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Race Reports for Ironman Arizona 2008

[1]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: All the volunteers were very enthusiastic and that energy REALLY made a difference for participants. I can't thank those who gave of their time and talents enough. It made a world of difference that everyone took care of everything so well and all I had to do was just keep going.
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[2]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Like every race, a lot more porta pottys are needed for race morning. I had to leave the transition area to find a shorter line and it still took 25 min. I wish the finishers shoot was longer. It seemed to go by so fast and the 'catchers' cart you out of the area pretty fast. Everything else was good.
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[3]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: very good race. Had a great time, just wish I had done better because I know I should be able to do 13 hours
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[4]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: The Ironman experience as presented by NAS is expensive but worth every penny.
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[5]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Awesome venue for a race and top notch all around. I will have to come back someday.
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[6]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Absolutely loved everything about this event. NA Sports, regardless of what you feel about the pricing, just does a damn good job on these events. Was so happy, I signed up for next year's race the day before this one. So I'm back for IMAZ'09, and big time looking forward to it.
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[7]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: First, thanks to Wendy for putting up with me training for April, for getting me through April, for dealing with me afterwards, and for putting up with another round of training. I know I am gone a lot, I appreciate being able to do it. And for standing around all day, I think that might have been harder than doing the IM. Can't imagine not having you there to support me. I love you. Second - thanks to Cat and Jeff - I was nervous about you guys coming out in case I didn't make it again, but I was so glad you guys did. don't think I've ever had friends like you. Third - BTers, for your thoughts, encouragement and support after April,and for the inspiration of watching all of you race throughout the year. I don't want to name names for fear of leaving someone out, but you know who you are. Say what you want about NAS (and I know other races do it well too), but they sure know how to put on a good party.
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[8]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: IMAZ was an amazing experience. Despite everything that happened I'm glad to say I am an Ironman. Things could have gotten really bad for me, but I always planned to a have a "Plan B" and a "Plan C". My first goal was always to just finish the race and gain some insight for the next one. Yes I had hoped of going to Kona and I feel I put the training time and effort in to get there. Am I disappointed in being way out of the slots? Not really. I know I have what it takes to get there eventually. I have the patience and determination. I may or may not do this distance in '09 but I will definitely go for another Kona bid in 2010. I took 5 days off of all training and anything Tri related after the race. Hence the week it's taken to finally getting around to doing this race report. I feel good now. A little tight but no soreness. I'm reinvigorated and ready to start training again. PR's will fall '09.
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[9]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: What can I say I am an Ironman and I am looking forward to doing more in the futre.
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[10]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I had a perfect race so I do not feel a need to do this again for a LONG time.
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[11]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Wow. Just wow. Two years ago I couldn't even imagine stepping to the starting line. I had knee pain for four years. Four orthopedic surgeons, 6 physical therapists, two chiropractors and an acupuncturist. No one could fix it and many of the ortho's and PT's actually told me there was nothing they could do and I should just stop running for the rest of my life. Really. I finally took matters into my own hands...found my own doctors in Boulder. Who told me they COULD fix it. And they they DID. I had knee surgery in September of 2007. I signed up for the IM a little more than two months later. Work was causing massive anxiety/depression issues and I needed something for ME. So I signed up for an IM. Dumb, I know. Then when things got a whole lot WORSE finishing the IM became even more important to me. I don't even know how to describe how happy I am just to have been able to get to the STARTING line. Finishing was sheer bonus. If you've never had a four year injury
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[12]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I wish that I could say that this was a life changing race. The truth is that the race was easy. I had been training hard for over a year. I had a coach and there was a plan and I was able to stick to that plan. This race was proof that if I plan and train than I can do just about anything. I am glad that I did the race and my family and friends are very proud of me. I am already planning my next triathlon and my next Ironman. Now I just need to get the tatoo.
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[13]
Reported by:
Race rating (3)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Bad
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Ok... so this is a world class event and it should be for $550. There should also be free beer and decent food available after the race for a race that is so expensive. French Fries and Dominos pizza is bush league. Also a tech shirt would be nice, but the greed at NAS stinks and the crappy cotton t-shirt will become a bike cleaning rag. I did not buy a $36 tech shirt (although I wanted one) and NO I WILL NOT tattoo an M-DOT to myself unless I am paid to do so. OK, sorry... I'll stop the bitchy rant... Yes, I will do another Ironman, NAS or a non Ford iron distance... I think I have a fast ironman in my future, and Kona is not all that important to me anymore. This distance is no longer a mystery to me. What I learned: I learned that the race is the least important part of why I train. I've been going hard for a few years now, and I have been very focused on this one day in my life. It consumed me. At a certain point in the race I realized that my finish time was really unimportant.
