What is an Ironman Triathlon?

This is a question I have been asked frequently over the last couple of years. This part is easy to answer. It’s the ultimate test of endurance—a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run—all to be completed within a 17 hour time frame for the right to call yourself an Ironman. The harder question however, is the one that often follows. Why? Why would one want to push their body past its limit and to a place we never thought it could go? Is it merely for the thrill of it? The challenge? Bragging rights? To symbolize defeating a sickness? Or simply to maintain fitness? Every person who has participated in an Ironman has their own reason. I invite you to read mine—a journey, if you will, of my last four years, which has led me on a path from being an obese guy with a food addiction and passion for fantasy sports to becoming an Ironman triathlete.

How it all started



Summer 2009

In sharing my story, I hope I can inspire someone. Someone who feels stuck and helpless like I did for years. In September of 2009, I found myself at a crossroads in life—and depressed. I had just changed careers and was sad to leave the other one behind. I was scared of failure with my new one. Additionally, I found myself lacking control in several facets of my life—none bigger than my seeming addiction to self-destruction. I ate. I sat in front of a computer and played fantasy games. And I watched TV. That’s pretty much it. Not much else. The fantasy games were nothing more than a way for me to hide from reality as well as from who and what I was becoming. My lethargic ways affected my work but more importantly it impacted my relationships with my wife and two boys, who were 7 and 5 years old at the time. I was caught in a vicious cycle—I ate and sat around because I felt depressed. So to make myself feel better, I would eat and sit around some more, which in turn, plowed me deeper into the spiraling funk. At this time in my life I was pushing 240+ pounds, and on a 5’9” frame, it was quite apparent how uncomfortable I was—not to mention my unstable mood as my wife and kids spent a lot of time walking on egg shells around me because I was miserable and unhappy with myself.

 

I grew up with a good home life. I made some pretty bad decisions as a teenager and young adult but generally speaking I think I’ve always been a good person with a big heart. I have always liked being around people and have had very few enemies. I had what most would deem a “normal” childhood—lots of play, various activities, and good times. My parents were good to me—probably better than I deserved. I joined the Army right out of high school and served in Operation Desert Storm.  Upon getting out of the Army, I started going to college. While in San Marcos I met who would eventually become the love of my life, Cody. We dated for a little over two years before getting married in May 1997. A year later I graduated with my Bachelor’s Degree. From there I went to preaching school and spent over 10 years as a minister. I miss a lot of aspects about preaching. I enjoyed teaching and writing. Mostly I enjoyed the social life of encouraging people that came with this work. But something was still amiss. As much as I thought I enjoyed this life, there were some aspects about it where I just was not being real. I spent many years trying to live up to an image rather than being who I really was, and I believe this sunk me even deeper into a depression. I had to get out. And I did. After getting my Master’s Degree in psychology I went to work as a therapist and have since obtained my License in Professional Counseling (LPC).

Me with my wife Cody--Christmas 2008

 
During all this time, in October 2002, my oldest son, Aaron was born.  And in March 2005 my younger son, Chase was born. These are obviously two of the happiest days of my life and I am so proud of the two young boys they have become today. I am truly blessed.

 

So in September 2009, I was in a new career and surprisingly, I was beginning to enjoy it. I was starting to learn that I can still be a Christian and in a good relationship with God without being a minister, and even began to notice that I was….happy. Happy for the first time in a really long while. I was doing something that I enjoyed doing because I wanted to do it. And I was doing it in the manner of which I wanted. I did not feel watched, stalked, judged, or negated. My wife supported me in what I was doing. I felt in ‘control’ of my life again. Granted, it took about 9 months after the job change to get to this. But I was there. And once I felt this control, I was ready to make a decision that I had wanted to make for years. It was time to lose this weight.

