Ironman St. George

Ironman St. George

Considering the epic conditions and experience I took away from this race, this could easily turn into a novel.  However, due to my lack of writing skills, time, attention span, and awaiting readers I will condense.

First off, thank you to the people of St. George, all the volunteers, frat house crew, powers that be, race director, my wife and support crew for making this one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I could not have asked for a better situation surrounding an Ironman.

This journey all started about 5 months ago when I decided to do Ironman St. George instead of my original plan which was to do Ironman Arizona in November.  My friend Eric Kenny alerted me of his plan to do St. George as well as host a training camp on course a couple months before.  Though I am not coached by Eric, and am USAT certified coach myself (http://www.balancedcoachingcolorado.com/), I owe a lot of praise to Eric Kenny and EK Endurance Coaching (http://ekendurancecoaching.com/).  I feel very comfortable in my ability to coach myself; however, it is nice to have an ear, sounding board, and some oversight occasionally.  This combo proved to be instrumental in my success.  The knowledge we gained of the course and possible weather conditions while at the training camp proved to be very beneficial. I made the decision to focus on training with power earlier in the year as I felt it would be the only sure way to truly learn and train at my thresholds. And ultimately aid in my ability to get everything I could out of the bike while making sure I would still have the legs to run.  My game plan has always been to swim with the lead group, try to minimize my time losses on the bike, and to start picking people off on the run. However, this is easier said than done.

After months of dedicated and well-thought out training, I felt I had developed a solid race plan.  I knew I was in good swimming shape, I was comfortable with my threshold power on the bike, and my run was feeling solid.  During my training I had made it a point to get stronger on the bike while trying to maintain my run.  I knew my marathon time would not be the fastest, but in order for me to even try and compete I needed a stronger bike.  So as race day approached I reviewed my training data and was comfortable in my race plan.

Race Plan:

Swim: 58ish

Bike: 205 watts (5:30-5:40)

Run: 3:15-3:20

And hopefully do all this in around 9:45 and with a bunch of prayer and karma to hopefully qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Kona.  Well as you will soon read, St. George had different ideas.

Days leading up to the race:

Driving up to St. George was super peaceful, and just what I needed. The new Tacoma was quite, sturdy, “ok” with gas, and my only companion. Using talk radio as back ground filler, I just drove and pondered. It is an enjoyable experience to me when left alone with just my thoughts. Before I knew it was headed into the heart of St. George where I would meet up with the boys from training camp and a couple other supporters and racers. We were all sharing a rather awkwardly designed and furnished house, which came to be titled as the “Frat House”. Not going to lie, at first I was a little apprehensive of bunking with this many people of whom I did not know, as my normal routine consist of me retiring into a hermit shell. However, I could not have asked to share this journey with any better, more positive, supportive, enthusiastic, and respectful people. The crew consisted of: Katherine-my wife, Casey- my brother, Eric- friend and owner of EK endurance coaching, his wife Lindsay, BJ and his wife Jenn, Joel and his lady Alissa, Joel’s parents, Mr. Brent Schoeb, and honorable mentions Randy Mast and Krick. All great folks who added many fond memories thank you!

Frat House Men

Frat House Crew

The Ladies

 

Cheers to the “Frat House” and the folks who resided with in!

Morning of the Race:

The days leading into the race I was feeling pretty confident. Legs felt recovered, mind felt strong, and attitude was positive. I didn’t want to express my confidence to the world in fear of what could happen, but deep down I felt ready.  Katherine (my beautiful wife) just kept beating positivity into my head to make sure I had no doubt running rampant through my thoughts. Personally I feel approaching an Ironman is very difficult, my theory is that too much confidence can lead to disaster, so I like to stay grounded and humble in my journey.  Confidence does build with a proper training regimen, and my training had been better than previous races.

Race morning was typical: get up super early, eat breakfast, drink coffee, re-check all your bags for the thousandth time, and get your mind set for what lie ahead.  The athletes were bused out to the reservoir, which was interesting. I like being around my loved ones leading into the race, and this messed with that routine.  Even though I had BJ, Eric, Brent, and Joel by my side, I still missed my wife. As we were being shuttled to the reservoir I tried to relax and visualize the road ahead: where I was going to push it, where I was going to recover and eat, transitions, etc.  I conversed with BJ a good bit and his constant support and positivity was great motivation for what lay ahead. Once we arrived at the reservoir we all split up and headed into T1 to do our final prep. I got my bike set and food ready.  Now it was time to just relax and wait for the swim.

THE RACE:

Swim-

Bering Sea?

As we entered the water I noticed how calm the surroundings were and remembered the temps were only going to reach 82, and the wind was supposedly not going blow harder than 9 mph. St. George is a slower and very difficult course, but these expected conditions were setting up to make a fast race.  I floated out and took my position on the front line. The athletes kept floating forward and inching their way further along the swim course. I stayed my position at the start line thinking they would be called back, like at every other race I have done. However this was not the case today—the gun went off. I was a little displeased being that I had given my competitors a good 300 meter head start but what can you do? As we swam the first leg out all was calm, but the second we turned the first buoy I was being slapped in the face with waves and spits of water. It was like out of the blue I was lost at sea; 3-5 foot swells, the wind was spraying the water from the crest as if it were raining, and to make it worse my goggles were kicked off.  This was headed south fast.  However I told myself “this is what you asked for, a tough race, now deal with it”, so I put my head down and tried to stay smooth. The only problem was that you could not see where to swim; I would breast stroke under a wave and float to the top of the next to try and catch a glimpse of the next buoy. There was no rhythm to the waves so it made it very hard to swim efficiently. I would swim 5-10 strokes get pummeled by a wave, try to spot, and repeat. There were supposedly 300+ hundred people who were pulled from the water.  I consider myself lucky to have finished the swim in a time of 1:08. The problem was that I figured 1:08 was not going to have me where I needed to be in the race, but as I ran to my bike I noticed there were very few bikes gone. Maybe the swim was bad for everyone…

Quick video of the swim conditions:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKWdavNM0Tw

