He Who Raced Most: Interview with Ben Russell

With all due respect to Afton Ware and Mandy Oscarson (8 Utah tris), no one raced more this season than Ben Russell.

We reported on a total of 18 Utah triathlons (34 total races when you count sprint, olympic, etc), but with some races occurring on the same day, there were 13 race opportunities.

Ben raced 9 of them, and come to find out, he was probably doing a marathon, a Spartan race, or a kids' fun run on the other weeks! 

We wanted to recognize this racing fiend for being atop our list and get to know him a little better... thanks for the time, Ben!

What’s your athletic background and how did you get into triathlon?

This is actually a funny/sad story. I played multiple High School sports and my favorite was basketball. I did best at cross country and track which I only did to stay in shape for my other sports but quickly became my most competitive event. In college I still ran and worked out but my primary sport was ballroom dance (true story, got me married!). But as I started working and opening up my own business I stopped being active altogether. I gained weight and lost all semblance of endurance or athleticism. It was July of 2015 actually that changed everything for me. My 64 year old uncle challenged me to do a Super Sprint Triathlon with him in Tooele, UT. Think a 5K, 10 Mile bike, and 300 yard swim (yes, just 300 yards!). I didn't think I could do it honestly but the fact that my Uncle over twice my age was calling me out did me in. I did horrible, almost cried from pain on the bike, and nearly drowned in a 25 yard pool! But it was one of the best experiences of my life.

Let’s cut to the chase… it’s been rumored that you refer to everyone who raced fewer than 9 tris this season as “a basket of deplorables.” Can you elaborate? What would you say to encourage people to race more often?

Don't know about the "deplorables" part but I do like to get into it with the "A" race type mentality. It's just two different ways of approaching the sport I think. If you are a pro or on the verge of pro and have Kona goals or sponsors and have a shot at taking overall or your age group in a major event I think the "A" race and "B" race mentality makes perfect sense and is necessary for your top performance. For the rest of us (think almost all endurance athletes) this just isn't the case. Racing is why we do what we do. Testing our physical and more so our psychological and emotional strength and grit is done on race day. It's the atmosphere, the competition, the performing at a level you never thought possible, the pushing forward even though you are under-performing, the competitive respect for those beating you, and the thrill of passing someone else. That is why we get up at 5 AM all year or stay out late on a ride or run instead of a million other hobbies. To sum up, "If you are running, biking, and swimming this weekend anyways; might as well do it in a race!"

What are the 3 things you love most about racing?

For me personally it’s the test of fitness in a competitive atmosphere. And I don't just mean physical fitness. I want to know how tough I am, when it comes down to it, when I want to quit and everything hurts; I want to know my limit of when my mind will say, "NO!". And when I find it, I want to burst through it, overcome it, and come out the other side a better husband, father, and business owner because of it. That elusive mental wall and overcoming it is what I seek in every race, much more so than winning. Winning is nice too however and I don't mind when it happens!

What was your favorite and least favorite thing about each of your tris this year?

1) Icebreaker (RaceTri)

Favorite: Atmosphere was awesome! Aaron Shamy’s speeches are worth the price of admission alone. Also the Iron Cowboy James Lawrence had a moving speech at this one as well for first time triathletes that I took to heart.

Least favorite: Cold, but it made the event cool and unique while making it miserable all at the same time.

2) Ghost Town (TriUtah)

Favorite: Just a "Fun" race. Cowboy hat across the finish and pizza after. Just a good time.

Least Favorite: Personal performance, had some severe tendonitis that stuck around most of the season, couldn't bend my knee by end of run. So I didn't enjoy this as much as I could have.

3) Salem (RaceTri)

Favorite: The course, it was fantastic and very well marked.

Least Favorite: not the most pristine body of water but besides that it’s great.

Daybreak

4) Daybreak (USTriSports)

Favorite: Big turn out and difficult hilly course. Great course layout and good spectator support.

Least Favorite: ditto Salem. Fantastic race though.

5) Rockcliff (RaceTri)

Favorite: The location is second to none!! Seriously, so beautiful up there. The run actually goes on a trail for half and was just beautiful.

