Ironman Boulder 2017 - Race Story!

All I can say is: WHAT. A. SPORT.

Driving from Minnesota to Boulder, Co with my sister this weekend to race 140.6 miles, was a trip I will never forget. It would be the chance to see if the months of preparation and training would pay off. 1,000 miles of driving later we arrive at our home stay for the weekend, which was fantastic. Thank you Brad and Kayde for allowing us to stay in your home for the weekend, so grateful for your hospitality. We stayed about 20 miles from the race venue, which is a solid distance to cover, especially when it takes an hour to travel that far here! Being here 10 months ago, I sort of remembered how to get around... Sort of.

PRE RACE:

WTF are u guys doing here

every squirrel has their tree.

The days leading up to the biggest race of my life were perfect. 90 degrees and sunny, just how I like it. Friday I picked up my packet and the oh so coveted race bag (see above). Solid bag this year. We sat and listened to the athlete briefing, watched the pro panel, and walked around the Pearl Street Mall. Called it a day after that and ate Qdoba, (monster burrito), and finally made it to the house. It was so nice to be able to relax and have what feels like family now, making you as comfortable as possible. Saturday I got a short ride and run in, which is more difficult to do around Denver than I thought, and headed to the Boulder Res to say goodbye to my steed and drop the gear bag. We hung out a bit by the water and my god it was windy. Really hoped it calmed down. Next stop was to the high school, dropped the run bag and perused Pearl Street again. It was HOT, perfect. Chilled by the ripping boulder creek and enjoyed the sun and the farmers market. Decided to head back and I ate at Noodles. Made a stop at Lifetime and my sister and I got a quick swim in, we were amazed by the size of the place! Got back to the house and relaxed to get ready for the morning!


RACE DAY:
Just like that, it is 3 am and you are ready to go. If only it was that easy. I think I ate a picky bar and a banana? Maddie and I drove to the car to the high school, we parked on the same street every time, how lucky. Got on the buses and were shuttled to the res. Got to my bike and put my concoction of Herbalife Prolong/Drive and Powerade in a cage and put some clif bloks in the box. (that rhymed) And now the hurrying was done now it was the waiting part. Standing and watching everyone, knowing exactly what they are thinking, probs freaking out about something. Along comes Jerry Bartolome, first time meeting him and his contagious attitude. Oh about an Hour later, I was finally able to head to the swim start. Saying siyanara to mads and getting the good luck from her is all I needed to get into that water.

Calm before the storm

SWIM:

mads made me smile every time i saw her

Cannon goes off and we start rolling into the water, I can't wait for a mass start swim. The water was perfect for a wetsuit and I never felt uncomfortable. Having the times split up a few seconds was smart I think. They sent the sub 60 min swimmers first then my group, the 1-1:15 peeps. I new I would be at the front of this group, but not yet to under an hour. I'll get there! Walked into the water, I didn't roll, and just like that the day had begun.  I had only swam in ope water once this year before an that was in Chattanooga. Did not seem to make to huge a difference. Rounding the first turn buoy seemed like forever, haha buddy, you've got a long ways to go. Maybe that was just the warm up, because I felt pretty good he rest of the way. No weeds out at the far end of the swim this year, so I did not have a wrestling match in the water, at least not with plants. Could not really find any feet this time around and swam solo the whole swim. Came around the second turn and picked it up a tad; I headed straight for the exit and managed a respectable 1:03:09
Good enough to be first out of the water for the 18-24ers this year.

Bike:

food goes in mouth right

Time for the real work to begin. T1 I took my time and made sure I had everything, slapped my shoes on my feet and awkwardly ran to the mount line with two mini clif bars in my teeth. The plan was to get progressively quicker over the three lap course. Two solid climbs that if you had not done them before would get you seriously frustrated. Damn you false flats. On the first lap, my legs felt like tight rubber bands or something like that. This was usually how my rides went, I always felt bad for the first hour or so, then loosened up. Such was the case today, the first lap was hard and then the following got easier. It was cool to come past all the spectators at the res three different times, getting a good boost each time I heard mads cheering.
On to lap two where things were quite a bit different that lap one. I'd say it was about 50 miles where the proverbial wheel fell off. I got a flat, rear. The biggest day for me and this gets thrown in. I had a replacement tube and co2 and I believe, this was the fastest I have every changed a flat in my life. I lost about 5 minutes total here which over the iron distance is less of an issue in my AG. OK, whew now that's out of the way. But after something like that I always get super paranoid. And keep checking my rear tire to makes sure its still inflated. fast forward 13 or so miles and things slow down again. The tiniest piece of metal has punctured my dreams yet again. This time I have no replacement, only the feeling of my hard work, out the window. I literally wanted to cry. The only good part of this was I was at an aid station where one volunteer radioed the sag vehicle to come save my life. He was only like 4 minutes away. I watched as the athletes flew by me, standing still. I have never felt this bad in a race. I hope nobody ever has to go through this. When he showed up, I had removed that damn piece of metal and was bleeding from it everywhere. He was like an angel that has been sent from heaven it seemed. He tried to make light of the situation as he changed the tube, joking about my wheels, which I probably tried to joke back. Now I was not even paranoid anymore, I was on a mission, to make back the time I had lost. Feeling like my race had already slipped away, I had nothing to lose. I came through lap two and heard maddie yelling again and that's what I needed to let it freakin rip on lap three.