T1-

It happened

Bike-

As I was pulling out of the reservoir I kept reminding myself to just stay calm, limit your losses and focus. My mantra for the training leading into IMStG and on race day was a Latin proverb:  “if the wind does not serve, take to your oars”.  Little did I know the foreshadowing of my mantra.  As we turned right out of the reservoir the wind hit you from all angles, but mostly in the face. I was tucked in the aero bars pushing 250 watts going 10 miles an hour.  Immediately I was like holy Sh** this is going to be a LONG day.  I knew with these conditions, conservation and race execution was paramount.  As I regained my composure I just reminded myself 200 watts, no matter the speed, terrain, or wind, just ride at 200 watts. My plan was to take the first 20 miles easier and slowly grow into the race. I planned on trying the avg. 205 watts for the bike as I figured this would put me in a decent position to run my way to a Kona slot. As we were headed back to St. George and the major climbs, I was hoping the wind would subside as most of the bike course is tucked in a canyon. But as I entered the canyon the wind was staying strong and there was no sign of stopping. The beauty of riding with power is that I don’t necessarily pay attention to the external situations; I just stick to my power. I also know that though I am not the strongest cyclist, I do know my watts/kilo is decent, and if people were going to ride faster most of them would do it to their detriment. I reminded myself that almost every person who passed I would most likely see again at some point.  The other problem that the conditions introduced was fueling. I would be racing this race just as hard as every other Ironman I have done, but it was most likely going to take an additional hour to finish. I need to account for that extra calorie expenditure, so I began taking stock of my nutrition and exertion to accommodate for this extra time. As I came through the first lap I noticed that I wasn’t around many people. I was starting to lap a good bit of folks, but I didn’t seem to be around others that were on the same lap. I thought this could be good or bad. It means one of two things: I am way off the back of the race, or I am behind the really strong cyclist and possibly in front of the next group.  As the second lap rolled on, I decided to lower my effort for the last 20 miles as it was getting hot, and I knew the run was going to hurt. As I approached T2 I took stock of my condition, I was still mentally positive, physically I was feeling good for the conditions, and I knew I had a can of monster energy awaiting my arrival to T2.

T2-

It also happened

Run- 

BJ

Eric holding strong

Joel with a little cleavage

Heading out of T2 I was feeling decently confident. I wasn’t sure where I was in the race but I knew there weren’t too many bikes in transition. I told myself stay positive and wait and see where I was at in my age group. At around mile two I saw my wife and brother, barely able to speak, I muttered “do you have any idea where I’m at?” They had no idea what place I was in because the tracking had been down all day so we had no info. Being that I wasn’t sure of my position I ran strong and hoped for the best. At around mile 3 I caught two guys in my age group who were running fairly strong, and this made me feel as if I were doing pretty well. After the 1^st of 3 laps, I saw Katherine again and she informed me that I was in 8^th place, and this was the spark I had needed. I cannot tell you how many dreams I have had of just being in this position, just to have a chance to run myself into a qualifying slot. I told myself you are exactly where you need to be at this point in time. We still had over 15 miles to go and the race for me was just beginning. Heading into St. George I had planned to try and get off the bike in around 15^th place, hoping that I could run my way up. So I was doing better than expected and I needed to capitalize.  Katherine kept yelling “Josh today is your day”, so it was time to take to the oars!  There were four out-and-backs, so you were more than able to check out your competitors.  I knew I had three more guys in front of me that I was slowly reeling in. The only problem was that the two guys I had passed earlier were still on my tail.  I had expected everyone to start blowing up by now and it was just not happening. I just kept steady, one leg over the other, and before I knew it I was on the final lap and still in 8^th.  At mile 21 I finally caught the last two guys. I was meaning to stay behind them until mile 24 but by accident I cruised past them at an aid station at mile 21.  Once I realized I was in what I thought was the last qualifying position, I decided I had worked too hard to let this all slip away now. It was time for me to push the pace and see if I could break away from those two guys. The hardest part of the run was from the bottom of the 3^rd out up to the end of the diagonal, which was 3 miles (mile 22-25) up hill. I pushed it and never once turned around, I was hurting bad but in no way was I going to show weakness. At the last turn around at mile 25 I realized I had around a minute on the 7^th place position, but it could be bridged, so there was no letting up. I was running with three years of dreaming, training, personal and family sacrifice on my mind. You have done too much to give in now I kept telling myself. And finally there it was, the finish line. I had given my all and had put myself in a position to qualify. I can’t tell you the relief to have the race completed, and to have it completed in the way I had visualized 1000+ times by now. I had given it my best and all I could do was pray it was enough.

Post-Race:

After finishing, I lied in agony for at least 30 minutes. Not really caring what was going to happen. The 30 minutes after an Ironman are pretty rough, and you just have to wait it out. After spending some time talking with some friends and other finishers, I decided it was time to get my stuff and head to the house. At the house I had time to realize what was going on. I either secured the last spot or was on the bubble slot. I knew in 2010 six went from my age group, but last year it was only five. At this point the nerves set back in; it was like I was doing another race the next morning. So… I had a beer and tried to sleep.

Kona sign up-

Kona Qualification Sheet

Katherine, Eric, Lindsay, my brother Casey, and I woke up around 7am to drive to the convention center for our Kona fate to be decided. I honestly did not want to look at the qualifying slots in fear of what I may see, but I had to. Walking up slowly my stomach began to turn, and seeing male 30-34: 5 slots… So close, but missed by 1 position. Eric secured the last slot in the 35-39, and I was 1 out.  I was definitely upset, but I was trying to be positive and optimistic about the chance of a roll down.  I headed to the sign up table to find out.  It was now 8:15 and the registration for Kona ended at 9, so I tried to find out whether there might be a roll down.  Had all my competitors taken their slots? I asked, and the young lady informed me that there were still two slots unaccounted for.  However I knew there were still 45 minutes between me and a roll down. Let the agony ensue. I paced the entire convention center multiple times; I probably got a solid 5 mile recovery walk in. I was too nervous to check, and I wanted to wait until 8:59 so I would know for sure. But before I had a chance to re-check, my good friend Eric along with Randy came walking up to me with smiles that spoke a million words. Eric went on to tell me that I should check with the registration table one last time. As I approached I wasn’t sure what to think, had I received a bout of luck that never seems to be on my side? Had my dream of many years finally paid off? Was I going to Kona? If so, did I have $775 dollars to pay for this dream? J The lady at the registration table told me that the 5^th place competitor already qualified for 2012 and was going to let it roll down. I had done it; I cannot explain in words what I felt. It is a moment I will never forget. I am getting emotional just typing of it. I turned and made eye contact with Katherine and she knew. I saw her eyes start to tear, and realized what this meant for her. She has chased me all over this country time and time again, sacrificed much of her personal life, finances, and emotions to only watch me bonk at mile 18. I cannot express what it means to me that she stuck it out, it speaks volumes of her unselfishness and her true dedication to helping me achieve my goals, and this time it finally paid off.  We had done it; we are going to the big island!