Least Favorite: Honestly, I have nothing. Everything for the race and me personally was perfect this day. Stars aligned!

6) Echo (TriUtah)

Favorite: Huge turnout, lots of energy and had a cool conversation with Chris Hammer who killed the event. Great out and back course on both bike and run so you know exactly where you stand.

Least Favorite: Didn’t seem to have as much post-race “fanfare” as some others, but another awesome event.

7) Utah Half (RaceTri)

Favorite: Bike course once you get out of the city, flat and fast and well supported. Also loved to see Aaron Shamy make a great race despite a deadly algae bloom that popped up week of the race in Utah Lake.

Least Favorite: Just a personal performance on this one. Knee swelled up and I had to walk for the first and only time in a race in my life. Looking forward to next year and being able to create a different memory on this one.

8) Black Ridge (RaceTri)

Favorite: Whew, loved this one. Such a fun and diverse course. And personally it was one of my favorite moments as I did this and performed very well, then drove straight up to the UT Spartan Super and did that right after on the same day. Great day for Ben Russell overcoming mental adversity!



Least Favorite: I have nothing, another one where the stars aligned and I think everyone there had an awesome experience.

9) Yuba

Favorite: Cool course, pretty lake, great for making a family camping vacation out of it.

Least Favorite: Huge boat ramp run out of swim, and just didn't perform well personally, off day.

After all those races, what’s your podium for favorites overall and why?

Selfishly I loved the ones I performed best but trying to be unbiased based on personal performance but thinking of the race location, course, and atmosphere I would say: 1) Rockcliff 2) Black Ridge 3) Icebreaker / Salem (tie)

people who raced >5 of the 13 Utah tri weekends

Based on this season, the book’s out on you, Russell… swimming is your strength, and biking is your relative weakness. Did you swim growing up or have you just been able to pick it up quickly? What’s your plan to get your bike and run on par with your swim?

HA! This one cracks me up especially since you are dead on. I had to literally learn to swim to do a triathlon. I learned last year. I couldn't even swim 25 meters when I started and was so panicked even in a pool. It's been a huge overcoming fear for me. I still haven't gotten formal instruction (just watch other people creepily in the pool...) and have just put in the time. I am just a bigger upper body build than most triathletes and kind of throw my weight around in the water. Sorry to all who I have swam over.... The bike is a constant battle for me, I hadn't ridden a bicycle in almost a decade when I started doing Tri last year and am still building up. The problem is I get bored training the bike, so bored! I need to find a way to make it enjoyable for me, either spin classes or an indoor trainer and a movie/book. Not sure, still a work in progress.

You mercilessly threw us under the bus on Facebook ;) claiming we “missed” some of your races… what other races have you done this year?

I actually have done 34 races this year. Triathlons, Half-Marathons and Spartan Races. I loved the Doxa Triathlon relay mid-season. Also the Salt Lake Marathon put on by Lifetime and Jennifer Nelson is fantastic and such a massive event you have to try it. Nothing like running with 10,000 people through downtown. Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon was also fantastic, running through the gardens was a beautiful experience. And lastly the Spartan races, so much fun and a great test of physical and mental grit. Spartan Lake Tahoe World Championship was my absolute favorite race of the year.

Do you typically train solo or with a group? How has SLTC helped with your progression?

All solo, something about just you and the rhythm of your cadence, whether bike/swim/run. Just driving yourself for yourself, no peer pressure needed. But I am seeing the benefits of group training as I just went to my first cycling class ever last week, it was fantastic! I am honestly grossly under-trained as I try to spend as much family time as possible evenings and weekends so my only training is early morning before work. As far as SLTC, I don't take nearly enough advantage of the club and everything they do. So many group events and workouts. An online immediate resource to hundreds of athletes for any questions or needs you may have. For me since I haven't taken advantage of the group workouts and support, the benefits have been two-fold: 1) Financially, the discount they provide on races (especially as much as I race) has saved me a fortune! 2) Race support is second to none. Any race you do if you have any SLTC gear on you immediately have dozens to hundreds of friends/(almost family) supporting and cheering you on. It's the best investment I have made in triathlon, over gear or training.



Plans for next year in the works? Goals for the future?