getting down to bidness after two flats

I did my best to make time up on this lap and focused on staying aero. I saw lots of peeps out there and hearing their support was so cool. Rachael, Ernie, Steve, Aaron thanks! I caught a few of the people who passed me while I was at my funeral. And made it certain I was on a mission. The last little part of the bike was through a path and down through the city, the path was impossible to hold speed on so I just ate some stuff. Then I got to the bike dismount, thank god. That was over; every triathletes nightmare. My time was 5:27:34 which translates to 20.5 mph. Because of those two flats, I lost 16 minutes. My garmin shows 5:11:00 which is an average of 21.9 mph. I lost 16 flipping minutes.

sickk kit wattie

RUN:
Got off the bike with  one thing on my mind, time to make that time up. The volunteer in the change tent helped get all my stuff out and ready. I used the bathroom, smart to do this before I got out running. I made it a plan to walk at least a little bit in every aid station, and I stuck to it. The first few miles went by fast, and I was keeping my pace consistent around 8:30. Through the whole marathon my pace did not deviate from the 8:30 - 9:30 mark. With a few outliers near the end. I never truly felt bad on the run until later on. The cheering was awesome, every time I saw someone I knew it gave me extra motivation. I saw maddie along the creek path right away. Then it was two out and back sections and back uphill towards the halfway turn. I knew this would hurt when I came back around the second time. Every time I passed a mile marker, made sure my legs were still attached. The first half went by smoothly and sucking down gatorade, redbull, water, sometimes cola at aid stations. I carried a salt tube with me and took a lick every mile before I reached the aid station. I kept it mostly liquid on the run other than a few clif bloks. Oh and some grapes around mile 23 or something, barely even remember that. Back for lap two and still managing a respectable pace I got to see team mate Matt Britton, hand slap and keep it up. He crushed it. By the time I got to the 19 mile mark it was all about beating the next mile, the next mile, one at a time. That would get me to the finish. Truly, seeing my sister cheering every time I ran by just as loud as she had the first time I saw her in the morning out on the bike, made all the difference. She said see you at the finish, and those words stuck with my the last 3 miles. Hearing all the go Wattie cheers was awesome too.

wattie love is real

Obviously the final miles are the hardest, but my hamstrings wanted nothing to do with running anymore and felt like now was the best time to make their thoughts known. I had to stop to stretch them out a few times, each time it was harder to get the struggle bus moving again.
This race though, it does something to you. I was not about to give up, fighting the legs every step. To finally run back down hill towards the finish was amazing. Thanks Kenny Withrow for pushing me down that last mile.

One last cramp in the hammys to make sure I did not forget, and I got across the finish. WOW. Gave everything I could. I squeaked in under 4 hours at 3:59:36




10:39:29





To say I went through all the emotions in one race is fair. It was all worth it in the end. I did not know my placing until about 3 hours later when my sister told me, she knows I don't like to know right away. How was that possible? With everything that happened and to win my AG? Never in a million years. I was so happy, pretty much speechless. All the hard work paid off and I could not believe it.

top 3

We are going to the place everyone dreams of. I know I do. KONA. The World Championship, I will be there along side the best in the sport. How unbelievable. I am so so so grateful.

To say the support everyone has given me is amazing, is not enough.

Maddie was there the whole race, cheering, motivating and getting me to the finish. I 100% hope to make you proud and we get to go to freakin Hawaii!!

she took all the pictures and she is the best sister in the world. love you mads!

Mom and Dad and family always give their support in loads, thank you so much for everything. I know you couldn't be at this race but mads made sure to make up for it. You are always proud of me and that makes me keep going.

