Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to watch Ironman Arizona. It had been many years since I have been able to watch, and not compete in, an Ironman and I was psyched! I could do my run in the morning and watch my friends compete without any pressure…how fun is that? I’ll have plenty of opportunity to race in the near future, so I figured I would enjoy this as much as possible! After two weeks of intense training in Tucson and then Tempe Arizona, I was looking forward to this dayAll I had was an hour and a half run to do and then I had all day to cheer everyone on. Watching my friends get ready for the race did not (surprisingly) make me wish that I was competing. Instead, I tried to enjoy it with the thought that my day will soon come! Also, I was focused on the fact that the next day I was flying home and I was looking forward to it after being away for a while.
I watched the swim start and actually got a little chocked up! You would think that this would not happen, since it is an event that I compete in, but I was very moved at the start of the age-group race. The amount of participants is unreal and to see a mass start like that is unbelievable. After watching my friends exit the water, I met up with Megumi (a fellow Zoot team member) and ran on the IM course. WOW! It was WINDY!! I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like out on the bike course! From the reports it sounded brutal out there. Not only was it windy, but it was hot already! It was turning out to be a tough day. The bike went by (I got a nice lunch after my run…still enjoying my day) and I got word that Tara Norton moved into third place behind Michelle Jones and Erica Cosomor (the eventual winner). I met up with my friend Matt Long at a great spot on the run course to cheer Tara on. The course is EXCELLENT for spectating. The athletes do three loops of the run, and where we stood you could see them going out and back. This means we could see everyone six times!
My first friend to come by was Wolfgang Guembel. He looked good on the run. Next was Tara. She looked strong and focused. We stood at our spot and waited for everyone we knew to go out and come back on the run. The heat was INTENSE (well into the 90’s…I felt like I was baking in the sun and the athletes looked like they were hurting as the day went by). Other friends in the race were Michelle Konnath, Nicole Guembel, Anthony Carillo, Travis Dray and Chris Gebhart. There were other athletes that I knew/recognized as well, so it ended up being a busy day! What I realized: watching Ironman is TOUGH! I keep saying that I’d like George to watch me race one day (and I would), but I realized that it better be on a FAST day, because it can be LONG for spectators! Another realization: Ironman is absolutely nutty! I was overwhelmed by how long the race is. When I race, I am so focused on what I’m doing “at that moment” that I don’t really think about the big picture. Watching the race made me realize just how brutal this event is. One more thing: Anything can happen. It’s a LONG day. Sometimes you have a great day, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you are rocking and unbeatable, and then sometimes you can get passed by someone who is stronger or is just having a better day. You can be prepared physically and not deal with what the day gives you, or you can have a “day of grace” where no obstacle is too big to overcome. It seems that you have to roll with whatever day you get and do the best you can. On one of the most brutal days I can imagine, everyone of my friends “gutted it out” and finished strong. Tara finished 6th overall woman and got a slot to Kona. Next up for Tara: Ironman Lanzorote…is a win in her future? I think so. Nic and Wolf are gearing up for a great season that includes Ironman Canada. After a winter that was “tough on their training” I expect them to absolutely rock in Canada. This race should be a mental confidence boost for both of them as they felt that they “crammed” their training in to get fit for the race. Imagine when they are fully prepared! As for the others, I say congrats on toughing it out on a HOT and WINDY day. As for myself, I am in Girona, Spain right now as I write this. I am here with George training in some of the most beautiful country I have been in and living the “Euro Pro life”, but more on that later. As for the upcoming season, I am PUMPED. Watching Ironman got me even more pumped. If you get a chance to watch one, I highly recommend it!
I watched the swim start and actually got a little chocked up! You would think that this would not happen, since it is an event that I compete in, but I was very moved at the start of the age-group race. The amount of participants is unreal and to see a mass start like that is unbelievable. After watching my friends exit the water, I met up with Megumi (a fellow Zoot team member) and ran on the IM course. WOW! It was WINDY!! I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like out on the bike course! From the reports it sounded brutal out there. Not only was it windy, but it was hot already! It was turning out to be a tough day. The bike went by (I got a nice lunch after my run…still enjoying my day) and I got word that Tara Norton moved into third place behind Michelle Jones and Erica Cosomor (the eventual winner). I met up with my friend Matt Long at a great spot on the run course to cheer Tara on. The course is EXCELLENT for spectating. The athletes do three loops of the run, and where we stood you could see them going out and back. This means we could see everyone six times!
My first friend to come by was Wolfgang Guembel. He looked good on the run. Next was Tara. She looked strong and focused. We stood at our spot and waited for everyone we knew to go out and come back on the run. The heat was INTENSE (well into the 90’s…I felt like I was baking in the sun and the athletes looked like they were hurting as the day went by). Other friends in the race were Michelle Konnath, Nicole Guembel, Anthony Carillo, Travis Dray and Chris Gebhart. There were other athletes that I knew/recognized as well, so it ended up being a busy day! What I realized: watching Ironman is TOUGH! I keep saying that I’d like George to watch me race one day (and I would), but I realized that it better be on a FAST day, because it can be LONG for spectators! Another realization: Ironman is absolutely nutty! I was overwhelmed by how long the race is. When I race, I am so focused on what I’m doing “at that moment” that I don’t really think about the big picture. Watching the race made me realize just how brutal this event is. One more thing: Anything can happen. It’s a LONG day. Sometimes you have a great day, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you are rocking and unbeatable, and then sometimes you can get passed by someone who is stronger or is just having a better day. You can be prepared physically and not deal with what the day gives you, or you can have a “day of grace” where no obstacle is too big to overcome. It seems that you have to roll with whatever day you get and do the best you can. On one of the most brutal days I can imagine, everyone of my friends “gutted it out” and finished strong. Tara finished 6th overall woman and got a slot to Kona. Next up for Tara: Ironman Lanzorote…is a win in her future? I think so. Nic and Wolf are gearing up for a great season that includes Ironman Canada. After a winter that was “tough on their training” I expect them to absolutely rock in Canada. This race should be a mental confidence boost for both of them as they felt that they “crammed” their training in to get fit for the race. Imagine when they are fully prepared! As for the others, I say congrats on toughing it out on a HOT and WINDY day. As for myself, I am in Girona, Spain right now as I write this. I am here with George training in some of the most beautiful country I have been in and living the “Euro Pro life”, but more on that later. As for the upcoming season, I am PUMPED. Watching Ironman got me even more pumped. If you get a chance to watch one, I highly recommend it!
Michelle Konnath above,
Wolfgang Guembel and Nicole Guembel below, and Tara Norton at top of page.
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