I want to race more, that sounds crazy with how much I did this year but I enjoy it. Yet I want to race as injury free as possible. So off season I need to build on the base I have built this year and train properly so I'm not over doing it during the season. I also want to win a race, desperately. I don't mean my age group, I did that in dozens of races this year. I want to win overall. Seeing Andrew Hall this year come across the finish line first put the vision and dream in my mind. I don't care if I have to sneak into a kids’ 5K, I'm going to win one this year.

Anything else you want to share?

I love quotes and there are so many great ones for endurance racing. Companies like Garmin have coined the phrase "Beat Yesterday" and so many others that can get your thinking in the right place for training or racing. But a favorite I came across the other day by a Scottish scholar in the early 1900's is, "Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory." -William Barclay

I'm looking forward to turning pain into glory with my fellow athletes for the rest of this year and into a stellar 2017!

Related Posts:

Curls For Girls: Interview with SLTC Founder Rory Duckworth

Skye's the Limit! Interview with Local Pro Skye Moench

Kona Profiles: Captain Matthew Davis

Local Legend: Interview with B.J. Christensen

Kona Profiles: Iron Strong Makinsie Bartholomew

Booyah! Interview with SUTC President Amber Blair

Kona Profiles: Interview with Tracy Campbell

Rio Bound! Interview with Chris Hammer

Kona Profiles: SUTC Superstar Diane Tracy

Built to Hurt: Interview with Travis Iverson

Kona Profiles: Interview with Luke Rothey

Jen Johnson - BAM Mom. Fast Mom.

Kona Profiles: Don't Mess With Sam Hobi!

Interview with a Sports Psych Consultant - are you Mentally Tough?

Leavin'em in the Dust: Interview with Evan Santo

Kona Profiles: Sound Spanking From Marc Rosello

Need Your Help!!

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Men - Part 2

It's time to roll out our final WALL OF FAME age group rankings for the 2016 season.

Congratulations to everyone who qualified for the final rankings... it takes guts to get out and RACE!!

Here are the rest of the men's age groups. As always, you can click on the pictures below to make them a little bigger.

If you're friends with someone on the list, please spread the word so they can bask in their much-deserved glory!

In addition to the rankings, just for fun we added the # races each person did (a minimum of 3 Utah races required to qualify).

A reminder on the methodology:

* To be eligible, must have raced at least 3 of the 34 total options below:

• Icebreaker  (RaceTri)
• Ironman St. George 70.3
• Ghost Town  (TriUtah)
• Salem Spring  (RaceTri)
• Sand Hollow S/O   (BBSC)
• Daybreak S/O  (USTriSports)
• Rock Cliff S/O  (RaceTri)
• East Canyon S/O  (TriUtah)
• DinoTri S/O
• Echo S/O  (TriUtah)
• Toughman Utah Half  (RaceTri)
• Jordanelle S/O  (TriUtah)
• Escape From Black Ridge S/O (RaceTri)
• Camp Yuba S/O  (RaceTri)
• Brineman S/O/H  (TriUtah)
• Kokopelli  S/O   (BBSC)
• Bear Lake Brawl  S/O/H/F (On Hill)
• Lake Powell S/O  (On Hill)

* Ranking is an average of your Overall %... so as a simple example if you placed 60th out of 100 in one race, 500th out of 1,000 in another, and 40th out of 100 in another, you average out to 50% for the three;  keep in mind, if you raced more than 3x, we take the average of your top 3 results... that gives some incentive to race often, as you can only better your ranking each time you toe the line.


Related Posts:

Kona Profiles: Sound Spanking From Marc Rosello

Rio Bound! Interview with Chris Hammer

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Men Part 1

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Women Part 1

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Women Part 2

Need Your Help!

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Men Part 1

It's time to roll out our final WALL OF FAME age group rankings for the 2016 season.

Congratulations to everyone who qualified for the final rankings... it takes guts to get out and RACE!!

Here are the mens <20, 2024, 2529, and Clydesdale age groups. As always, you can click on the picture below to make it a little bigger.

If you're friends with someone on the list, please spread the word so they can bask in their much-deserved glory!

In addition to the rankings, just for fun we added the # races each person did (a minimum of 3 Utah races required to qualify).