Team Wattie Ink Has transformed me into a mismatched un-represented athlete to one that is lucky to wear the coolest stuff around and be supported by some amazing sponsors. Racing on course with a team is so cool.

Jerry, Matt and Becky. It was so cool to meet everyone and finally find out what this Jerry guy is all about, we are lucky to have his enthusiasm and love on the team. Matt, congratulations on making it back, can't wait to suffer out there with you.

Everyone who cheered out on course or from home, I heard every one of you. Thank you!

4 Months to become a stronger and faster athlete. ALOHA KONA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

watching the finish

breakfast burritos and
Jerry are the bomb

badlands

awesome crew

rock the W

Chattanooga 70.3 Race Story!

All I can say about this place is WOW. It was a spectacular venue for a race and since I love the heat, the days leading up to the race were absolutely perfect. Chattanooga did not disappoint!

But before I go into the details about that race, I had a short sprint a couple weeks ago that kicked off my season and boy was it fast. Like under an hour fast. I got to test the legs and see how my new bike performed at maximum effort. Pretty happy with that day and 3rd OA isn't too shabby i'd say. Oh and the fact I forgot my goggles and a buddy had a second pair was so clutch. I couldn't imagine that swimming with 2 others in your lane is easy without goggles. Nice way to start the season and make adjustments for TN.

Ross's Landing. made for tri

On to the main event! So my cousin Blake and I drove down from St. Paul, MN. A nice 1,200 mile trek to get to Chatty. The drive was pretty uneventful until we got into Kentucky and Tennessee, then bam, it changed into these huge rolling hills and beautiful landscapes. What a way to be welcomed into the city. Stayed about a mile from the race venue which wasn't too bad of a walk at all even at 4:30 a.m. Fast forward to saturday and Blake and I went to watch the pro panel. Mainly to see and meet Heather Jackson, (who is amazing by the way). Got my cheesy selfie with her and wished her luck for the race! We chilled a while down by the river and watched how fast the current was moving, like this'll be fun to swim against. Later that night we walked to this Pasta Place called Tony's. Homemade stuff that was some serious good eating. I'd recommend. In bed by 9 pm and the wake up call was 4 bells.

Heather!!

Race morning comes along and I ate a pretty random breakfast; a banana, a picky bar and this tiny smoothie thing. Better than nothing! We chatted and walked down to transition and saw my bike was still in one piece from the wicked storms the night before. Now i am very grateful these storms happened the night before, given I wasn't exactly keen to the idea of driving this far and not being able to race. Thank the heavens they passed and allowed for one spectacular day of racing. After i set up the bike, we took the bus across the bridge to the swim start. I sat and talked with Blake for awhile before the pros took off and then he took the bus back to transition. I was with a couple teammates, Chris and Joe, getting all pumped up for the day ahead. We were all funneled in to the water like livestock and we were underway!

(the pros swam the whole course, we swam like straight downstream and maybe 1500 yards. I Guess only professionals and salmon swim upstream.)

Needless to say the swim was blazing fast, like 1:09 pace fast. Thanks current for that. And although I would have rather swam upstream and the whole swim course, it was probably a good idea, you know so nobody drowned. Coming out of the water some dude yanked me up the steps and then the strippers rid me of my clothes er. wetsuit. T1 was purdy quick and then it was time to turn up the heat, figuratively not literally. (65 degrees)

She did well.

The bike was pretty freakin sweet. It was rolling, no super huge hills and at least i could not feel any wind? A teammate, Chris and I were pretty much within 100 yards of each other the whole ride. Lets see, I ate 2 small clif bars, a clif gel and a package of clif blocks on the bike, along with 1 bottle of Gatorade and a few bottles of water, mostly got emptied over me. I'm digging my new bike setup/ position and I've gotta say the Wattie team kit looks so wicked. The miles were just flying by, and I felt in control the whole ride. I am sure the dudes in big groups were all just passing each other right? No illegal stuff going on there.... My power meter broke earlier in the week so this ride was all by feel and staying in the flow. I've gotta say that when you are not looking at numbers and just riding, it is a whole different ball game. The closer I got back to transition, the field seemed to be really spread out and that was good, it made for less congestion, besides those big ol groups. I would like to think I paced my own race and rode as steady as I could. I definitely hit a PR for my bike split.

