and wee stop, I really thought I was going to have a good marathon portion. That only lasted about 3 miles though, between miles 3 and 4 the wheels came off the bus like I have never felt before. At mile 4 the aid station had a thermometer reading road temps at 120F already and we weren’t to the hottest part of the day. I tried to stay smart and only run the flats and walk the hills, but by mile 6 I was calculating if I could make the race cutoff time if I had to walk the remaining 7 miles. Part of me was wishing I couldn’t so I had an excuse to call it, but alas I had plenty of time and I did indeed have to walk the last 7 miles. I tried to run here and there, but my IT band was locked up to the point I was limping while walking and almost crying while running. I decided it was just best to ditch the run effort and walk my way to a finish. I consumed all the fluids I could and iced my IT band/hips as much as I could to keep them moving. On mile 8 the road was melted so much it was sticking to our shoes (not exaggerating and I still have tar/chip seal on the bottom of my race shoes). The only wildlife out there were buzzards and a couple of prairie dogs playing in the fields. After pushing through I did make the cutoff with plenty of time to spare and walked immediately into the lake with a recovery drink. I hung out in there for about 30 minutes trying to get some feeling back in my body that wasn’t pain.

    Ironman Buffalo Springs 70.3 is not a joke and it isn’t a race for the untrained. I knew it was going to be a difficult race, but I had no idea just how difficult. Thanks to my coach @BenDrezek and teammates @Team Zoot 2014 โ€“ Texas Athletes @KMFPerformance for all of the support. Without all of you guys, this life would be much harder and not near as much fun. I will return to @BSLT at some point, I just do not think it will be in 2015 unless I have a moment of insanity and sign up before I think about what I am doing. Mike and Marti Greer you put on an awesome event and I know why this was a Kona Qualifier.

  • Team Zoot!

    It is with great pride I am announcing my selection to Team Zoot in 2014 Yesterday Christian Wendenburg contacted me to deliver the news that I would be racing for Zoot Sports in 2014.

    December 16, 2013

    Hi Kris,

    Congratulations! After a long review process of the many applicants, Zoot Sports is happy to notify you that you are being offered a position as a Team Member on the 2014 Team Zoot. Our Texas region has been delegated 12 spots, and I am anxious to have you as one of our group!

    What is the Team Zoot?
    The Team Zoot is comprised of approximately 185 US-based amateur, elite, and professional triathletes who are committed to racing hard, having fun, and representing the Zoot brand and each of the Team Zoot industry sponsors. The Team is subdivided into 9 regions across America that are overseen by 13 captains.

    My anticipation of 2014 had now increased ten fold. Pretty cool being asked to join a national team! You can learn more about the team and products by going to Zoot Sports.

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  • 2013 USAT Results

    Their results are next to impossible to decipher, but keeping them handy to compare for 2014. I will be repeating most races again and doing fewer rallies.

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  • Ironman Arizona 2013

    Ironman Arizona – 11/17/2013

    It was such an adventure getting to IMAZ. 12 months of training for one awesome day of racing. I did my first triathlon in late October 2012 and found I had an immediate addiction. The addiction was so bad that 3 weeks later I signed up for Ironman Texas 70.3 and Ironman Arizona 140.6. Naive doesn’t even begin to describe me back in 2012, never could I have imagined what was really involved just to complete an IM. I slacked a lot of times when I should have been pushing, but it was truly a grueling year of training. I regret absolutely nothing that was done or not done though.

    On to Tempe! The weather was beautiful on race weekend. Mid 70s for race day with a steady 10ish mph wind that shifted a lot in the desert it seemed. I must say something about the volunteers and spectators, they are unbelievable. I’ve competed a lot in my life, but have never seen so much support and people giving so much just for fun and to be part of IM. I thank each and everyone so much, I could not have finished without them.

    Swim 01:26:12

    The water was 63 degrees at start time his year. It was actually quite pleasant when the sun came up and apart from some interesting smells in the water, it is a great single loop course. This was my first mass start race, I’ve done several wave start Tris but this was quite an experience. Approximately 2700 of my closest friends went crazy when the cannon fired and what was a perfectly smooth water surface suddenly had 6″ waves. The toughest portion of the swim was trying to stay on course. With so many folks jockeying for position I was pushed left and right the entire 2.4 miles. I was constantly sighting and would make a run at a buoy only to make a few new buddies on the way to it and be 10-25 yards off my course. It felt like an mma fight in a few portions of the course and I ended up almost losing my goggles, balling up my right calf and straining my neck by the end. I was a little tired by the end, but did not expend any unnecessary energy and was ready for the bike. After bobbling up the stairs and stripping down transition went smoothly and I was sprinting out of the chute.