December 2010 after completing P90X

I no longer wanted to get winded from just 30 seconds of wrestling with my boys, or walking to the mail box, or climbing a flight of stairs. I had tried every diet there was. Some would work temporarily. Others would not work at all. But my weight fluctuations were never permanent. The only thing that was consistent about my weight is that it always seemed to come back. On June 3, 2010, I started P90X. It was brutal. I couldn’t do 2 minutes worth of jumping jacks or one single pull up. But I stuck with it. What I couldn’t do, I modified or went through the motions until I could do it. After 90 days I had lost 45 lbs. I decided to do it for 90 more days and by the end of 2010, I had lost a total of 70 lbs. It was another cycle but this one was positive. The more I saw results, the better I ate, which in turn would fire me up to work out harder. It was also during that summer that I began to think, "maybe I can become a runner now." I had always wanted to be a runner. I cannot say why the thought of running appealed to me. But it did. I was so bad at it in the Army and then I was even worse at it after I gained so much weight. In the past, when trying to run, I would get shin splints and ankle pain—because I would try to do too much too quickly.

Finish line shot of my first 26.2

I called my lifelong friend Kevin Schaefer and told him I had signed up for a local 5K here in Tyler and needed help. He had recently gotten into endurance sports himself, doing marathons and had done one Ironman at that point, and was about to start training for his second Ironman (Ironman Texas 2011—more on that later). So he put together a plan for me. I followed the plan just as he prescribed and had a successful 5K. I was hooked. And I have not looked back since. My first run in August 2010, I was able to run for 3 whole minutes. Within 14 months, October 2011, I ran my first marathon (26.2 miles). Not fast. But I ran it.



Me with my two boys, Aaron & Chase--Tyler Rose Marathon 2011

From there I have made a lifestyle of fitness and endurance sports. I have participated in 5Ks, half marathons, marathons, bicycle tours, sprint triathlons, Olympic distance triathlons, and two Half Ironmans. In May of 2012, I went on a two year plan to put myself in position for Ironman Texas in May 2014. My training these last two years has been a roller coaster of physical challenges, mental tests, emotional set-backs, and family trials. The rest of my journey from this point of my life to the Ironman will now be incorporated in more detail into the following race report.

 

IRONMAN Texas Race Report

Wednesday, May 14^th--Race week as a whole was fun. I worked Monday and Tuesday, and then headed to The Woodlands on that Wednesday morning. I arrived and picked up my packet and got checked in. I went to Raceday Wheels and got my 808 and disc wheels put on my bike. Then I walked around the expo and just tried to soak it all in. I also went for a 5 mile slow run along the IMTX run course. That evening I went to dinner with Hillary and Tige, who live near The Woodlands and spent the night with them.

 

Me and Jonathan two days before race

Thursday, May 15^th-- I woke up early and met Jonathan, my training partner these last two years. We went for our final tune up ride—about 12 miles on the IMTX bike course to ensure our bikes were functioning properly. Afterwards, I hung out with him and his wife for a bit and had lunch with them while I was still waiting for my family to get to town. I also went for another easy 2 mile run that afternoon. At this point more people started coming in and it was time to get ready for the athlete dinner that was scheduled that evening at the hotel where we were staying. The dinner was so much fun and a great experience. I sat with my longtime friend Keith from Victoria who was also doing the Ironman, and his friend Paul. Also joining us was Jonathan and his wife Rachel. I started getting very excited at this point. After dinner several of us from Tyler—myself, Jonathan, Kimberly C., Kimberly B., Clay, and Seth stuck around and took pictures, visited, and soaked in the experience. Later, I went back to my hotel room and started getting all my race gear and nutrition together. I got everything separated in the appropriate gear bags and put the appropriate stickers on my helmet and bike.

 

Friday, May 16^th—I woke up to go to swim practice and that went very well. I was feeling really good in the water and at this point it was all but a sure thing, thanks to a cold front that came through Texas earlier in the week that the swim was going to be wetsuit legal—the first wetsuit legal race in the history of IRONMAN Texas. The rest of the day was taking it easy and waiting for the remaining family members to get there. We all went to dinner that evening at Carrabba’s and it was enjoyable. Reservations were made for about 15 of us.

I was so happy to have Keith and his family with us. Obviously I have been excited about doing the Ironman. But I have been equally excited about Keith giving the proverbial middle finger to cancer, which he beat 18 months ago. I believe him participating in this Ironman suggests he will make that five year mark still cancer free. I love him like a brother and am super proud of what he has done over the last year to get here. I was honored to get to experience this with him.