I OWE THIS RESULT TO MANY PEOPLE, SO HERE IS A LIST OF SOME OF THE FOLKS I FEEL SHARE A MAJOR PART IN THIS VICTORY: KATHERINE VAUGHN, CASEY VAUGHN, MIKE AND TAMMY VAUGHN, RUTH AND CHRIS CAREY, MY TWO DOGS DAKOTA AND HARPER, JASON, JULIA AND KELLY DAVIS, JOEY AND EMILY KLACINSKY, JAMES SHARPE AND ELIZABETH WHITFIELD, TRIBELLA MUTISPORT, AND LAST AND MOST CERTAINLY LEAST J GOLDEN SWIM CREW MINUS BRIAN REED AND SCOTT BRISTOL. THE LIST COULD GO ON FOR DAYS, BUT I BET YOU ARE SICK OF READING ALL OF THIS…

P.S thank you Joel and Allisa for many of the pics. Want more check'em out here:

http://joeler.smugmug.com/Sports/Triathlon/Ironman-St-George-2012/22962353_HfpJvF

Beach to Battleship Iron Distance

2011 Beach to Battleship Iron Distance (Wilmington,NC)

Getting there:
Heading into the LT100 run I wasn’t sure of what to do with the rest of the season. Should I pick a local triathlon to close out the season? Or should I just call it good and start gearing up for 2012? Would I be able to recover from the 100 miles to even try to race again? Well, the middle of August rolled around and I decided to cancel my trip to Maui for Xterra Worlds, and instead head to Wilmington for an Iron Distance with my good friend Lucas McCain and my father. My dad had wanted to do a half and we needed to find a reason to get together. So why not race one more full and rent a house on a beautiful beach in NC with the family?
Leading into NC, I was feeling pretty good considering the length of my season. It all started with Xterra West Championships in April, and then really started with a disappointing Ironman Texas in May, and supposedly was going to end following the LT100 at the end of August. However, there was a need to race one more time. So post Leadville, I took 2 weeks off to try and let my IT band calm down, and to mentally try and unwind before my final push. I figured after this recovery period I would have 8 weeks to focus in on one last Ironman. However, I decided that I would focus on speed being that I felt my endurance was where it needed to be. Most of the workouts had direct focus, and were geared at race pace efforts. I ran no longer than 2:15 and only had two rides at or above 100 miles, the rest were short and fast. Swimming is swimming and the guys and gals at the Golden Recreation Center keep me honest. So I would hit it hard for 6 weeks and hope a two week taper would have me somewhat prepared for B2B. However, I was going into this race with NO expectations, I just wanted to feel decent and have a solid run.
My race plan was to not do what I have done the previous 5 Ironmans: go too hard on the bike and blow-up on the run. I had nailed that game plan for the last 4 years, it was time to try and be “less predictable”. My new race plan was to play it safe on the bike and see what we can do on the run.

THE RACE:

Swim:
During the pre-race meeting (my dad made us go J) the race director informed us that if we were to put our timing chip in a bag of chips at the swim start it would finish the swim in 1:25, so I knew the swim would be fast. However, I wasn’t sure about the salt water and the supposed alligators. We also had been following the weather predictions, and things weren’t looking so hot, or should I say it was looking so cold! Middle to high 40’s hopefully by midday warming to middle 50’s, raining, with 15 to 20 mph winds. However, worrying gets you nowhere.
I met Lucas at the swim start. We geared up and headed down to the beach for a warm-up swim. Upon initial submersion I noted two things: 1) the water was fairly warm 2) holy salt fest. I needed to be mindful during the swim to not swallow water. Once my warm-up was complete I headed back to the swim start. During the warm-up I had lost sight Lucas, but honestly I would rather start alone, and I knew we would see each other out on course.
The gun went off and the race to the water began. Being on the smaller side I got about knee deep and was pounced on by a larger gentleman, knocking me face first into the salty water. I was bummed… I was really looking forward to my pro like dolphin entry! Again Typical swim, 10 minute fight followed by trying to hang with the true swimmers. This swim was different, I could feel the current. My effort was the same, but I could tell I was moving faster. Little did I know it was going to be 10 minutes faster than my typical IM swim. Once we arrived at the dock, I climbed the exiting steps looked at my watch and it said 42 minutes. I asked the gentlemen exiting next to me if we had really just swam 42 minutes, he said “yep”, and I began to laugh. Though there was a decent run to transition, my race had started well.
Swim: 42:17

T1:
Wetsuit was stripped, but I was slightly disoriented, being that we entered the transition opposite to what I was expecting. After what felt like forever I found my bike. It was now time to choose what to wear for the bike ride. I was warm from the wetsuit and the swim, so I grabbed my arm warmers, struggled to put them on, and decided I would be wasting too much time to put on gloves and a vest. BIG MISTAKE that I would pay for over the next 3 hours.
T1: 4:11

BIKE:
Once exiting transition I got down in the aero-bars and tried to settle in. After the adrenaline rush of T1 wore off I noticed the cold beginning to creep in. After around ten miles there was a group of us who had moved up to the front of the race. We were trading positions and trying to find our groove. We arrived at the on-ramp of highway 40, where the volunteers were yelling instructions I could not understand. There were also cones but you were not sure which side they were suggesting you to be on, and during the pre-race meeting the race director said the right side of the road was for the athletes. So our train headed right and followed the on-ramp heading down highway 40, unfortunately a police officer would roll up beside us after approximately half a mile and inform us we were headed the wrong direction. We all shook our head in disgust and turned around. My watch suggested we lost around 10 minutes, which in my head, erased most of my swim advantage. So here I was, freezing cold, headed in the wrong direction, and I hadn’t even been racing for 2hrs…
Upon the correction of our race course detour, I noticed myself working way too hard to try and make up for the lost time. Quickly I reminded of my race plan; I would not allow my HR to go above 140, which when in a race like situation feels pretty easy. No matter the circumstances, I was not going to break my game plan for this race, nor to make up for a mistake. “SAVE IT FOR THE RUN” was the motto I repeated to myself over and over. Once this debacle was behind me, I reassessed the situation. At this point I was very cold, my hands were completely numb, there was a 15-20 mph headwind, and my mental outlook was heading south. I made it to mile marker 26 and I just kept telling myself, “just make it 10 more miles”. This sounded great, but in reality my nutrition plan was way behind and I was getting fairly frustrated. I had been trying to eat, but my hands were so numb it was all but impossible. I had dropped my main source of calories (1000 cal. of perpetuem contained in my water bottle), and I couldn’t open the plastic bag that contained my energy bars. In desperation I decided to rip the plastic bag with my teeth to try and get at my bars. Another mistake, I got one bar and the other two fell to the wet asphalt. “10 more miles Josh, just ride for 10 more miles.” Again, I settled myself down and just rode. I did have one last bag of food: a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich. I knew if I could get this down, I had another perpetuem bottle containing 500 calories at the halfway marker. I fortunately was able to get the whole sandwich down, and was in the process of settling myself down. I would not be lying if I said that I was close to calling it quits at mile 50. I was still freezing, the wind was still blowing in my face, it was still raining, and my nutrition plan had been blown to pieces. However, I knew in less than 10 miles I would be halfway done and I could get my second nutrition bottle.
I reached the halfway point. Being that I still could not grab the bottle, I had to stop and allow the volunteer to hold me up while holstering the last of my nutrition. After the quick break, I clicked back in and headed on down the road. After another 10 miles or so the sun began to show and my attitude was resurrected; I can’t explain the energy this gave me, and what it did for the rest of my race. I began to warm up a slight bit, I still could not feel my fingers, but was able to sit up and use both hands to squeeze the much needed perpetuem down the gullet. Being that I was worried about losing my bottle again, I drank most of its contents in ten minutes. I was still behind on nutrition, but I was starting to warm up, I was able to get some food down, and I was ticking miles away on the bike. At around mile 75 I looked down at my average speed and it was considerably slower than I had expected (20 mph), however I was not getting passed by too many people, and I had still not seen Lucas. I figured I had beaten Lucas out of the water, and he is a strong cyclist. So if he had not caught me yet, I figured this was proving to be a rough day on the bike for all.
Mile 80... The bike ride changes for the better. Sun comes out in full strength, the headwind is now at my back, the roads are smooth, and the run is soon approaching. The last 30ish miles were rather enjoyable. I was cruising around 25 miles an hour, and surprisingly I was catching some people, and feeling strong. My bike split was considerably slower than expected, but considering the detour and weather, I was content with the ride. I had stuck to the plan; my average HR was right where I wanted it. Now it was time to see if this holding back was going to pay off.
Bike: 5:24