To da run! I grabbed my visor, and my Base Salt, lets see what this course is all about. As I got going, I wanted to make sure I stayed within my limits, at least for the first lap. I guess my limits were a lot higher than I thought. The pace was steady and my body felt good. I was awfully worried about the run because I had been dealing with some ankle stuff.Turns out new shoes really do make a difference. This run course was pretty sweet. Only a couple major hills, otherwise it was flat. There were aid stations about every mile, and you bet I took advantage of them. LOVE getting ice cold sponges. I took salt licks before I reached each aid and then would throw down some water over me, grab red bull or Gatorade and then keep on trucking. I tried to keep everything liquid on the run this time and it worked out well. No cramping and no loss in breath because of chew time! Always good when you can breathe. The hardest part of the run for me at least was going up this steep hill with about 2.5 miles to go, because that is when the real pain set in and it was either face the pain or walk. Yeah, we ain't walkin.

Picture break. Breakfast on Saturday, where I was introduced to grits. Not sure how I feel about them. I had pancakes and coffee, Blake had the other stuff, who TF puts ketchup on eggs.

You da man Balake.

After that, mountain, there was a short u turn incline and then back down until we ran across the wooden pedestrian bridge which sapped all the legs I had left. At least it was downhill to the finish line, I passed the only dude in front of me to get to the line and near fell over after that. Gained my composure and Blake was there, what an awesome friend! I am never really sure as to what place I am in during the race, so it was all about doing my best and hoping it was enough. Turns out this time around it was good enough to squeak on the podium in 3rd in my age group. Totally happy about that. Also ran a half PR,  And better yet, a teammate was 1st in our AG and it is pretty sweet to share the stage with a fellow Wattie.

This race really helped boost my confidence in all three disciplines (even if the swim was a breeze) knowing I am developing as a runner is something that proves hard work does pay dividends. I plan on taking this fitness with me to Ironman Boulder in two weeks to really put myself to the ultimate test again! Wow, only two weeks away. Time to get it!


(ok kids, a short side story from this weekend. as i mentioned earlier, my power meter broke earlier in the week, which is not exactly ideal before a big race. so needless to say i was kind of flipping out because this is also my crank and my only back up was the original spec, which was kind of sub par. so in my haste i asked the team if anyone had an extra crank i could use for the race. turns out i am on the right team. coach flanny and Joe stepped up and helped me out big time. so thankful for them and the support of this team. this means i had to install the crank two days before the race and get one little ride on it and hope it did not explode on my ride. it did not explode and it worked fantastic. turning my worries into a pretty darn good race. thank you guys, i am so appreciative for everything.)

Thanks a ton Blake for coming with and experiencing a real road trip for your first time! I hope it makes you want to do it again. This trip would not have been as funny/great without ya. Thanks to everyone who followed me and their continued support. Meeting HJ and Wattie was so cool and to all my teammates that raced, you guys crushed it!

See you in Boulder in 2 weeks time for twice the distance!

who knew TN had volcanoes?

bridges, yo

cooling off on a hot day

Recapping an Amazing 2016 Season

Lake Michigan. pc mads

Wow. The 2016 season just flew by. I can't believe it is over already. To think of where I was back in March/April, battling my knee issues, wondering if I could even finish my first sprint of the year to finishing my biggest race ever in August, this year was one to remember. I look at how my body has changed, how I have gotten faster, stronger and more confident. These changes were not overnight, not by any means, but what I learned from consistency and dedication is that Anything Is Possible.

As I lay here, during my bike/run off-season, I feel as though I am losing all of my hard earned fitness and strength that took so long to accumulate and build up. But I know I am not alone in thinking this way, so many of us, after our biggest seasons, look back and think "what could I have done better?" The truth is, nothing. Sure you could have trained differently or made this session longer or that session harder, but would it really have made a difference in the overall outcome of the season? No. I think the only way to get to the top is to consistently put in the work, and be able to quantify why you are training the way you are, that is where the real learning takes place and that is where I think, I truly become stronger. Taking time off is so hard, especially if you are used to training 2-3 times a day, for hours. Now, even though it may only be 2 or 3 weeks long, I have so much extra time on my hands. I feel like, wait, there is a life outside of training? That can't be, I mean, how do the best become the Best? Do they take time off too? They must not! I mean I had not taken a significant portion of time off, dedicated it to recovering and resting for like three years and yet somehow, I was not even near the winners. I would be injured in the spring and not have any time to get ready for big races, in which I would essentially have to "cram" for. This can't be how the pros do it.
I have done my research and gained one simple fact. Rest is good. Time off is good. Recovery only happens when you are not training. This is a hard thing for me to get into my stubborn head. I love to train, it makes me happy, it is my time to improve myself and focus on my goals. I am sure many of you feel the same way. That has to be why taking an "off-season" is so difficult to accomplish. I lay around while I could be out training. I think, I put in all this hard work again and now, these two weeks are going to ruin it all? I guess that is not the case, so many "experts" write about the benefits of mixing it up.
I feel like I am writing this to kind of give myself a reason to take time off, to have a solid reference that, me, I wrote down why it is good to recover. So to someone who says "there is no off-season" have fun with your injuries and knee issues like I have dealt with in the past. Siyanara to those days for me, I am coming into 2017 a smarter and more educated triathlete. I will make sure recovery is just as important as the training itself.