Me and Keith after Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston -- April 6, 2014

A special thanks for those that came to The Woodlands to be with me this weekend. Between Cody and the boys, Dad, Carol, Mom, Megan, Kevin, and his family (who were there for Keith), I felt very supported. Their presence was a sacrifice. Anyone who has ever watched an Ironman event live knows how grueling and tiresome this can be. As it turned out, it was a long day in the sun for them but they knew I needed it and they pulled through for me.


When we got back to the hotel after dinner, I took the boys to the swimming pool outside for a little while and stretched while they played in the pool. I meditated a little and thought positive things for tomorrow's race. I went to bed fairly early that evening and as expected didn’t sleep too much but did at least dose off several times, even if only for a little bit.

 

Saturday, May 17^th—Race Day has arrived. My alarm went off at 3:45 AM and I got some coffee going and started eating by 4 AM. I wanted to leave 3 hours before the start of the race for my food to settle. Wow! It’s race morning. A two year dream is going to be achieved today. I will be an Ironman!

Me, Aaron, & Chase race morning

 

The walk to transition with my family and then to the swim start all went smoothly with the exception of me forgetting my bike special needs bag and my wife having to run back to the hotel room to retrieve it. Ironically I never even needed it.

Miss Behavin' at the swim start

As we approached the bridge by the swim start, it was fun to see Kevin (AKA Miss Behavin’) doing his thing and making everyone laugh. It was weird not being a spectator this year as I have watched this race and cheered from the sidelines the previous three years. I’ll go back to doing that next year. Ha! It was also comforting to have family there with me. I left them at the top of the bridge with my bags, so they could watch the start from there and then I went on down to the start area to get my body marked and put on my wetsuit.

 

Getting in the water was exciting and exactly what I needed at the time. It literally calmed me down and I no longer felt the nervous anxiety I had been feeling that morning. While in the water waiting for the cannon to fire, I heard Mike Reilly on the microphone ask, "How many of you are going to be an Ironman today?"  As we all hollered, I began to cry. It was happening. I knew I was going to be an Ironman. Today was going to be a great day.

 

It was a pretty surreal moment when the cannon went off. I had waited two years for this day ever since I came to spectate this race in May 2012. But I couldn’t afford to get too lost in the moment. It was time to swim.  As I began, I had to stay focused on (1) keeping my head down so as to not get punched or kicked in the nose and (2) looking up just enough to find empty “lanes” to swim through. It was crazy. This mass swim start lived up to everything it was hyped to be--2800+ pair of legs and arms flailing in one body of water and trying to go the same direction. I got kicked twice, once in the right eye (thankfully I had my goggles on and it didn't hurt too bad). But I also got kicked in the left collar bone and that hurt and is still sore at the time of this writing. There were people grabbing my feet, and as a result, I myself started kicking at that point. I hope whoever I kicked isn't hurting too badly today but I’m confident that in the future he or she will think twice before deciding they’re going to try to pull someone under so they can swim over the top. As for the swim itself, I started out pretty typical...felt like it was easy but due to excitement, my Garmin data shows that I started a little faster than normal and kept that up really through the first mile. I started to get tired during the 2nd mile and the data confirms this as my pace did slow a little. Once I made my way into the canal I was rejuvenated when I saw the people along the waterway and I knew I was close to the swim exit. Swimming down the canal was an absolute thrill and an adrenaline rush like none other. It felt so good to get out of the water and know that I was done with this portion of the day. It was fear of the swim that prevented me from admitting for a whole year that I wanted to do an Ironman, after watching Kevin do IMTX in 2011. And I had done it. I was so excited. The swim start stayed really congested (in my opinion) for at least a good 1/2 mile. It seemed to calm down a little before that first turn buoy and stayed pretty calm and spaced out until we hit the canal, where it got crowded again. The water felt great. I was fortunate it turned out wetsuit legal. I got really lucky on this one, as the wetsuit gave me (I believe) about a 15 minute better time. So I was out of the water sooner than I had planned. All in all, I was quite pleased with this portion of the race.  Official Swim Split: 1:38:54. My Garmin data for the swim can be found here. On to transition 1.



