Road to IronMan

Ironman Wisconsin - September 7, 2014

Race Report:

Nine months of training, planning, experimenting, eating and breathing Ironman came down to one day, one shot from a canon, and one distant finish line 140.6 miles away...

When I turned 30 my wonderful wife surprised me by signing me up for IMWI14. Completing a Ironman course became a life dream of mine the moment my foot crossed the finish line at the Redfish Lake Sprint Triathlon back in 2008. I wanted more. I was captivated by the thrill of racing against the course, the elements, the mental blocks. It was all so new and obsessive. I loved every second. 

When I learned there was this thing called 'Ironman,' a 2.4 mile open water swim followed by a 112 mile road bike, and then a full 26.2 marathon I told myself, "one day I will do that." For 5 years it was a pipe dream. There were lists of excuses; too expensive, don't have time, my bike is crappy, I hate the ocean...but then Jasmine got sick of hearing all of them and decided to fulfill my dream by saving her funds from her part-time job so she could sign me up. October 1, 2013 was an unforgettable night. This is me reading my registration form Jasmine printed off stating that in 11 short months I would have the opportunity to become an Ironman. Thus the journey began...

Auburn World's Toughest Half - May 18th, 2014

Race Report:

There is a reason Auburn has been deemed the "World's Toughest Half." Right out of the lake it's an uphill battle for 26 miles with minimal downhill relief. The climbing never really ends and totals over 6,000 feet by the time you reach T2, 30 miles later. If that's not torture enough the 13.1 miles of intense, arid canyon trail running will get the best of you. Thankfully, for me I had a family member beside me every step of the way. After finishing the 1.2 mile swim I waited in transition for Jasmine and we finished the bike portion together. Jasmine passed the baton to my dad to complete the Half Relay and my dad and I finished the race from there. Overall, it was a great experience and major confidence booster. One fellow participant said he had finished multiple Ironmans and this was way more difficult. I won't be able to compare them for a few months but this enhanced my mental game. Nutritionally, I felt pretty good. Hammer gels, Hammer Heed, and MoJo bars fueled me through the bike. One lovely surprise on the run was potato chips and coke. It's bizarre what foods sound good when you are on the edge. About 7 miles into the run I could tell my kidneys were in overdrive. From then on I took two Hammer Endurolytes at each aid station. At the finish line my appetite was non-existent but I forced down a couple of beef tacos and felt better after that. Unfortunately, we had a 7-hour drive home that evening so Jasmine got me a venti frappachino that went down quickly with ease. Even after a giant Baja Fresh burrito I felt like I could eat more. I didn't take much time for the appetite to return. Thanks to both Jasmine and my dad (and mom too for cheering from the sidelines) for supporting me along the way. Loads of fun, pain, sweat, and grunts. No desire to do the race again but after crossing the finish line it was apparent that I was "Tough enough."

Nearing the 10 mile mark!

Finishing!

UCSB Triathlon - Kendra's Race - April 19th, 2014

Race Report:

Imagine the worst possible start to any race possible and this would take the cake. It was a beautiful April morning in Santa Barbara. The fog was clearing, sun poking its head through, and the Pacific Ocean was cold as usual. Jasmine and I arrived a little early to ensure our transitions were in place and so we could have a little time to people watch. There were a lot of collegiate teams represented from all over the state. It made us feel kind of old. Right about the time we were all supposed to make our way down to Campus Point for the swim I wiggled into my brand new Blue Seventy wetsuit. All that was left was to pull the zipper..except instead of asking for help I thought to myself, "pssh..I got this." Well, it was a prideful mistake because I ended up pulling the zipper completely off the track, holding the entire unit in my hand. "What a waste of money," I was muttering to myself. "What was I going to do now?" Frustrated and embarrassed I joined the herd carefully stepping barefoot across the sharp gravel road. When we reached the beach I decided to shed the wetsuit and attempt to slide the zipper back in place...mistake number two. Unsuccessful, I realized nothing was going to change and there was no way I was swimming 1/2 mile in 60* water without a wetsuit. So, despite being sweaty from frantically freaking out I started the blessed process of fitting back into it. Then, all of a sudden, Jasmine and I were both hit by a "splash" from somewhere. Eventually, we realized there were no small children playing in the tide pools, or rain clouds forming in the sky, but yet a flock of seagulls ridding themselves of their daybreak dose of fish flying in circles above our heads. We were both plastered with white surprise down our backs and in our hair. Somehow, deep from within I found the mental fortitude to scrub the seagull fecal off my back and wiggle back into my sweaty wetsuit that wouldn't zip before the horn blew for the men's wave to start. Perhaps it was something I learned from practicing yoga at Power of Your Om - block out the distractions, the pain, the "poop" and get on with living my life to the fullest. At this point the adrenaline kicked in and after my body adjusted to waves of water rushing down my back and throughout my wetsuit I forgot all about the events prior. We were racing now. Needless to say, it wasn't my fastest swim split but I survived and enjoyed the tour through Goleta and UCSB for the remainder of the race. Woodstock's pizza at the end was a nice touch too. Definitely a race to remember.