Since I had not planned on mumbling on about taking time off for so long, I want to get to the good stuff!

This year started with a bang at the Chain of Lakes Sprint in Alexandria, MN. It was the first real test of the year for me after going through physical therapy like a month earlier. Well by golly, this race went fantastic! All that swimming during the winter and spring actually paid its dividends. Not only for this race, but every single one this year, I was a faster swimmer than I had ever been. I ended up finishing 3rd overall and 2nd in my age. Pretty great confidence boost for the season to come!

That gave me a platform to launch off of for the meat of the season. June rolled around and I was about to tackle Buffalo Olympic. This beast was the only race I have ever, not finished. It was a mechanical issue and I sure as heck was not about to let that happen again! It went swimmingly, a surprisingly windy day made for tough conditions for everyone, but for those who wanted it, they took it. I got a top 25 overall and 1st in my age. Also proved to myself that Buffalo can be beat!

A couple weeks later I was back up north about to race the Average Jo Sprint. Love this race and its proximity to my cabin. The biggest confidence boost of the year so far came here. I led out of the water, which was a first for me and actually had the lead for a good 20 minutes on the bike. I was stunned, I thought, man I could actually win one of these. It started well and ended less well, mainly because of my running, but a top 10 overall and 3rd in my age behind one awesome friend was a great way to finish the day. Had two friends come spectate the race and I feel like they enjoyed it. Oh and I was best dressed too, thanks Chubbies!

I had a solid month to prepare for what my "A" race of the season was. Racine 70.3. I never actually did a write up on this race. Maybe because I was so over the moon at the outcome or because I was that focused on the Boulder. So I feel like I can do the race some justice here. If any of you follow the 70.3/IM circuit, you'll probably remember that this year at Racine was a turkey shoot. The weather has never seem to cooperate fully in my time here, and this year was no different. It started with a calm morning, beautiful sunrise, bike racked and a successful body marking. But that is all the further in the race we got, before mother nature decided to have her way with us. "There were raindrops on the windshield and a storm movin in" (garth brooks reference). But serious stuff was about to go down, a storm we new was on its way made a grand entrance into our day at the prime time for the gun to go off. The swim was cancelled, the bike was shortened, but the run would stay the same, AWE Freaking SOME. I was so happy. Just ask my mom, dad or sister how happy and cheery I was that I could not swim at all or bike 56 miles. Ask em, they'll tell ya! After the wrath of Racine came through, we could finally re-enter transition to start out our time trial duathlon day. 3 hours after the scheduled start time. I had a whale of a time out on the 31 mile bike course, I was getting blown all which ways with my 90/disc setup. It didn't help that we had hurricane force winds sweeping across the corn fields. That just made me go faster I guess, It made me hold onto my bike more and pedal harder. So thanks wind! The run came and I actually was not dreading it. This was the third time I had done this race and new it quite well. Couple hills on the run, nothing too treacherous. I did the first 10k at a pretty good clip for me, and felt awesome up until mile 9.5 hit, then, not so awesome. I did what I could running into those hurricane winds, and ended up pushing pretty dang hard. I was super happy with the shortened race, but did not know what to expect when it came to results. I had never been really close to the podium here before, so I was not expecting this year to be a ton different. Boy was I wrong! 4th in my age group and top 100 overall for an extra solid day. That made me happy right there. Now I got a black Mdot plaque and am thinking, oh jeez, I have a shot to go to worlds if two dudes don't want to go. Wouldn't you believe it, two dudes did not want to go and BAM I was qualified for the 70.3 World Championship! Crazay! That made the day a million times better, it made all that wind and rain and no swim worth it. A total 180 from the morning. My big goal for this season was to qualify for Worlds, it did not look pretty, but I am sure as hell going!