Exiting the swim

 

The first transition was uneventful for the most part. I took my sweet time and drank a whole bottle of water while getting ready and changing clothes. I was not in a rush. In fact, I even visited the port-o-potty for a "guy moment." I want credit for not taking a magazine in there with me. Ha! I saw my wife, sister, and mom as I ran out of the changing tent to my bike.  They were hollering for me. I also saw Dad and Carol standing by the transition fence where my bike was. They got to watch me leave transition with my bike. It was so refreshing to see them all and I doubt they can fully understand how much energy that gave me going into what was going to be a long day on the bike.

 

Well. The bike. Where do I even start? It didn’t take long for reality to set in. This bike leg was disappointing and where I believe the race started to go downhill for me. I knew I was not going to meet the goal time I had set for myself. With that said, this was still a great day.  I had looked at weather reports and they were predicting about a 10 mph wind coming out of the south, likely giving us a tail wind going out. 

On the IMTX bike course

This didn't happen. I believe the wind speed may have been 10 mph but it certainly wasn't a tail wind—or if it was, it was blocked by the tall trees surrounding the early portion of the course. I thought the wind at the beginning was mostly cross, and sometimes it even felt like it was a headwind. Then coming back it was also either head or cross as it seemed to me it shifted. I'm not sure what happened or how to explain it. But this day turned out to be a slower bike course and based on the history of the course, it's usually not. Looking at information on Athlete Tracker, others appeared to have struggled on the bike as well. All in all though, I did feel good. My heart rate was dead on and my effort felt like it was supposed to feel. I was just going slower than I should have for that effort. Initially, I had planned to pee on myself to save time and avoid stopping at port-o-potties. I decided it was best to abandon that plan. Instead I stopped at aid stations to keep in perspective that I wasn't rushing. I also felt some hot spots on my feet and was afraid the urine would burn too much. I just needed to get to the run with my legs feeling good so I stayed conservative. This was my only goal at this point. I was dialed-in on nutrition. I drank lots of water and drank Infinit every 15 minutes...and that's all I used on the bike course, totaling 2100 calories for the approximate 7 hour and 20 minute ride.

 

At one point during the bike course, things started to get really scary for me. After I came off Richmond Loop, sometime after mile 60, there was a direct head wind for a stretch of about 18 miles. This was brutal. Well, to make matters worse at mile 67, as I was going up a hill, something snapped and my right gear shifter stopped working. The chain was stuck in the smallest cog, making it extremely difficult to pedal--especially considering I was going up a hill. I stopped and got off the bike. I tried to move the chain to a larger cog, and it kept falling back down to the smallest cog. So I walked my bike up the hill. I got back on and went down the other side of the hill (this was a rolling hills section). I just continued to ride, hammering and standing to climb up these rolling hills. I remember feeling panicked and saying to myself, "Please, God! This can't be happening!" I continued to pedal like this for a couple of miles and my legs were getting tired. At this point, I started crying because I honestly thought I was finished. I was looking at the reality of not completing this Ironman because of a "mechanical" over which I had no control.  I knew realistically I was not going to be able to pedal for 50 more miles in the hardest gear like this. Then, I remembered at the athlete briefing they said if you have a mechanical issue, try your best to get to the next aid station so volunteers can call tech support for us. So I kept hammering hoping to get to the next aid station soon, By the grace of God, I saw a tech support van on the side of the road. The tech guy was helping someone with a flat. I stopped and talked with the guy and he confirmed the problem. My cable was broke. It had snapped in half. I asked him if this was something he could fix, and he said yes. It took him maybe 10 minutes to fix this and I was back in the game. It was at the mile 70 mark where the tech support guy was able to install a new cable on my bike. I was so relieved. I honestly thought I was through, assuming this was a problem that couldn't be fixed on the side of the road. I sang songs of praise to God and thanked Him non-stop the rest of the day. I cannot express in words how blessed I am that this was fixed. After having conversations with others I learned that some athletes who have had this same issue with their bikes were unable to finish their race because tech support could not or would not fix it.  The guy I encountered was willing and able to do so.  Thank God.