    Bike 06:48:18

    The first lap I felt strong and was spinning according to plan. The neck strain was starting to become more noticeable by the end of the lap and causing my head to ache. On lap two I did a quick potty stop (sorry, not hardcore enough to pee on my bike) and started my search for Ibuprofen or a hammer for my head that was now pounding. By the end of lap two I was struggling to stay in aero and it was really taking a toll on my time. I decided it was best to just relax and roll with it as my Super Jen had some ibuprofen next to the transition (shhh, I asked every volunteer for some). On lap three I was lucky enough to get some children’s Tylenol from an EMT that made me promise to never identify him. That guy was truly one of my heroes for the day. Within about 10 minutes my headache eased up and I was able to finish strong.

    The leg was rather uneventful for me. I was passed by pros on all three laps and good golly are they fast. I was on a decline section running 25 and Correl and Rapp passed me like I was not moving then not further done the road here came Kessler. It was the first time I didn’t feel so bad about getting owned by a girl. The only issue I almost has was a little old lady kept swinging to the left of the lane and almost took out 4 pros passing us. It was a congested area and there were about 10 of us skidding around. I saw a lot of people laid out from crashing or exhaustion, always hard to see someone’s race come to an end due to those things.

    Run 06:34:42

    The run was my biggest worry of the entire day, I really stressed over the looming marathon. Before the race my longest run had been 13.3 miles so I knew I couldn’t run the whole thing so I went with the tried and true 3 minutes run and 3 minutes walk plan. I was attempting to maintain a 15 minute mile average which I knew was more than enough to get to the finish line. I know going for just enough isn’t really the race mentality, but getting over zealous in an Ironman can end you (in more ways than one).

    Once in T2 I took my time changing shirts, reapplying glide and getting slathered in sunscreen. My super Jen was at the run out with ibuprofen to kill the headache and neck ache that was still really beating me down. I chose to just start out slow to let the inflammation go down and I fueled heavy on the start since due to pain my bike nutrition plan made me nauseous. After walking the first couple of miles I kicked the watch timer on and set in for a long evening on the course. I never had any more cramps or pain after I got my compression socks on and the Meds fully kicked in. I was forced to use The Perform on the course for electrolytes and once it got dark the served us chicken broth that must have been from golden chickens it was so good. I know it was probably the cheapest they could find, but warm broth after such a long day felt good inside and it was like new life was in my body.

    That’s what kept me going until mile 18. I saw Super Jen at mile 15 and was worried my body was starting to give out some. I never had a thought of not finishing or quitting, but in that 13-16 mile area it was tough to believe it was actually going to end. The course thinned out some and all of our spectators had moved to the finish line to cheer others on. There was no dominatrix on lap two to spank us and a lot less cowbell, we needed more cowbell. Anyways when I saw Uber Jen it was a morale booster and I was about to switch to cola to finish out the run. I actually went to cola and grapes, it seemed like an odd combination but my run pace picked up and I was running more than walking. At one point before that I thought I would be walking the rest of the marathon, but started taking 6-9 minute run turns to get done. I felt proud of myself for the first time at mile 24 when I ran 9 minute sections and still had a lot in the tank. It was then that I realized it was no longer just in my mind that I was going to finish.

    The last 2 miles were the longest of my life, it truly seemed like we would never get there. I could hear Mike yelling at the finish line and all of the music/cheering but it just seemed like it wasn’t coming for me. Made up my mind with 1 mile to go it was time to end this wonderful day. I gave it everything I had and my body felt great! I actually kept getting faster and felt light (not like I was 225) and the finish line finally came into view. Running down the chute was amazing. I don’t know how many people were there cheering, but it was a lot. I was not prepared for how bright those lights were and I just kept running and smiling. I tried to be the guy that raised his arms in victory, but they didn’t cooperate and I just ended up with a big smile and tears in my eyes. I stayed upright and was able to go through unassisted to my picture and the best 2 pieces of pizza I’ve ever consumed.

    My Super Jen was there to hug and take care of me while I let my body come down finally. I was pleasantly surprised to find out my teammate and friend Megan True was there at the finish line too. I didn’t hang around too long after finishing as my legs were starting to fail me finally. My Super Jen helped me to the car, got my bike/gear to the car and fed me before putting me down for a much needed nap.

    Overall 15:08:42

    Super Jen walked/ran at least 5 miles spectating and getting pictures all day. She got there at 5 am with me and took me home at 11pm all while carrying a 20 pound backpack. That’s IM spectator dedication and it was the highlight of my day. I kept seeing her in random parts of the course cheering me on and it made me so proud. There was a lap on the bike where I was searching for her and she wasn’t where I had seen her before, I truly felt like my world was ending until I saw her a mile up the road and then suddenly I was back to elation and full speed. It’s amazing how much the support from loved ones propels you through an event like this. I cannot thank my wonderful wife and family enough for supporting me this past 12 months in my pursuit of being an Ironman. Unfortunately I’m more addicted now than I was when I started and can’t wait for my next race!!

    Race Summary
    Swim 01:26:12
    Bike 06:48:18
    Run 06:34:42
    Overall 15:08:42

    Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/arizona/results.aspx#ixzz2lQn6uPdN

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