Ironman Arizona - TriathlonFull Ironman

The water was crisp, the lake was crowded, but I came in within my expected range (1:15-1:30).

Perhaps move up a bit before the start. I was going with the pack at good speed, so not many people passed me out where we were.

Slow T1, but I took my time purposely. I did not enter the transition tent - I saw it was crowded so I just sat on the grass and did my thing. My T1 bag was full, so it took a minute to organize and get dressed. I decided to wear a cycling bib, so I had to remove my tri top, which was soaked, and put it back on. I wore my bike shoes all through transition - not sure if that was good or bad. Getting my arm warmers on was difficult as I was wet. Even after toweling off I struggled a bit. The biggest problem was I forgot to stop and get lathered up with sunscreen, so my fair skin did get sunburned throughout the bike course.

Next time I will likely not wear my tri top during the swim, and I will remember to get sunscreen on before leaving T1. I think I can improve this time by a few minutes, but with a 112 mile ride in front of me, I do not want to rush too much and forget something more that I will regret.

I rode a good bike split, which set up my run well. I held back on the first loop until the turn, and it helped get me prepared for the rest of the ride. My nutrition plan worked awesome, and I followed it very well, even though I was not always hungry. Fluid intake was excellent, and I had Salt Stick Plus caps which kept me with a good sodium level. No cramps until the last mile and a half, and even then it was a quick pinch of the right quad, and went away immediately. All in all I was very happy with the bike portion, but was glad for it to be over.

Hard to tell. I stopped to urinate twice at porta potties, and am not comfortable urinating while riding. I spent more time at special needs than expected, as I re-filled my Infinit with fresh powder and added water. I suppose saving a few minutes there was about all I could have controlled. I do not want to criticize my ride pattern, as I was very happy with my effort level and the fact that I saved strength for the run (which was obvious to me later).

T2 was about as-expected. I got my gear, went into the transition tent, and one of the awesome volunteers stayed with me and helped out. I gathered my run gear pretty quickly and the volunteer loaded my transition bag, so all went smooth. Headed out I did stop to get sunscreen to keep the burning from getting worse.

Nothing. I thought this was good overall and I really had no wasted time in transition.

My HR was below my expected peak, so that was good. The cold sponges kept my body temp down until dusk, and that was refreshing. I had Perform and H2O at almost every station, Chicken Broth at about 6-8 stations, and a handful of chips and pretzels once each. I kept away from Cola most of the time, but did take on a few just for flavor, carbonation, and a little caffeine boost. Except for the pretzels and chips (I did not finish either handful) I had no solid substance on the run, which was my plan. My run/walk strategy paid off, and it kept me strong so I could run the last couple miles to the finisher's chute. Here is my funny story - deep inside I wanted to break 13 hours. But my GPS watch (which was low on battery and I shut off just to watch current time after 6pm) was getting right up to 8:00pm, the 13hr mark. When I got to the "left turn" (right turn is for loops 1, 2, and 3), it was right about 8:00 and I gave up my 13hr quest. My brother in law (who volunteered as security for the bike) saw me and ran along Rio Salado with me, motivating me and getting me very emotional (my HR must have soared at this point). I turned the corner and was so ecstatic I never heard Mike Reilly call my name or say those famous words. After crossing the line (here is where the story gets good) I saw my swim coach, Frank Sole, and he told me I broke 13hrs. I turned to see the clock was still under 13hrs and was so excited. It never hurts to pray and turn things over to Him, as I truly believe He gave me strength and kept the clock moving slowly.

Perhaps try and run a bit more, and a bit faster. my HR was down, and I just wanted strong legs, but think I may be able to push a bit harder. However, I would not downplay my run pattern or my effort at all - it got me to the finish and under my hopeful time.

After getting my medal, thermal blanket, finisher's hat and shirt, and having my picture taken, I went in and met up with Kym and Shawn and got congrats, then signed up for my massage. Waited about 30 minutes for the massage (they are worth the wait!), and during that time had some fries and pizza and a Pepsi and talked with John Dean of ONE Multisport (great organization) and some other athletes. Met up with Kym, Shawn, Keri, and my brother in law Scott and told some stories, then got my massage and hears Mike Reilly call out Stephen Pilon's name as an Ironman (totally cool). I saw Steve outside the massage tent and talked to him before he went to medical (he was very dehydrated and got a refreshing IV). We got my gear and loaded the car, then Kym and I went back and watched the finish line for about an hour and a half. We went home about 11pm, I took a shower and watched the midnight hour on Ironmanlive to see the last few finisher's and one lady who crossed after the 17hr mark.


Nothing except inexperience with this distance I think. I was thrilled with my performance and my effort level all day, and felt strong throughout. My legs were tired, but that was to be expected, so with this under my belt I can work towards getting a better time.


WTC is the greatest, and Ironman races are like nothing else on earth. The whole place and environment is electric, the volunteers are totally awesome, and the spectators are as motivating as you could ever ask for. So much positive, I do not see how anyone could have a bad day without major medical problems. Just being here is incredible, and finishing is all the more memorable. For those who did not cross the finish line, I say get back in there and keep moving forward - you will do it, and you will be an Ironman. For those who crossed the line, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!!