T2:
I racked the bike in good spirits. However, my hands were still fairly numb, and I wanted to put on some compression socks (manyhose). The volunteer ran up to me asking if he could help with anything. I replied with a “yes, could you please help me with my shoes and socks.” Needless to say, don’t try to put on compression wear with numb hands, and also don’t expect someone else to be any help at putting on manyhose. I did not want to tell him to give up, as he was working so hard, but it was taking what seemed to be like an hour. Finally we get me manyhose and shoes on. It is time to PR on the IM marathon…
T2: 4:33

RUN:
I Feel the need to start this section as usual. The run, oh the run…
Started the run feeling pretty good, the sun was still out, my body was feeling ready, but it was still a bit windy, and this was going to be a decently challenging run course. Again, I was not allowing my HR to go above 140. I started brisk, but well with in my limits. I had a good feeling about this one. I also knew if I could run under a 3:45 I could actually break my antagonizing 10 hour goal. I knew a 3:45 was more than possible, but I hadn’t run faster than a 3:55 in an IM marathon before. I also felt that I had a much better nutrition plan for this marathon than I had in the past. I had two gel flasks with 500 calories in each. My goal was to get one down in the first 7 or so miles and to use the other throughout the remainder. The run course was a two looper that was an out and back. I also knew I would be seeing my dad, wife, Tammy, Lucas, and couple others a few times throughout the run which would be a good motivator. What I didn’t know was how close behind me Lucas actually was. At approximately mile 4, and again mile 8 I saw my beautiful wife Katherine and my stepmom Tammy (who needs a huge thank you for everything she did). I could tell Katherine knew I was feeling good. She follows me around to all these IMs only to watch me fall apart on the run. I constantly tell her I can do it, I can run a 3:30 and complete a sub 10hr IM. She is nothing but supportive, however deep down I know she had her reservations. I’m sure she was super happy and relieved as she saw me on the road to finally being able to put it all together. I cannot thank her enough AGAIN for supporting me in these adventures.
On the first lap turnaround (approx. 6.5mi) I saw Lucas. He was around two minutes behind and closing in. As he got closer and closer I decided it would be a good idea to start yelling “C’mon McCain”. I knew I had to run my own race if I wanted to accomplish my goal, but I also knew I would want to run with Lucas if possible. At around mile 8 or so Lucas came up on my side. He admitted to running a bit too hard to catch me, and was trying to recover. He seemed to be on good form, so I knew if he was able to recover a bit, that we could use each other to pace. After about a mile of running together, we caught my father getting ready to finish the half. He looked very strong and was on his way to a PR and a 4th place AG finish. I gave him my love and continued on. It is a great bond to share things such as this with your father. This race was unique for Lucas and me both. Both of our fathers were racing, Lucas’s dad Rusty was on his way to a PR in the full, and my father Mike was on his way to a PR in the half. Really cool experience, and a great motivator.
So there I was, my run nutrition was right on target, I had a true friend that is similarly paced running right beside me, and I was feeling great. As we approached the turnaround I noted we were on pace for a 3:30, which I felt was very possible, but what I did not want to do was blow it by throwing caution to the wind. I grabbed my second gel flask, and Lucas and I headed out on lap 2. Lucas and I were both on the same plan: keep the pace moderate and consistent, take the hills slow, and run the flats. As we were on the flat section past the second big bridge, Lucas looked down at his watch and let me know we were running 7:25s. I was astonished, as I did not feel I was working that hard. However, I quickly mentioned to Lucas that “I don’t feel comfortable running 7:25s.” We slowed it down a notch as mile 15 or so is not the time to be testing the legs, I would save that for mile 20.
As we approached mile 20 Lucas mentioned that his stomach was giving him problems and for me to go ahead. I debated waiting as we had run 13 miles together, and kind of wanted to finish it out, but I knew it was time to go. As Lucas pulled off I decided it was time to let it go. No more HR no more playing it safe, let’s see what’s left. I was feeling amazing, catching people left and right, a couple of whom were in my AG. I was starting to suffer, but the good kind, the kind that says you are getting everything out of your body, not the, I am dizzy and struggling to stay upright kind that I have been accustomed to J. There is nothing like the feeling of running hard and fast at the end of race you have struggled to conquer. I knew I was going to break 10:00, but I did not know I would break 10:00 by 15 minutes! Needless to say it meant a lot to me, to run down the finishing shoot looking at a clock the reads 9:44. Also while doing on a back half with a negative split marathon.
RUN: 3:30

POST RACE:
The best part of an experience like this is to see your wife’s smiling face. She knows what this means to you, and the sacrifices you both make for this to happen. When all is said and done, great race, great friends, great accomplishment. I also have to thank Tammy and my father for all their help. Tammy along with my wife made sure everything was perfect. Thank you for doing all the dirty work!!!

Final stats:
Dad: 6:37:03
Lucas: 9:56:18
Rusty: 12:29:30
Me: 9:45:00

Leadville 100 Trail Run

Leadville 100 run:

Acknowledgements:
Where to start? How about with stating that none of this could have been possible without my super supportive and well organized wife Katherine, or without my pacers: Mathew Arnold, Jason Davis, Tim Redmond, and my brother Casey Vaughn. I would also like to say thank you to Annie for being an emotional pillar of strength! I honestly could not have asked for a better support staff!