A reminder on the methodology:

* To be eligible, must have raced at least 3 of the 34 total options below:

• Icebreaker  (RaceTri)
• Ironman St. George 70.3
• Ghost Town  (TriUtah)
• Salem Spring  (RaceTri)
• Sand Hollow S/O   (BBSC)
• Daybreak S/O  (USTriSports)
• Rock Cliff S/O  (RaceTri)
• East Canyon S/O  (TriUtah)
• DinoTri S/O
• Echo S/O  (TriUtah)
• Toughman Utah Half  (RaceTri)
• Jordanelle S/O  (TriUtah)
• Escape From Black Ridge S/O (RaceTri)
• Camp Yuba S/O  (RaceTri)
• Brineman S/O/H  (TriUtah)
• Kokopelli  S/O   (BBSC)
• Bear Lake Brawl  S/O/H/F (On Hill)
• Lake Powell S/O  (On Hill)

* Ranking is an average of your Overall %... so as a simple example if you placed 60th out of 100 in one race, 500th out of 1,000 in another, and 40th out of 100 in another, you average out to 50% for the three;  keep in mind, if you raced more than 3x, we take the average of your top 3 results... that gives some incentive to race often, as you can only better your ranking each time you toe the line.


Related Posts:

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Women Part 1

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Women Part 2

Need Your Help!

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Women Part 2

It's time to roll out our final WALL OF FAME age group rankings for the 2016 season.

Congratulations to everyone who qualified for the final rankings... it takes guts to get out and RACE!!

Here are the rest of the women's age groups. As always, you can click on the pictures below to make them a little bigger.

If you're friends with someone on the list, please spread the word so they can bask in their much-deserved glory!

In addition to the rankings, just for fun we added the # races each person did (a minimum of 3 Utah races required to qualify).

A reminder on the methodology:

* To be eligible, must have raced at least 3 of the 34 total options below:

• Icebreaker  (RaceTri)
• Ironman St. George 70.3
• Ghost Town  (TriUtah)
• Salem Spring  (RaceTri)
• Sand Hollow S/O   (BBSC)
• Daybreak S/O  (USTriSports)
• Rock Cliff S/O  (RaceTri)
• East Canyon S/O  (TriUtah)
• DinoTri S/O
• Echo S/O  (TriUtah)
• Toughman Utah Half  (RaceTri)
• Jordanelle S/O  (TriUtah)
• Escape From Black Ridge S/O (RaceTri)
• Camp Yuba S/O  (RaceTri)
• Brineman S/O/H  (TriUtah)
• Kokopelli  S/O   (BBSC)
• Bear Lake Brawl  S/O/H/F (On Hill)
• Lake Powell S/O  (On Hill)

* Ranking is an average of your Overall %... so as a simple example if you placed 60th out of 100 in one race, 500th out of 1,000 in another, and 40th out of 100 in another, you average out to 50% for the three;  keep in mind, if you raced more than 3x, we take the average of your top 3 results... that gives some incentive to race often, as you can only better your ranking each time you toe the line.


Related Posts:

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Women Part 1

Need Your Help!

Utah Age Group FINAL RANKINGS 2016: Women Part 1

It's time to roll out our final WALL OF FAME age group rankings for the 2016 season.

Congratulations to everyone who qualified for the final rankings... it takes guts to get out and RACE!!

Here are the women's athena, pro, F<20, F2024 & F2529 divisions. As always, you can click on the picture below to make it a little bigger.

If you're friends with someone on the list, please spread the word so they can bask in their much-deserved glory!

In addition to the rankings, just for fun we added the # races each person did (a minimum of 3 Utah races required to qualify).

