From athlete dropout to triathlon pro: Achieving an impossible dream
Yes, it’s true you can be anything in life if you want it badly enough and are willing to work for it. I’m actually a great example because I was an unimpressive athlete growing up. In fact, in most cases I was a “drop out” in just about every sport I attempted. I only went to one swim practice in first grade then quit because I was too intimidated by the older kids. I played hockey then softball then soccer in grade school because my mom signed me up, and truthfully I sucked at all three but everyone received playing time at that age. In high school in California, I...
Read MoreChoosing an Ironman Race – Which One?
“Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!” — Commander John Collins, USN (1978) A client asked me recently about choosing which Ironman distance race (2.4-mile swim / 112-mile bike / 26.2-mile run) to compete in: “Just thought I’d reach out and get your input for choosing your first Ironman and how to go about registering. I’ve decided I’m going to do a Half Ironman this summer/fall, complete a marathon in late fall, and then try to tackle an Ironman next year. I’ve heard of the great difficulty in registering...
Read MoreFollow up to the Quelle Challenge: Crossing the Finish Line
Yep, that’s me traipsing through the finish line at the Quelle Challenge in Roth, Germany a few days before the actual race. Note the lack of cheering fans and the obvious fact that I’m wearing jeans. As planned, I completed only the swim and bike on race day then stopped in T2. My own unofficial aqua bike race with me as the only participant. I had mixed feelings about doing an event that I knew that I was not going to finish. On the one hand, I was already in Germany and had spent the time and money to make the trip. On the other hand, I was racing in the pro category with a...
Read MoreQuelle Challenge #4: Racing for Other Than a Fast Time
I’ll be racing at the Quelle Challenge in Roth tomorrow morning for the fourth year in a row. When I first came to Roth in 2005, I came to experience the legendary atmosphere of what is the largest Ironman-distance field in the world with more than 2,500 individuals and 500 relays competing and more than 100,000 spectators cheering. I was not disappointed in the experience. I also came to break nine hours again in an Ironman after first going “sub nine” at the inaugural Blue Devil Iron Distance Triathlon in 2007. Because of the fast times posted at Roth including the 7:50...
Read MoreQuelle Challenge: Das beste Rennen auf der ganzen Welt
“Das beste Rennen auf der ganzen Welt.” - German translation of winner Chris McCormack’s quote, “This is the best race in the whole world.” My Overall Finish Time: 08:51:41 Summary I am a happy man. I wanted a personal best time (PR) and I achieved it. My dream goal for this year was to go under 8:30. I could hit the time (at least on paper) with a 0:52 swim, 4:40 bike and 2:50 run plus a few minutes of fluff added in for transitions and any potential problems that always seem to appear on race day. I hit none of those splits on race day and even finished in a relatively slow...
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