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[14]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I am thrilled with my perfomance in my first IM event. There are so many question marks when competing in an Ironman: Was my training enough? Will I have mechanical problems on the bike? Will my diet plan work? Will my legs hold out? Fortunately, for me, Yes was the answer to all of these questions. My mantra for the day was: Relentless Forward Motion. Fortunately I was able to keep this chant going in my head all day long. Phillipians 4:14 states: I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. I give Christ the glory in knowing that this great day was a gift from Him and my ability to achieve my goals was would not have been possible without my faith and trust in Christ. Finally, thank you to all my friends and family for all of your support, prayers and aid along the way as I completed this amazing journey. You were all there with me at the finish line and I could not have done it without your love.
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[15]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great race...what can I say, I'm an Ironman now!
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[16]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: The race was absolutely amazing. Everything I was hoping and much more. I signed up for '09 and can't wait it. This was my first year in triathlon and I'm very happy to have finished my first IM in a reasonable time. I trained my ass off for a long time, but due to unexpected life changes I essentially stopped training about 8 weeks out from the race. I lost quite a bit of speed and fitness. I was super happy to finish strong and get my cactus medal!
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[17]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I'm subtitling this race as: Blood and Gatorade. I got to one aid station, and they hadn't tightened the top of the bottle well enough, so I was cleaning out my leg wounds with Gatorade. Weird stuff. It was a great race. My coach really helped prepare me, and my family was wonderful. The volunteers were great and the race was well organized. It was a good race, especially for my first season. My daughter and I have signed up for next year. I'll do better next year.
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[18]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: What can I say? I got to meet some cool BT'ers, some formally, some just a quick hello (Chippy, Zilla, Trixie, Jess, Q, ChrisM, Bryancd, scallopini, to name a few), I laughed my ass off on the bike for 6 hours because of that ridiculous clown horn I have mounted on my aero bars (it will be staying on...it's THAT good), I met some people from all over the world on the course, I PR'd everything (heh), I got the stickers, the tattoo, the feeling, the accomplishment and most of all, I got to honor my big brother's memory with my little brother. This was all that it was hyped to be and so much more. If you read all this, it must have been a slow day at the office, but hey, you only do your 1st IM once, and I had a lot to say. So there. I will attach some pictures...or it didn't happen, right? The first is me and Andy Potts and Coach Mike, a bike pic, me right after the race, me as I finished and lastly the left foot that developed those pesky mind over matter blisters 8 miles into the
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[19]
Reported by:
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[20]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: I don't plan on doing another IM for a few years. I'll definitely do some more in the future, but I need a break and my family really needs a break. I would like to get to a place in my life where I could train to be able to actually race an IM rather than just finish one, and this point in my life is not that place. I'm looking forward to volunteering next year and returning the support that so many of my friends on this site showed me this past weekend. Special thanks to Sally (riorio) for helping me find my bag in transition, Tanya (StandsWithFist) for catching me (and my bike) coming into T2, Jen (sportyj), Josh (robot) and Tanya again for nutrition, family communication logistics and moral support at the run aid station, Astrid (SauseEnte) for moral support and personal photography on the run and at the finish, Rick (azstaterick) for finish line high-fives and Chris (cordova61) and Kerri (Ktriathlete) for support and some laughs after the finish.
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[21]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: once again IM puts on a good race. lots of support which is the most important thing in my book. this was my 2nd IM and both have been IMAZ. i think its time to find a new destination in 2010. i like AZ but with everything that goes into the race prep and race week i want to experience a different location.
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[22]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Awesome experience. Finished (primary goal). Didn't walk on the marathon except water stops and hills (secondary goal). And beat 13 hours (tertiary goal). Probably would have met my stretch goal of 12:30 if not for the cramp and stomach problems. For my first -- and probably only -- full Ironman, I couldn't be happier.
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[23]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: In the end, it was a great race, beating my Ironman Florida time by almost an hour. But I suffered a lot more. At times I wondered why I would ever want to do one again. I am already signed up for Lake Placid in July 2009, and I am still skeptical of that race, but it is pretty common to think like this right after a race. Ask me in a few days and I will be excited about Lake Placid.
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[24]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: What can I say, this is an Ironman and they always do a good job. I will say though that I have done IM Louisville and IM CdA and did IMAZ once before and of all those I like IMAZ the least. The course is just not as interesting and for whatever reason there just doesn't seem to be as much fanfare.
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[25]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: That's a big goal down. Five Ironman races, ending with a PR at 11:24. I'm really beat up right now, and considering retiring from all this noise, but I'm pretty sure that won't happen. It's been a long road with BT since the first Ironman in 2005, and I'm thrilled to have raced Kona, the XTerra World Championship, made Team USA, and finished the five Ironman races; all following the training plans in BT.com. Crazy.
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