Two weeks passed and I was in my final preparations for Ironman Boulder. Hoot Lake sprint is a local race near my cabin that was my first triathlon ever, and I absolutely love it. This year was no different. A perfect day of racing and polishing those final speed legs. I had a great swim a stellar bike and my best run here. Gave me a top 5 and 3rd age group. Branden was on fire that day. Like someone had to spray water on him, it was kind of scary. =D

Fast forward to one week later and I am at the center of the Colorado triathlon world. Boulder was an amazing city and provided me with the greatest day of my life thus far. I had far to much to write about that day and that experience, so if you haven't already read about that race go here (BOULDERBOULDER). You'll be glad you did!

Ending the season is never fun. The final race of the season for most people is usually their biggest one. Not this year, not for me! I raced my final day at Lifetime Maple Grove Olympic. It rained, I mean can I not get a break with the weather and most of my races this year? Jeepers! I was phasing out of my swim training for the year and had done my best to build back in some speed after my Ironman training. I think it went pretty well. 1st AG and top 25 OA. I was happy to go out with a bang on the season, and Vinny, was right there with me. (Thanks for standing in the rain with me) This was also my best 10k of the year, with a negative split to boot!

All in all I am very pleases with how 2016 went, I still cannot believe I am racing with the worlds best 70.3 athletes next year in Chattanooga. It is going to be something. Better yet, I cannot believe I am an Ironman. The words still don't sound real, and that day is still so vivid in my memory. I am so pumped to race Boulder again next year. I will have a separate post later about my goals for next season as well as a winter update.

am i doing this right?

I am so grateful for everyone who has helped me this past year, I have taken so many lessons from my races and people this year. From my Mom, Dad, Sister who always support me and take some wicked pics (MADS) to the guys I did Ironman with- Dave, Nick, Brad and Jake, I'll sure never forget it. Also so many people who offered their advice, Michael Stribling, Nick Klonne, Sean Cooley and especially Steve Mantell- kind of like a role model to me. I am so happy to have everyone in my life and am so extremely determined to better myself for next season! Big Goals await!!!

p.s if you made it this far, thank you for your support in just reading the dang thing!

Corey

IRONMAN Boulder 2016 - A 140.6 Mile Race Story!

Anything is Possible! L to R. Nick, Jake, Dave, Brad and I.

140.6 miles. This is what it takes to become an Ironman. Finish this and you have reached the echelon of what triathlon has become. To the non-triathlete this sounds insane, to the triathlete this still sounds insane. To me it was what I had been training for, everyday, all day, it was the only thing on my mind most of the time. Triathlon has become more than a hobby or a way to stay fit for me, it has become my life, it is how I go about my day- what can I do to become faster? But to say I got to the starting line of this race alone is a great understatement, so many people have supported me and continue to. To whoever is reading this, it probably means you helped me in some way. Whether you gave me advice, helped me in a race, supported me at the races, gave me motivation to keep pushing, posted words of encouragement or even just gave me a high five, it all accumulated into something great; something I will never forget.

Nick (L) and Dave (R) probably talking
about who is better dressed.

The trip out to Boulder was quite the journey itself. From driving 14 hours to learning to tricks of the Ironman trade from Nick and Dave to staring at the exciting scenery of Eastern South Dakota and Nebraska, this trip had it all. Skip to the part where we got to Colorado, I had never seen the mountains before and I have to say, they were amazing. We drove straight into Boulder to the high school, because we arrived the Friday of race weekend, we had to pick up our packets the same day we arrived. Checked out the Ironman Village and of course I bought something with an M-Dot logo on it. Nick said, if you DNF we get to take all of your Ironman branded stuff and wear it. So I wasn't going to let that happen. We got a whole bunch of goodies in the Village, and when we got into the check in tent. I think I will have tart cherries for a few months to come. So have you ever had Qdoba before? Because we had it Friday night and I must say, it was the best burrito/baby I have eaten in a long time, they definitely got me now.

The Room was a mess, especially with three athletes in it!

Saturday rolls around and it is time to drop off all our bags, the bike and run gear bags go in separate places at this race, which makes it unique. The bike transition is at the Boulder Reservoir and the run transition is at the Boulder high school. Both had pretty substantial runs to get through them, which could either help or hurt you. We ate at a downtown "Mexican" place, was weird to look at a brunch menu at 2:30 in the afternoon! It was not enough to eat so later at night ( like 7:00) I went to Noodles & Co. and got some Beef Stroganoff, to get my pasta fix in. Nick ate half a cantaloupe. Now I had to do my best to get some sleep.