I feel the need to give a little extra thanks to Katherine before I begin the post. When I say this would not have been possible without my wife, it is an understatement. Katherine put up with my constant training during the week, my lack of duties around the house, spending of fortunes on gear and food, the complaints of constant sunburns, blisters, and soreness. She took control where my ability to plan or pay attention to details was not sufficient. She secured hotel reservations, transportation plans, needed nutrition, race planning, aid station organization, pacer organizer and informer. Katherine does more than expected and never complains (well maybe a couple times). She is truly an unselfish individual, who I adore. Thanks, and I love you!
I am going to organize this gibberish by daily happenings. As I feel with as much rambling and tangential rants as my brain can produce, this will be the only way to maintain some sort of coherent structure:

Thursday (Day 1):
Matt ad I planned to leave the house around 9am, however with as unorganized and busy as we both are, I was hopeful to get out of Golden by noon. We nailed it; we were on the road, caffeinated, and had food on its way to digestion by high noon! We were in no rush anyways, as all I needed to do today was run through medical/race day check-in by 4pm. Once we arrived in Leadville, Matt and I checked in to our one bed studio apartment that would be our home base for the next 3 nights. It was small, and this would make it all the merrier once Tim and Katherine arrived on Friday. We were not too concerned as the hotel was going to be of little use come 2am Saturday. After checking into the hotel, Matt and I headed to the race check in which happened to be right around the corner (Leadville is a smaller town, so fortunately everything is right around the corner). I weighed in, answered some general questions concerning my health and got my race packet. Coming from the usual experience at Ironmans, where it is like getting through National Security to check-in, this experience was rather relaxing to me. The atmosphere was spectacular as well, the people were generally excited and helpful, and there seemed to be no pretentious attitudes. I loved witnessing the wide variety of participants taking part in this race. You look left and you see a 65 year old man rocking some all grey New Balance from the 60s, a first generation tech tee, and a bandana. You look right and you see a 23 year old kid in vibrams, no shirt, and some new Oakley’s. There was one of every kind, and all seemed to understand that this town, this race, and this adventure would be something we all would soon share. It was also crazy to me that out of 850 registrants, that only 700 would show up on race day, and that only 350 would finish. This meant that half the people I was meeting and seeing would not finish. It must be very hard to train like everyone else, invest so much into this undertaking, to ultimately ride back to Leadville in a car!
After race check in and some quick sightseeing, Matt and I decided to have some dinner. Through some minor interrogating of the locals we realized that there were really only a couple of true “dining” options to choose from. I for one am fine with this, as I despise dinner decisions. We huddled for a moment and decided on the local’s favorite, the $10.95 Filet Mignon. Some may say, "A $10 dollar steak"… that is super sketchy? I say, “a $10 dollar steak… what a steal, give me two!” Post our delicious steak dinner Matt and I grabbed some “Gluten Free” Bud Light and headed back to the old Timberline for some sleep.

Friday (Day 2):
After a solid night of sleep, Matt and I decided that today would be a day of eating and enjoying the beautiful town of Leadville. We had a delightful breakfast and headed back to the hotel to catch some quick Jersey Shore (YEA BUDDY!) before we headed out on our bikes for a bit. The 1:30 bike ride was relaxing and beautiful; there are indeed some great trails to enjoy around Leadville. After our bike ride we headed to the race meeting. Very inspiring, and it even got me a little emotional. While watching what this race means to the organizers, town of Leadville and its participants you begin to see that this is more than just another race. The town and people involved truly care about this town, the race, and all the participants. I hope Lifetime carries on the true meaning and spirit behind the Leadville 100 run!!!! Following the meeting we headed over to the solo Mexican establishment and filled up on chips & salsa, tacos, and water. We also devised our plan of attack for the rest of the day, which would be absolutely nothing. We did drive out to Turquoise Lake which was a long drive in the car, and that wasn’t even going to be 1/6th of my RUN the following day. Later that day we headed to the grocery store and stocked up on some essentials for the run. We then sat and waited on the rest of our crew to show. Katherine and Tim finally arrived around 7 and we headed straight to dinner. I had some fish tacos, some bread and then called it sleepy time. I started trying to go to sleep at around 8:30, but knew this was going to be a long night of little sleep and much anticipation. Around 9pm a crazy thunderstorm moved in. This system brought in some torrential rain, much lightning, and some colder weather. The storm also lasted for a better part of 3:30 hours. These circumstances would not have been so alarming, other than the fact that the forecast for Saturday night was supposed to be identical. Oh well, worrying never helps….

Saturday (Day 3/Race Day):
Alarm, ALarm,ALArm,ALARm, ALARM,… It was now 2am and time to get up, shovel as much food down as possible, get some coffee, and take care of the rest of my race morning business. Needless to say, I was anxious, but I was not nervous. I was just ready to start and let this adventure unfold as it may. The way I looked at it, the day was going to have numerous ups and downs, but I just needed to control the things that were controllable. My main concern was nutrients, pace, and energy conservation.I lined up somewhere in the top half. I knew the start was going to be mild, and with many miles of road before the trails began, there will be plenty of time to pass, get passed, and find my pace! The gun went off, followed by some loud cheers, beeps of start button on watches, and the clicks of headlamps being turned on as we headed off into the night. We headed up a good hill as we left town, once I crested the hill I took a second to look back at the lights of Leadville, and the mile of Headlamps bobbing behind me. This is a view I will remember for a very long time! Once we hit the dirt road to head out of town, it got quiet…. Everyone knew we had a long pain filled day ahead. My stomach decided to start a little bit of a party after the initial excitement had ended. It did not bother me too much however, as I knew it had plenty of time to settle down (it took its sweet time, it partied another 50 miles until I hit the turnaround :)). The sun started to rise around the outgoing climb of the Powerline. This was a great part for me as it was the first real test of the run, and you could see the mental games it was playing on people. However, I just kept my slower than normal pace, and trudged on. I wanted to run slower than slow as I knew the last 30 miles of this race could either be “man, this has been a long day” miserable, or the ”I would rather have 1000 paper cuts being filled with salt” miserable. Before I knew it I had reached Twin Lakes aid station, and was starting to suffer a bit. My stomach was still partying, I was developing a headache, and I was about to start the climb up Hope Pass and to 12,500 feet. While at the Twin Lakes my wife counted my caloric/water intake and informed me I was way behind. She gave me the “we have spent way too much money, time, and energy on this for you to blow it due to nutrition” look. I knew at that point I should shut up and shove some food down the old gullet. So… I sat there and ate until Katherine deemed it suitable for me to leave. Though it annoyed me at the time, 15 minutes later while climbing Hope Pass I started to regain my energy and soon to follow my spirit. I would hate to think what would have happened had I not been set straight. Once I got to the top of Hope Pass, I took a second to look around, simply amazing! Epic landscape, that I felt I could truly appreciate due to my current situation. I now only had 5 miles of downhill running before I got to the turn around with my first pacer!!! It brought a smile to my face to know that within the hour I would have a good friend of mine running alongside that was totally dedicated to my perseverance.