A reminder on the methodology:

* To be eligible, must have raced at least 3 of the 34 total options below:

• Icebreaker  (RaceTri)
• Ironman St. George 70.3
• Ghost Town  (TriUtah)
• Salem Spring  (RaceTri)
• Sand Hollow S/O   (BBSC)
• Daybreak S/O  (USTriSports)
• Rock Cliff S/O  (RaceTri)
• East Canyon S/O  (TriUtah)
• DinoTri S/O
• Echo S/O  (TriUtah)
• Toughman Utah Half  (RaceTri)
• Jordanelle S/O  (TriUtah)
• Escape From Black Ridge S/O (RaceTri)
• Camp Yuba S/O  (RaceTri)
• Brineman S/O/H  (TriUtah)
• Kokopelli  S/O   (BBSC)
• Bear Lake Brawl  S/O/H/F (On Hill)
• Lake Powell S/O  (On Hill)

* Ranking is an average of your Overall %... so as a simple example if you placed 60th out of 100 in one race, 500th out of 1,000 in another, and 40th out of 100 in another, you average out to 50% for the three;  keep in mind, if you raced more than 3x, we take the average of your top 3 results... that gives some incentive to race often, as you can only better your ranking each time you toe the line.


Related Posts:

Utah Age Group Rankings (WALL OF FAME): Local Pros & Rising Stars

Utah Age Group Rankings (WALL OF FAME): Women 25-39

Utah Age Group Rankings (WALL OF FAME): Women 40+ & Athena

Need Your Help!

Results Breakdown: Lake Powell

Assisted by a couple of number crunching fellow triathletes, we'll be breaking down 2016 results race by race. The idea is to show everyone's percentile for each discipline, which is simply your swim rank, bike rank, etc. divided by the # of total participants. That way you can better compare your performance from one race to the next. Lower # the better.

Lake Powell was the last race on the Utah calendar, and gave people one more chance to qualify for our final rankings. Congrats to those who got in one last hurrah!

OLYMPIC

SPRINT

Who Raced the Most??

In addition to our age group rankings, we want to recognize triathletes who got out and raced the most (in the state) this season.

As always you can click on the picture to see it a little better if it's not clear.

Nice work all!!

B.J. Christenson's Kona Race Report: THE LEGEND GROWS

B.J. Christenson was already a local legend.

After this year's Ironman World Championships???

Let's just say the legend has grown.

Immensely.

Paul Bunyan territory.

Kick back and enjoy this read... hopefully it inspires you to do something epic yourself, in any aspect of life!

The Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI was supposed to be my “A” race in 2016. In fact I hardly raced this year trying to put together a race at the world championships that would finally let me step on to the podium and collect a coveted Umeke. On my final training ride the day before I left for the Big Island I decided to go do some testing to verify the machine was ready to perform. I have a route that I have taken over the past 10 years and have numbers telling me where I am at relative to myself and wanted that last bit of confirmation I was ready. I set out on the ride feeling quite good and after my first 2 intervals I was feeling very optimistic about my fitness. I had 4 intervals left and debated on whether to eat some nutrition before I started my 3rd or after. I decided it would be better to eat after the 2nd and then again after the 4th. Well I took my gel after the 2nd and proceeded to put the wrapper in my back jersey pocket. As I did this I began to veer off the road and when I got back to my handlebars I realized I was getting dangerously close to riding off the road. My anxiety was at full alert as I tried to save it but at the last second my front wheel slipped off the edge of the road and down I went. As a result of the crash I landed on my side and shoulder blade. I felt a deep sharp pain in my back as it happened and thought I may have torn a muscle. I sat on the ground for a minute or two digesting what had just happened and as it sank in I knew I was pretty hurt. A kind man picked me up off the ground and took me to the instacare and with each passing minute I knew I would not be OK to race or at least race the way I had intended.

As a result of the crash I fractured my Scapula for the 3rd time. Albeit the left one this time but nonetheless I was broken and the race was happening in 9 days. After confirming the break I had to decide if I would even go to Hawaii. I decided I would go because after all the freight had been paid and let’s be honest Hawaii with a broken wing is still a great place to be. I called my friend Mike Mamales and Arwa Jundi over to help me pack. Because I had fractured this bone before and that surgery would not be needed I knew that in 9 days it could be possible, albeit slow and painful, to finish before the 17 hour cut off. The Doctor was kind enough to call in a larger prescription so that I would have enough pain medication if I needed it. I knew I couldn’t take my super-fast Dimond race bike out of fear of stabilizing in the hard winds in Kona. I took my old bike with shallow rims and hoped it would be enough. I still didn’t know about racing but thought I would come prepared if I felt it was possible.