I think this rejuvenation helped get me through the rest of that brutal stretch of headwind to get me to Jackson Road. However, my feet were really hurting now. Moving my sweaty feet around in my cycling shoes had caused a lot of irritation.  The fact that my feet were still damp (because I did not dry them off thoroughly after the hour and a half swim) didn't help. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this would cause me serious problems the rest of the day. This was particularly irksome because I had so many long rides in training and this was not generally a problem. I kept having to tighten the strap on my shoes. I was so happy to get off the bike and so relieved by the ride’s end. I did not expect to be on the bike course this long. I had planned about a 6:30 to 6:40 ride, not a 7:20. But I was done and ready to run....an element that I had complete control over. At this point, despite having to run 26.2 miles, I knew I had this and that there was no way I was not finishing this.... and become an Ironman. Official Bike Split: 7:24:47. My Garmin data for the bike can be viewed here. Now to Transition 2.

 

I took my time once again in transition 2, because I needed to massage and air out my aching feet. I put a lot of powder on them. I changed and got dressed with completely new shorts and tri jersey. I left the tent and run out  feeling confident. Although I was worried about my feet, my legs felt good. I was completely in control of my own destiny now, but the concern about my feet was definitely there. Will they hold up? Little I knew what was actually coming regarding these feet. Boy howdy…

This was forming on both feet as I got off the bike and was starting my 26.2 mile run

 

I couldn't have asked for a bigger motivator than to start the run by coming out of transition to see my wife, Cody, there waiting on me. That was awesome. I hadn’t seen her in over seven hours at this point and needed to. She was videoing this on her phone and it helped me start my run feeling great. Here is a quick clip of that video.

 

 

 

It was also right here where I first saw Kevin whom I had been waiting to see all day because I knew we would be hyped. He told me how well Clay Emge had done and that pumped me up. At this point, the bike fiasco was forgotten and I was having a great day again. I was going to be an Ironman in what I figured would be about 5 hours. Then about 3/4 mile in, I saw Seth, Jeremy, and crew…even John Cobb. That was even more motivating to give them high fives and hear them cheer for me. I kept a decent pace and walked at each aid station to cool down with ice water. About the 3rd mile I started feeling the friction on my feet and it was quickly and increasingly growing more and more uncomfortable. By mile 5, I knew there were big nasty blisters forming on the soles of both feet. Then it dawned on me what had happened and why. The hot spots on my feet caused by the cycling shoes were becoming even “hotter now.” Additionally, to stay cool, I was dumping cold water and ice on my head and down my shirt, and on my arm coolers, with no effort to keep the water from hitting my shoes. My shoes were soaking wet. So here I was, stuck running a marathon with wet socks and wet shoes. For the most part, I was able to grind through it, but I knew I was in trouble when I put on a new pair of socks from my special needs bag and it didn't help…at all. By mile 15, I honestly did not know how I was going finish this thing...although there was little doubt I somehow would. I was reduced to walking way more than I wanted. Based on what I thought would hurt less at the time I would run a little, then walk a little, run a little, then walk a little, etc. I felt in control the whole time in the context of finishing though...that really was never a threat...it was just so painful. 



On the waterway part of the run course

I can't say enough about how much help I got from my support crew throughout the day. Seeing my family and friends on the run course, getting a kiss from my wife and mom, seeing Aaron and Chase, high-fiving my dad, and then Kevin running all over the course to catch me at different points (while keeping up with Keith also) were epic.  If I'm not mistaken, I think I even caught my sister Megan being excited. :-)  My Victoria peeps at another point of the course were there cheering for me, and then Clay Emge running with me and talking to me a little bit had a big impact on getting me though. Getting to see Kirk and Kristi several times was really special also. It honestly went through my mind, "Kristi genuinely is hurting for me. She hates seeing me hurt. I have to grind through this. They drove down to see me finish." 