The Turnaround (Miles 50 to the 60.5)
Chapter 1: (Matt NSR and the creek crossings…Yeah Buddy!):
As I reached the turn around, I was running through my mental checklist. What do I need to do here to secure a safe return trip, and ultimately a finish? First, I need to check-in with medical. I weighed in, and had only lost three pounds, very solid. This means my nutrition/hydration is working so far. Secondly, warm clothes and possibly rain gear. Thirdly, make sure my pacer and I are on the same page. After grabbing some warm clothes, Matt NSR took my bag from me and insisted on carrying all my gear. I hadn’t realized the burden of carrying my endurance pack until I had taken it off. It was such a great feeling to be running with no extra weight. It was even a better experience to realize that my support crew had all of this planned out and are way ahead of me in planning. At that moment I quit planning and relinquished all control to my wife and crew. This was another weight that I was relieved to let go, I knew they had the best plan for me. As we headed back up Hope Pass the relentless climbing was wearing me down, but Matt was supportively pushing me, knowing that once we reached the top all the pain would subside. Matt and the crew had obviously devised a plan for my caloric needs. Every ten minutes or so I was being asked had I eaten, what did I eat, and did I need water? At the time I was disgruntled, and not wanting to eat, but I did. This constant monitoring is what got me through the race. Matt had me on about a 3-400 calorie an hour diet. I was having problems swallowing but I would just chew things up a bit and then flush it down with some water. It was also good to have someone there to joke with and be able to take your mind off the fact that you were slightly only further than half way. Matt and I cruised down hope pass and back to Twin Lakes and the 5 river crossings. By the time we hit Twin Lakes it was starting to get dark and I was getting a little colder. So at Twin Lakes aid station, I changed my wet shoes and socks, and gathered some slightly warmer clothing just in case. Thanks so much MATTY!!!!!!!

Twin Lakes to Fish Hatchery (miles 60.5 to 76.5):
Chapter 2 (Bathroom Breaks, Garden Gnomes, and a Rave):
Jason Davis, my next pacer, was more than prepared for the 15 miles of intense JV shuffling that was to come. So Katherine packed up Jason’s backpack with pizza, trail mix, Lara bars, and some honey stinger chews. I was supposed to have it all down by the next aid station, and by this point it was all I could do to eat a jelly bean. We started off slightly uphill, but luckily Jason had secured me a set of hiking poles (which I used for the next 30 miles). They were so great to help take some stress off of your legs, especially on the downhill, where you could plant them before you land. As we started to climb I was feeling great, and I was pumped to have Jason along side. He has paced me before and new exactly how to keep me hydrated, fueled, and most importantly made sure to keep me positive. Jason was pretty much my pack mule as well. He was carrying a camel back, two handhelds, all my food, extra clothing, and a boom box (just kidding, but great idea for next year ). I was carrying a jacket, and what was starting to feel like a 300 pounds of me. We were running the runnable and hiking the questionable, but I felt we were moving at a very good pace. Jason was making sure I swallowed (I say swallowed because chewing wasn’t an option as it would make me gag) as much food as possible. Once we were about to hit the long dirt/paved road section back into Treeline and ultimately Fish Hatchery, I felt a bathroom break coming on. Natured called, I answered, and some magical energy from places I speak not where was unleashed! It would fuel a furious shuffling dash all the way to Treeline. Once Jason and I hit Treeline it was officially dark. My wife being the beautiful brains of the operation had a great idea to give Jason and I glow sticks to hang from our packs to help her separate us from the rest of the pack once at Fish Hatchery. Jason, bless his soul shuffled with me for two of the five sections. It was probably the longest 15 miles of his life, but he hung in there like a trooper and never complained about my blistering 12-13 minute miles. About a 1/2 mile out of Treeline it got real dark, and my glow stick was tied to my pack, and it was swinging back in forth in front of my face. I felt like I was being interrogated by the rave police while…. umph umph umph…biddddda biddda buuuunh… umph umph umph was raging in my ear. Though I hold nothing against raves, 70 miles into a 100 mile run is not the time for me to be raving. So I handed Jason my glow stick and he was inundated with two rave promoting glow sticks swing back in forth in front of his face . Once all that was situated we finally hit the stretch of road into Fish Hatchery where Jason and I decided to sing about promiscuous ladies accidently in front of females and ask the gods above “why we couldn’t have yard gnomes serving us warm apple cider”…”I mean is that too much to ask… is it?” Sorry for this Hunter S. Thompsonish ramblings, but all part of the adventure. With the help of glow stick, raves, gnomes, and a bathroom break we finally made it to the Fish Hatchery and that much closer to the finish line. (Thank you Jason AND KELLY for helping me throughout this year. Your support does not go unnoticed!)

Fish Hatchery to May Queen (Miles 76.5 to 86.5)
Chapter 3 (Tim “the experience”, and the 6 false flats):
My brother and his lovely lady Annie had finally arrived, and were a sight for sore eyes. It made me smile and gave me a little surge. You really realize what great friends and family you have when they are there to support you through something like this. Once we said our hellos, we immediately said our goodbyes, and Tim and I shot off in the dark. It was good to have Tim with me for this leg as he had just finished his first 100 miler and was “experienced.” I let Tim try and set the pace while I shuffled slowly behind him. This next section, by far, proved to be one of the most challenging of the trip home. Up and over Powerline. The worst part was that you would climb for 45 minutes come to a flat section and think phew that was hard. Then you would head straight up again. The funny thing is, I had run this section not 8 hours ago, and you ask yourself “how do I not remember this?”… Oh yeah, I was fresh and going downhill ! Anyhow Tim was a trooper, he kept me constantly engaged and was trying to spark my walk to a shuffle at all times. It felt like false flat after false flat, and it was really dark, the participants were spread out, and this was fairly difficult terrain. However, I knew once I reached the top I would be at mile 80 and would only be a 20 miles from the finish. After a final few curses and personal demons slayed, we finally reached the top and mile 80! Tim and I started the downhill, and by this point it sounded something like this, “ouch, ouch, ew, ah, sh**, ouch, poop, ow.” I tried to keep my grunting and cursing in a somewhat rhythmic fashion as I felt it would aid in my uncoordinated ballet along this rocky steep descent. Tim the whole time would constantly keep an eye out and partially catch me as I would go to stumble. I must say, one of my most proud accomplishments from the LT100, was that I didn’t fall ONCE… nope not once! As Tim and I descended down the Powerline you could see the lights and hear the rumblings of May Queen in the distant. I knew however it would be a while until we reached our destination. So for the next 1:30 or so I stared at Tim’s feet while shuffling close behind. To be honest, I know we talked the whole time but I feel my mind was shutting down slightly. We were going into energy conservation mode. I kind of felt bad for Tim, most of this leg I was either cursing rhythmically or staring at his feet in a partial slumber. This is why I appreciated Tim at this point; he had been there and knew about how I felt. Finally after another hour or so of stumbling we made it into May Queen. Thank ya TIM!!!!!!