Race Morning
Its always a nervous time. But something about this morning was almost calming, we a woke up at 4 am and got ready in almost complete silence. I could tell we were all focused on what the day had in store for us. We parked the van in a nearby parking garage and got on the school bus at the high school that would take us to the Boulder Reservoir. When we got off the buses, we hearded towards our bikes and I put my nutrition bag and one bottle on the front of my bars. I started the bike off with three Clif Bars, four gels and a tube of Base salt in it. I only put on one bottle because I only had to make it to 18 miles before the first aid station where I would grab what I had planned. After getting body marked by a extremely positive volunteer, I saw my parents and sister. Was so happy to see them here, as we traveled out to Boulder separately. They gave me words of encouragement and sent me on my way to the swim start.

Putting on my 2XU A:1 Wetsuit. Happy we had a wetsuit legal swim.

Swim
The course was a single lap, triangle that almost encompassed the whole reservoir. It was a rolling start, so you had to self seed yourself for what time you thought you could swim the 2.4 miles. I had a strong feeling I was going to be under 1:10 so I lined up behind the second time card with both Nick and Dave right by me. The sub 1 hr swimmers hit the water first, and I was like "there's no going back now!" it was go time and I dove into the water feeling amazing. The first leg of the swim was chaotic as all of us were together and trying to find space. I finally did and made it to the first turn buoy alive. The second leg of the swim was where I found some feet and a pace. I stayed on this bright blue striped wetsuit for probably 1000m or so until I passed those feet and took off on my own. The end of this length was where we hit some major weeds under water, they were literally grabbing at every part of your body, trying to say "where do you think you're goin?" Those weeds locked around my left ankle and right wrist, probably because of my watch and timing chip. I had some weeds that stuck around my leg for the remainder of the swim, really annoying trying to get them off, so I just decided to deal with it. After that whole dilemma, my swim was almost over, I felt like it went by so fast! Super happy to exit the water with a 1:05:13, awesome!

Thumbs up! Time to Bike!

Bike

This course had it all and it was hands down the best ride of my life. We had a short run out of the transition, so we could all get on our bikes safely and not try to grind up a hill, like all my races have been this year. I felt so good after the swim, I was hoping that feeling would stick around for at least five more hours! Starting out this course, miles 1-23 was a small loop within city limits. There was about a quarter mile that we could not pass on, because it was like a sidewalk, but I used this time behind a slower guy to eat my first Clif Bar, we all know how hard it is to open and eat these things when hammering. Most of the "big" hills were on the first loop, I suppose I did not notice the actual size of these hills because I was in the moment. I got to the first aid station and grabbed Gatorade, which was the plan. Starting the 1st lap of the bigger loop was where the ride really started. These 2 laps were about 40 miles each and really fast. Not many legit climbs on these laps, but a lot of false flats. I could really tell when I was riding towards the mountains and away from them, HUGE difference. 

Mom and Dad in good spirits so early in the A.M!

Around mile 30 I felt the urge. You other Ironman triathletes know what I'm talking about. I had drank most of my two previous bottles of fluid and ate a Clif Bar and a gel by now. That was a recipe for pee. I had not planned on doing it on the bike, but when nature calls! I figured this was a good thing, I was getting in enough fluids. I was not about to get off my bike at an aid station when I could let it flow on the downhills. I felt so relieved afterwards, now I see why it is so common for long, long distance races. After that I had plenty of room for more fluid, another aid station came by and I grabbed another Gatorade and a water bottle too. The water felt so good over my back, and cleaned me up a bit. I got to hour 2 and ate my second Clif Bar, I was in a pretty good groove and felt amazing. Starting the second lap was when I really hit the gas. I had gone through once, so I had an idea of where to put in effort and where to chill. There were sections of long, flat and fast; there were some down hill and crazy fast; then there were those false flats going towards the flatirons. Lap two was more of the same, by this time I nabbed some Clif Bloks from an aid station and ate those. I saw Steve and Ernie Mantell out on the bike course a couple times, Minnesota boys by birth but incredible Colorado athletes now, I knew they weren't exactly cheering for me, but it was so cool to see them out there. After my little fanboy moment, I focused up again and negative split the bike. Coming into town was so cool, they had volunteer police officers at every intersection, stopping traffic and making me feel like they were putting on this race just for me, it was so cool. I Came off the bike ready to attack this marathon. Strava was a tad slower than official timing but Take a Look at my Ride! 5:09:50

Run

All Smiles at the halfway point!