 

It’s hard for me to describe my experience on the run course.  It was both miserable and memorable, painful and joyful… one that I wouldn't trade for anything. I am proud of every mile I grinded out because of what I knew would transpire at the finish line. By the time I hit mile 25, with a mile to go, I caught fire and somehow was able to ignore the pain and started running again. When I hit the finisher's chute I had completely forgotten the pain. For all the pain I had endured, it was well worth it, just to hear Mike Reilly say, "From Flint, TX. Jason Browning, he's 43 years old. You did it Jason. You are an Ironman!"

Coming through finisher's chute

I will remember these words for the rest of my life. This was physically the hardest thing I've ever done....and I couldn't be more proud. While I am certainly capable of completing a marathon faster than what I did here, I take a lot from the fact that had this been any other setting (practice, training, etc.), I would not have finished this. I would have "packed it in" and just lived to see another day instead of continuing to tear my feet up. But I was able to push and grind this out when I absolutely had to do it. I was going to become an Ironman today and nothing was going to get in my way. Not even those nasty blisters. Official Run Split: 6:09:53. The run data from Garmin can be viewed here.

 

Post Race

After I crossed the finish line, I was greeted by a volunteer who was extremely kind. He gave me a hug and congratulated me. I had no idea who he was but he introduced himself to me and told me he was going to spend the next few minutes with me to make sure I was okay. He walked me through the finish line area. He held my finisher's medal, cap, and t-shirt that had been handed to me by another volunteer. He waited for me while I got my picture taken with my medal. He got water for me. He conversed with me to make sure I was coherent and making sense. He showed me the food tent. He also made sure I knew where the medical tent was in case I needed it. Once he saw that my family and friends had found me, he asked me one last time if I was okay and I told him, “yes." Then I just enjoyed some time in the finisher’s area with family members and friends, eating pizza and a roast beef sandwich and taking more pictures with family. By the time we headed back to the hotel, I had stiffened up quite a bit and I provided great laughter for the family as they watched me try to walk and go down the stairs to the waterway.
 

 

As I sit here now, writing this report a few days after returning home, it’s hard to describe what I’m feeling right now. I have wanted this so badly and for so long, and now it’s over. Or at least the effort it took to achieve it is over. My two year dream has been accomplished and it’s no longer a goal. It is now a reality to forever be remembered and cherished. And that I had the privilege to do this in the presence of those who mean the most to me is icing on the sweet cake.

 

So, I am now an Ironman. I can’t hear those words enough. They are music to my ears. I think about the people that I have looked up to for having done this. I can call them my IronBrothers and my IronSisters now. When Kevin first did this in 2009 (Louisville), although I was so proud of him, I never dreamed I could do it. At that time, I didn't even think I wanted it. Then after I watched him do it again here in Texas in 2011, I realized I “kind of” wanted to do it but couldn’t bring myself to admit it because I was petrified of the swim. And I didn’t think I could learn to swim. I held on to this belief for a year before finally joining a gym in April of 2012 and committing to teaching myself how to swim. After watching IMTX again in May 2012, there was no longer a doubt in my mind. I was finally ready to admit that I wanted a piece of that Ironman pie. And on a two year journey I went.. to get to where I am now…having accomplished the 140.6 mile trek.

It’s been a great ride. I have met so many people along the way and have become close friends with the triathlon and endurance community here in Tyler, especially East Texas Triathletes. I have become active with the club and get to serve as an officer and board member. It's simply not possible to name everybody in the club with whom I have trained, as there are so many and they all mean so much to me. But I have to give a special shout out to a few in particular.

Jonathan Johnson in the finisher's chute

First, my training partner, Jonathan Johnson, who has gone on this two year journey with me almost every step of the way. Just about everything we did was together and with each other’s support. There is a special bond that takes place when you spend that much time together biking and pounding the pavement. I can’t help but think that God’s providence led us to meet at that picnic in June 2012 knowing that this was a goal for both of us. I like to think I have helped Jonathan over these last two years as much as he has helped me. I have grown to love him like a brother and am thankful to have his continued friendship for years to come. Another similarity is that we both came out of obesity to get to where we are today. You can read about his journey HERE.