May Queen to the Finish Line (miles 86.5 to 100)
Chapter 4 “How can 8mi take 2hrs?":
To give an idea of how great my team was, and how tight a ship my wife was running, I saw a friend of mine Audra from Evergreen while standing at May Queen aid station getting refueled by my support staff. She later told me that they were as precise as the military, she said she could barely even catch my attention due to the strategic nature and focus my support crew had. I was the only thing they were paying attention to. This is what got me to the finish line. Once I was meticulously refueled and my pit stop was over, my brother and I headed out for the last 13.5. Before I start, I cannot tell you how great it was to have my brother run the last bit with me. No one knows me better besides my brother and my wife. We had about 8 miles along Turquoise Lake and another 5.5 or so back into town. It was getting very cold by this time of night and the next 8 miles were all along the shore, which made it even colder. This was proving to be the most difficult section of the race for me by far. My body hurt, but most of all I was just sleepy. I was flat out falling asleep. My brother would clap to wake me up, start a conversation, but within 10 minutes my eyes were crossing and I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Casey stuck with it however and made sure I was doing everything to keep myself awake and moving. It was so hard to believe I was moving so slow, but I was super tired, it was a fairly technical section (at least at this point), and my legs were aching a good bit. After about 4 miles we passed a campfire were a gentleman was drinking some adult beverages, but also had some flavored Pellegrino. It was delicious and also had a decent bit of sugar which helped a good bit with my energy levels. We traded names and a handshake, and I headed back out into the cold and quiet night. Quiet at least for 5 minutes, when the gentleman from the campfire decided to start yelling motivational phrases. It was cracking me up, every 5-10 minutes I would hear “GO JOSH” and I would respond with an “AWE YEA”. It was indeed the little things that would pass 45 minutes or so that you truly grew to appreciate. For the next 30 minutes or so I just stared at my brother’s feet and shuffled along, until finally we hit the dirt road that signified 6 miles to the finish. Casey was constant with the “good pace Josh” and the “we’re almost there Josh” just enough to wake me up and confirm that we were still moving forward. He would run beside me, which made me feel fast, but soon thereafter he would decide to eat a snack or drink some water while walking, and he would still be right beside me. This was a good reminder of how slow I was really going. After some ups and downs on the dirt road, we finally hit the concrete which lead us about a mile to the finish line. It is so funny to me how you suffer so much and think you couldn’t run to save your life, but as soon as you see that finish line the legs magically start working again. With about .25 of a mile to go I saw my wife and Annie, who quickly congratulated me and escorted my brother and me through the finish line. IT WAS OVER. The funny thing is how anti-climactic the finish line truly was. The journey, the memories, the heart of the race was out there, not at the finish line. Though it was nice to lie down while knowing you did not have to get back up!

Conclusion:
The race was over, the sun was up, and I was ready to go to bed. However this was an adventure I hope I never forget. I can never thank the people who aided me during this race: My wife (Katherine) who without being by my side I would NOT HAVE MADE IT. Her undying support, organizational skills, and total dedication to my finishing of the race is something I cannot say enough about. To Matt (NSR) and his constant great attitude and relentless attention to my nutrition, I will always be grateful. To Jason and his year of support, planning, carrying abilities, unspoken understanding of my needs, and $20 dollar headlamp, I owe you big time. Tim and his wealth of knowledge, lack of sleep, motivation, and true interest in my journey, it did not go unnoticed. My brother (Casey), I don’t even know what to say, you are my best friend, and partner through many rough adventures, I love you. And last but not least, Ms. Annie, constant deliverer of positive vibes and happiness, you are a blessing to mankind!

The Leadville 100 Trail Run was one of the best experiences in my life. There were many things that will never be forgotten. I know this is a long rambling blog post, but it could have been 10 pages longer if I had discussed everything I had wanted. The competitors, the prep rally, the volunteers, the crews, the route, the town of Leadville, the string of headlamps bobbing in the night, it is a life changer. It was everything I expected, anticipated, dreamt about and more. It is good for humanity and I hope it never waivers from the founder’s vision!

The San Juan Solstice 50 Mile Run

The San Juan Solstice 50 (My First Ultra):

Jason and I packed up and drove down Thursday night the 16th. We arrived a little after 12am so we quickly picked out our camping spot and crawled into our sleeping bags. The next morning we were greeted with coffee by Floyd and his wife Janette the owners of the camp site (great people who were fantastic all weekend)! For Breakfast we headed down the main Lake city drag and ended up at Mean Jeans Coffee House, where we indulged on a couple of burritos and topped out our caffeine levels. Post breakfast we spent the rest of the morning strolling around town doing the tourist thing while we waited on my brother and his lady to show up.

Following my brother and Annie’s (my brother’s lady) arrival we went to the check-in. It is fairly interesting when you are at an event that you are the only participant that has not qualified. However, I felt more than prepared to suffer alongside everyone else. I dropped my Special needs bags off and decided it was time for some dinner and relaxation. Following our delicious feast we went back to the campsite for an early bedtime. While getting ready for slumber I realized that a competitor camped next to me was someone I knew through a mutual friend, and had actually been feeding me advice via email. His name is Ray Churgovich (Hawaiian Shirt Ray http://www.hawaiianshirtray.com/), a more than accomplished ultra runner who has too many 50, 100, and 24 hour runs than I could fit in this article. Ray also just won the 24 hour run in Laramie, WY! We quickly chat, and I picked his brain for some last minute details.

I Slept pretty well the night before the race, and awoke ready to run. Jason and my brother had everything ready to go for the grueling time to ensue, so all I had to do was focus on the task at hand. Following some coffee, the racers all lined up and waited for the gun to go off.

The start of an Ultra was interesting to me being that you start so easily. No punching, sky rocketing heart rates, gasping for air, drooling, just a simple jog. We headed out of town for about .5 of a mile which we ran super easy, and then the road went up, up, and up. The 50 miles of “riking” had begun. By “riking”, I mean run hiking. The course was so steep that it forced walking, also weird for me to be forced to walking this early in a race. By the time we reached the top of the fist climb the true leaders were gone, but there was no way I was going to go out too hard. I was of the mindset to go an hour slower if that is what it was going to take to enjoy this experience. At about mile 12 I was passed by a female, the leading female, Tina Lewis. Super friendly lady who had done this race the year before as well as Leadville 100, and being that I will be attempting that as well this year we struck up a conversation. The course was not only physically challenging, it took a lot of mental fortitude as well. You were constantly monitoring your footing or trying to navigate the course. We went of course numerous times, but somehow never veered far enough to self destruct. Tina told me after about or third detour not to follow her lead because her directional sense was horrible, I didn’t have the guts to tell her this was a skill I was not to gifted with either.

