Atl_runner's group - full for now. (Page 15)

IM Wisconsin Watch 2007

As the entire sporting world knows, PeterAK and ATL_runner finished IM Wisconsin on Sunday.  It is currently assumed that the two of them had fantastic days as the official results do indicate that they finished.  Stay tuned to this space where we expect to hear from each of our Ironmen soon.  Congratulations!!!  You are an Ironman.

<the crowd goes wild - champaign is sprayed over the PeterAK and ATL_runner soaking everyone within range - pandamonium ensues>

It was wild and amazing!!!!  I exceeded my wildest dreams.  By a huge amount.  Crowd support rocked and the BT'ers were amazing.  DASpanglers, I saw Tammy on the run, I wish I would have known to look for you with her!  Race report is going to be loooong...  I started it last night and will work on it more in the next couple days.

Thank you thank you to all of you, it was a blast experiencing the trip with you.

Ron, it was awesome meeting you and Leslie, congrats to you Ironman!!!

I left right after we saw Bob start the run right out of T2.  I had both my kids with me and they were getting way to antsy for me to keep them any longer.  Congratulations on the race.  That is so awesome!  Once I heal up and actually get a full year of training under my belt I'm sure I meet up with you sometime next season!

Easily one of the most Amazing experiences of my life. So much fun, so much pain, so much joy, so much work. Crossing that finish line has changed me.. maybe not dramatically, or even noticably, but it has changed me, for the better.

Race report soon.

12:43:59  ... my path to Ironman.

What is everyone up to these days?  Any races left this season?  Making plans for next year?

I'm enjoying my return to normal life.  Yard work, cleaning up the house (I had referred to it as Iron Mess all summer), relaxing, having more than one beer at a wedding...  These are all things I really enjoyed this weekend.   That said, I wish I was doing Moo again next year, it was so very much worth the sacrifices it involved.  Lori says don't do it, and I plan on doing it again in 2009, so that's fine.

The real world will trump full iron distance next year but I will still have a full race schedule.  Plan on doing a half mary in Minneapolis in Feb, the Olympic at Wildflower (CA)  and sprint at Lake Mills (WI) in May, the oly at Elkhart Lake in June (WI), and at least one half Ironman, with High Cliff (WI), Racine (WI), and Steelhead (MI) on the list of possibilities.

Yeah, I enjoyed the post IM 'glow' quite a bit, but I am ready to refocus on future goals. It's doubtfull that 2008 will contain an Iron Distance event for myself as well, but you can rest assured it will be a full schedule with potentially (4) 70.3 or half Iron distance events on the table, up to 4 Olympics, and 4 sprints as well. Without an IM, I will be able to race through training. One big thing on my agenda, is going for a Boston Qualifier, maybe at Chicago. I got a 3:19 there in 06, and need a 3:15. We'll see how that goes.

As far as what races, I know I will be doing St. Anthony's Olympic, Gulf Coast Half Iron, Rock and Roll man Half Iron, and potentially Steelhead 70.3 in August, and another one in there somewhere. I am also shooting for Chattanooga oly, then the rest picked as schedules come out.

What IM in 09?  Remains to be seen. I would do Wisconsin again in a second. Arizona is probably out unless it moved to October or November. Louisville is an option, along with Lake Placid. IMFL is lower on my list, but is certainly a possibility. I don't think I want to do the whole travel thing to CDA or Canada. I'd rather do an out of country IM like Western Austrailia or Germany.   

Just had my last race on Saturday.    It was a fun race...kind of a last minute deal cus I wasn't ready to see my season end.  I'm still sad to think it's actually over.  It's been quite a first season.... 3.5 tri's, 1 aquathon (swim/run), 2 5k's, and 4 2-mile races.  Not half bad for starting in Feb. thinking I might do a 5k or two.  

So now my focus is on moving out of my current apartment.  I'm going to spend a couple of weeks in my hometown in Montana and then I'm moving out to CA for my new job.  As far as a workout related focus, it's all about running now.  Learning to like it, and learning to do it better. 

I'm not sure what my plans are for next season since I'm going to miss a lot of it for work.  My job (w/Americorps....like peace corps but in the US) will have me traveling to who knows where, so I don't even know where I'll be living when summer hits.  Unfortunately the ending day got pushed back so it won't be done until end of july or early august.  I'd like to still get a couple of races in at some point.  Hopefully I will be able to maintain some level of training through the year, but at least I know for sure I'll be able to run, which is what I need the most work on.  Then the following season, '09 I guess that would be, I'd like to do a HIM.  That's my big looking in to the future goal for now.  Oh and another goal is to be able to buy a new bike next summer.   

Looks like we all get to live vicariously through you for a while!   I'm already missing it and it hasn't even been my "off season" for a week yet! lol  I think I've truly become an addict!

Anyway, good luck on your half on the 30th!  That's coming up soon here! 

Thanks Pete!  Nope.  I so wanted to and that was the plan but as my surgery kept getting pushed back I can't push it this soon.  I wouldn't even make the 5K.  Tammy (tm01) talked me into volunteering but now my father in law is in town from TX and my wife would not have been to happy w/ me (so what else is new lately).  Now get this....so I say, "what are we going to do w/ your dad on Saturday?"  My wife's reply "Let's go to Milwaukee to the museums"  WHAT?  That's where I wanted to go to BEGIN with!!!  Oh well - I will be looking for the donkey nation faithful Saturday regardless.