 

Also, this journey would not have been the same without Jami Dunbar, Altina Sala, and Kristi Armstrong. They have been so supportive and I have spent many hours swimming, biking, and running with these fine ladies. And I’m grateful for their tremendous husbands who let Jonathan and me spend so much time with them training. We have been very fortunate to not only train a lot together but our families have enjoyed spending time together as well. As a result we have created friendships even outside of the triathlon setting.



Jonathan, Kristi, Altina, Jami, and me

I also want to mention Ted Harvey, who has had a tremendous influence on me since meeting him last summer. We rode a lot together. I have learned a lot from being around Ted. He has offered me a lot of wisdom and encouragement over this past year and I believe I am a better triathlete and stronger person because of him. Congratulations to Ted on his Ironman finish also. I'm glad I was able to help talk him into to doing this with us.

 

Kevin, his wife Angela, and kids Bryan & Andrea

Next I have to mention Kevin Schaefer. One of my best friends, and more like a brother, since the 2^nd grade. I honestly don’t know where I would be without him. His patience with me and genuine love for me is unquestionable. He has taken a lot of time that he could have spent with his own family to help me and answer my questions. He also came to many of my races to support me. All this time and help was offered with the blessing of his sweet wife. He would tell you he hasn’t sacrificed much because he likely doesn’t realize how much he has sacrificed. He just loves doing it and wants to. When we saw each other in 2009 after not having seen each other in a while, I knew he was genuinely concerned about me being about 70 pounds overweight. He never said a word but I could see it on his face. He was worried about my health. Once I finally took it upon myself to lose the weight, he was eager to help. I told him I wanted to get into endurance running and he offered me a helping hand. We never looked back. He has supported me and has been with me all the way from training for my first 5K to now completing an Ironman. I take credit for my own accomplishment. But for all who will be reading this race report, I also want you to know how much Kevin has meant to me through all of it.

Me, Cody, and the boys at a 5K Color Run last summer

Finally, I’m grateful for my family. Cody has been tremendously patient with me while I have been on this journey. She has taken on a lot of ‘kid duties’ and has sacrificed her own personal time so I could achieve this goal. And while I intend to still swim, bike, and run for exercise, as well as do local races and shorter triathlons to maintain my fitness, I fully intend to take a nice long break and give my body some time to heal. And more importantly give Cody a much-needed and deserved break. She is wonderful and I owe her a lot. And thanks to my mom and dad (and step-parents) who have never seemed to doubt me. They know how determined I can be when I put my mind to something. They gave me a lot of moral support and financial assistance. Without their assistance, accomplishing this dream would have been much more difficult . I love them so much and just them being there with me that weekend was comforting. Knowing they were in town gave me such joy and peace during the difficult moments of the race.

Gettin' some love from mom as I start the final loop on the run course

  

 

Me and Dad talking the next morning at the hotel

 

I’m also very happy that my sister Megan came. For selfish reasons I have wanted her to see the environment (endurance sports) that I have grown to love so much.  I thought she would appreciate it as my sister and as a physical therapist. More importantly, it meant so much to me that she could have easily gone with her husband and his family to a wedding in South Carolina but put me first and came to this special weekend to share it with me. I will never be able to express in words how much this meant to me. I'm so thankful for my brother-in-law, Matt, for supporting her in this decision.

 

Writing this has been enjoyable. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my experiences as much as I have enjoyed reflecting on them through this blog. My reason for writing this blog is two-fold: (1) It is for me to look back on in years to come and remember my accomplishment and how I got there. And (2) If I can help one person be convinced to try something he or she thinks they can't accomplish, then my efforts are worth the pain endured.  As always, I will have new goals to strive for but for a while I'm going to continue to enjoy running and shorter distance triathlons. This should allow me more time to spend with my kids, which is what I really want to do right now after "being absent" in my Ironman preparation. Is another Ironman in my future? Possibly. But not until the kids are older. Whatever I find myself doing, I believe my Ironman experience will be of great benefit to me. I'm so glad that I did this. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. And thank you most of all for your love and valued friendship. Blessings!