The "Flux Capacitor" that's what the run course was referred to as. A two loop, multiple out and back run, it really made you know where your competition was. Pretty much totally along the Boulder Creek, there was always that cold refreshing water to look at. It started out really well, as I know most runs off the bike do, but knowing I had 26.2 miles to go, I was going to pace myself and take whatever was thrown my way. The aid stations were located perfectly, almost every single mile. This was going to help a lot of athletes as well as myself out in the long run. I would run to each aid station and make sure I got in my fluids and nutrition, walk through them and then kick it back up. There were some random place where a BASE salt team would be located and they always had music blasting and positive vibes, it really was awesome. I hit the first turn around and saw Dave, who looked like he was running a 10k, coming in the other direction. We exchanged words and I figured I would see him in a few miles. Mile 8ish came around and I had to go. I never thought I could be so happy to see a porta potty before. Felt like a new man after leaving that thing!

All the tiny little inclines felt like mountains by this
point!

The first lap went by pretty well, but that was only 13 miles. Coming through the main spectator spots were great pick me ups. I got to see my sister and parents 3 times on the run. Lap two was tough. Obviously this whole thing is tough, but when you are in the middle of the run and cannot really see the end, you are just stuck in a "no mans land" it really is hard on you mentally. All I thought about during this time was, if you get through this, you'll be an Ironman. Those words in my head and all the support from my family and friends did it all. I am not one to give up, and I never wanted to during this race, maybe it is just something some of us are born with.  Turn around 2 came and the legs were feeling it now. On the way back out to the furthest from the finish line, I saw Steve again and maybe it finally clicked and he gave me a high five and words of encouragement, so awesome. I stopped at each aid station and was taking more time in each one now, being completely sure that I had all I needed. The cookies at the later aid stations were like gold, they tasted so good with Gatorade for some reason. Probably wouldn't taste that way now!

I had another bathroom break and then said to myself the next time you get to stop is going to be at the finish line. I stuck to it, every step was getting harder and harder. I went by my sister and parents one last time, before there was two miles left and she ran along side me and was telling me how good I was doing and a whole bunch of other stuff I really don't remember. But I can't begin to say how much that made me push the last miles of the run. (Rewind to mile 20, I had never ran any further than this, so when I got to mile 20.1 I was in a whole new world. This last 10k would be an experience I never had before.) Back to mile 24, one mile up the creek, one mile back and that was it. When I came back down the creek and could hear the cheering and Mike Reillys' voice, I said to myself, you are gonna be an Ironman. The finishing chute was crazy, so many people cheering and I can definitely say it was the best finishing chute I've ever run through. I heard Mike call me an IRONMAN and it was over, my 1st ever 140.6 was done, from now on, I could say I did it, with all my heart, and that I am an Ironman.

140.6 miles, Crushed! Run was 4:32:05

I could not be more happy with how my first Ironman went. Finished with a 10:55:50 and 4th in my age group. 

So appreciative of all the support I had from everyone. 

Mom & Dad and Maddie- Thank you for coming out to support me and deal with all the crazy training I do. Also thanks for keeping me fueled well and asking how my rides/runs went. The future hold nothing but the best for me and I know you will be by my side through it all. I could not do it without my family. Buuuut You know now that I've done one and did pretty well, I'm only going to work harder for the next one!

Nick and Dave- Thanks for starting this whole trip and letting me learn so much from you. Nick, thanks for all the advice you gave me the night before the race, your veteran status at the distance really made me value what you said. Dave, thanks for being such an awesome role model for me. Without you, I would never be into this sport as much as I am. The things you have done still inspire me. I hope I can inspire you both in different ways. Brad- it was so awesome seeing you the most out on the course, maybe i'll be joining you out in Colorado soon!

To Everyone that gave me any sort of course, nutrition, pacing, effort, equipment and triathlon advice I truly appreciate it. Steve Mantell is a pro, and if you cant tell, i'm a big fan. The way he goes about the lifestyle is idyllic, so calm and cool. I asked him a ton of questions and got everyone answered with lots of thought and detail. Thanks so much. One more question, how do I become a sponsored triathlete??

Some Pictures from our trip after the race. Estes Park, Rocky Mountains, South Dakota.

Continental Divide was so pretty.

Amazing Homemade Rigatoni at
Mama Roses in Estes Park.

Mount Rushmore.

Poudre Lake at the Continental Divide.

Elk just chill on the side of the road here I guess.
 Just before we got into the RMNP.

The Sprinter or the VW Bus?

Highest point we got to on our trip. 12,304 ft.

Tram car views in Estes Park.

Mads, thanks so much for all the pictures/memories you take.
You have a skill that is so cool. Be prepared for more Ironmans!
Love ya!

Off to the next Adventure.