Once we got to mile 22 we hit an aid station that both my brother and Jason were waiting at. Jason took my bag filled it with water while my bro distracted me for a bit with a conversation. It is a great thing to have such support at a race such as this it frequently becomes the one thing that gets you through certain periods. After the aid station began about 8 miles of road, which was probably the hardest part, as you felt the need to run the whole time. The openness of the road also left you smoldering in the bright sun, and subject the passing cars stirring of dust. After being alone for the entire road section Tina finally caught me as we turned to climb up to the divide. Though there is minimal conversation during this type of event it is nice to know you are not the only one suffering. We were also joined by a chemistry teacher from NC that was very friendly and talkative  This was by far the most trying part of the course. The climb was heinous and it led too many miles at 13,000 ft. The air was thin I was tired and we still had around 15 miles to go. However, I knew once we dropped of the divide there would be about 6 miles of downhill (descending was the most intimidating part of the race to me, it destroyed my legs), and then I would meet up with Jason who would lead me the last 10 miles. As we hit the decent Tina turned on the Turbo boosters and decided to drop me like a sack of potatoes. She ended up beating my by 20 minutes, all gained in only ten miles!

Getting to the mile 40 aid station and seeing my brother, Annie, and a ready to run Jason was sight for sore eyes. I had ten miles left and it would be over. However, the last ten miles included some major climbing and one last muscle ripping, teeth grinding, tear provoking decent. Jason let me take the lead as we started our last ten miles, but I soon forced him to lead so I could just stare at his feet until I could look up and see the finish line. With much poking, prodding, and emotional support Jason got me up the final accent and down the final decent into town. We hit the last mile of road into town at a blistering pace (probably 11 minute miles ) I had to walk a bit before the finish line, but I made sure to do it out of site, and just long enough to give me the energy to run down the finishing chute.

The San Juan Solstice 50 was a fantastic event! Being that they were not sure of the final course until 3 days out, the support, marking, and volunteers were great. The scenery was some of the most spectacular I have ever seen, and the participants were friendly and helpful. Truly a great experience that will most likely lead me to Lake City once again in the near future! Thank you to my wife, brother, Annie, and Jason. I could not do these things without the support. Special thanks to Jason who helped plan, pack, and organize me and all the technical aspects of this undertaking.

Thanks to NEWTON for providing me with great shoes that I feel I can honestly say I pushed to the limit, and am still running in!

Ironman Texas

Well Ironman Texas is in the books. I finished, not what I wanted, but I finished. Another day that ended with "WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY RUN"!


Besides my sub-par effort, the event was top notch. The course was absolutely beautiful, the spectators and volunteers were more than friendly and helpful, and the finish line was one of a kind. I also was blessed enough to have the best support crew that one could possibly ask for. Big time thanks to my wife Katherine (The Planner, Itinerary Guru, and Queen of much needed Emotional Support), Alex (The Local, Host, Driver and Laugh Instigator), and last but not least, Anthony (Motivator and Keeper of all Positive Mojo) WHO IS RACING 70.3 HAWAII this weekend, Good Luck!!!!!!

The course was absoultely amazing, the WTC nailed it on this one. If the event could be moved forward 3 weeks or so to late April or early May, I believe it would be one of the fastest and sought out IM's onWTC's schedule.

The Swim was the swim, but at least it was an interesting point to point course that ended with the last 1/2 mile down a canal lined with cheering spectators. The well designed course made for a mentally appeasing swim that felt as if it flew by. The floating start was fairly hectic with all the usual happenings: kicking, slapping, and jockeying for position. It took a while for me to settle in the swim, as I must have put myself in the "I can't swim a straight line to save my life corral". After about ten minutes; however, it was pretty smooth sailing.

The Bike, my highlight of the event, was spectacular minus some of the worst DRAFTING I HAVE EVER SEEN. It was a one looper which I love. On the way out, the course stayed fairly flat, we were blessed with a slight tail wind and the silky smooth, fast rolling roads weaved through some beautiful forested areas. As we hit the turn around, about 2:25 in, we were headed back into the wind. However, it was a mild wind and coming from CO where the wind has been non-stop, it did not bother me too much. The roads at the turn around deteriorated a bit, but I knew if I kept a smooth consistent pace I would be fine. At about mile 90, a gentleman I had been riding around came up with a puncture and had no tools. (Don't ask me?) I decided it would be good for my Karma to stop and give him my saddle bad and all that was within minus my one extra tube. I'm sure it took a couple of minutes but I felt it was a must. The rest of the bike ride I tried to fuel up and get ready for what was sure to be a Hot, Humid, and Tough RUN.

On to the run, ughhhh! After transition I was feeling fine, not great, but fine. So, as in planning I told myself to grow into the run if I was not feeling it right away. During training I did many longer brick runs after a hard bike effort at 7:30's. I knew they were in me. However, on this day, the 3:30 marathon was not to be had. I started a little over 8 and the pace was not looking like it would speed up. After around mile 10 I knew my legs were not going to be able to pick up the pace, so I conceded the KONA dream again and relaxed into a slower more mentally appealing pace to the finish line. The finish line was bitter sweet. I was excited for it to be over and to finish another Ironman, but was more than disappointed by the end result. This has been a hard race to emotionally put behind me, but the disappointment will fade in time.

Overall fun event and spectacular race course!

I could not even get to the start line if it were not for my sponsors and some of the people who have aided in my efforts. Thank you for everything you do for me and most of all for our sport!!!!

NEWTON (http://www.newtonrunning.com/)

Maxxis (http://www.maxxis.com/)

Zeal Optics (http://www.zealoptics.com/)

Redstone Cyclery (http://www.redstonecyclery.com/)

Verge (http://www.vergesport.com/)

Tomac (http://www.tomac.com/)

TriBella (http://www.tribellas.com/)

Ironman Texas

Well the time has come. Flying to Houston today for the inaugural IM Texas. Super excited, but a little interested with seeing how thebody will react to the heat and humidity. It has been a good while since I have raced in these types of conditions, and I have never raced an Ironman in such. No matter the weather, we will giver' hell and go for broke! Hopefully making a push for KONA and see if it is in the cards. After qualifying for Xterra worlds it would be nice to try and complete the double. It would also be nice to have a reason to stay in Hawaii for 2 weeks. Ironman Worlds is a dream that will burn in me until it is accomplished, but it is a dream not easily reached for puny mortals such as myself. Gotta reach for the stars sometimes.

Training for IM Texas has also brought upon some interesting challenges. After training for Coeur d'Alene last year (late June), I thought it wouldn't pose to much of an inconvenience. However, the weather has decided to be rather challenging in CO this year. Wind, Snow, Rain you name it, it's been abundant on my days off. So I have logged many, many trainer miles, and many bricks involving a trainer/treadmill combo. I do believe that these sessions may have been helpful however. Completed in my basement with our space heater cranked, hopefully this acted as race day simulation sessions.

This vacation/race is coming at a good time. I am excited to take a break from the daily grind, and spend some time with the wife alone. This weekend will also be the our 2 year anniversary, very exciting. I can honestly say marriage is work, but the fruits of your labor way out weigh any down sides to a loving relationship.

At the end of the day I/We our lucky to be able to enjoy some of the things we love. So no matter the result or suffering, this is at my own doing and I will enjoy it (see if this is what I'm saying at mile 18 of the run :))

-Josh