The trip over wasn’t too bad at least not when you are taking some good meds and I arrived in Kona with my gear and an attitude of I still have 2 good legs and one good arm. Some people have a hell of a lot less than that and besides I am still in HI. My friend Bob Macrae from the Dimond club picked me up and had to take me under his wing a little while I mended. He was looking fit and focused and also ready to smash the day. I spent a few days doing very little and decided to see if I could swim with one arm fast enough to make the cut off. We went to the swim venue and low and behold when the weight of the arm was supported by the salt water of the ocean it didn’t hurt as much. I couldn’t use it but at least it didn’t hurt. I swam .5 of a mile with one arm and after looking at my watch I knew that as long as I didn’t get hit in the shoulder or grabbed by another swimmer I would be able to complete the swim in time.

After another rest day the next test was to see if I could ride and stabilize the bike in the wind. So Bob escorted me through town as I was scared to death of falling again and I did a 30 mile ride on the Queen K and felt confident I could complete the bike portion. I knew that in order for me to make it I would have to stop at each aid station to drink and eat because doing it on the bike was not going to work. I started to feel more optimistic that it would be possible. I hadn’t ran yet because moving and bouncing my arm caused the most pain.

The Thursday before the race in Kona there is an annual tradition known as the Underpants Run. This is a great way for athletes and family and friends to blow off steam and run around town in their undies of course. This was the only run I did for the race and it hurt like hell. I started to think walking the marathon might be my only option, peppered in with some bouts of jogging. If something was going to keep me from finishing this was probably going to be it.

Race day came and it was time to see just how far this one arm bandit could go. I decided I would start in the back of the swimmers and wrap my arm to my waist with saran wrap out of fear of having it grabbed by another swimmer. My friends Mike and Dan wrapped me up and I headed into the ocean. My strategy was to stay consistent and not panic and take my time and be safe. This was a new adventure and I was going to see the race from a new perspective. One of the coolest things about being hurt was that I no longer felt pressure to perform and was able to relax and really soak up the experience of bobbing around in the pacific waiting for the cannon to fire. Usually I am on the front row wrestling with other men for the perfect start and running through my head how I would attack the day. This time I relaxed and waited and watched the sea turn white without much anxiety other than stay clear and try not to let the women who would start 15 minutes later kill me when they caught me. I let the fish swim away and started my 2.4 mile pacific tour with one arm and one mindset. The mindset was that this was going to be one very long day but I would do my very best to see it through.

I finished the swim in 1 hour and 40 some odd minutes so I was happy to have some time in the bank. I walked into transition calm and collected and rinsed the salt water off of me. I changed into cycling shorts and a jersey because I knew that if I was going to take my time I was going to be comfortable. I walked to my bike and laughed because it was the only one left on my rack. I walked to the mount line and saddled up. The one part of the entire bike I was most afraid of was in the 2nd mile. You do a small loop in town and part of that loop is a steep descent down Palani with a sharp left hand turn. I was able to rest my broken arm on the left bull horn and do the steering and most of the braking with my right. I descended cautiously and made it safely around the corner. Once that was over I felt some relief other than I still had 110 miles to go and the sun was out for blood. My plan of riding and stopping worked great even though I think some people were wondering why I kept stopping only to repass them again later. I saw some of the same bikes dozens of times throughout the day. One thing I began to appreciate even more than ever was the volunteer force at these races. Being in the back you get to see the carnage from all the racers who went through the aid stations as if a tornado had gone through. I mean every aid station had water bottles and garbage spread for at least a half a mile and there were thousands of bottles. The other thing I noticed is that the people in the back often get the raw end of the deal.

Towards the end of the bike aid stations had run out of water and reinforcements were not there yet. They did have Gatorade but I started to feel bad for the times I would take a bottle just to rinse off or cool down when I was at the front end of the race. You think the race organizers should have enough but when they run out before more can get there people suffer for it. In the future I will try to remember that. God bless the volunteers they put up with a lot and because of that we as athletes get to do what we love. I think I will try to volunteer more often and would love to see it as a prerequisite to racing. I took a pain pill about 8 miles before finishing the bike knowing I might need to take the edge off a little for the run.

I finished the bike in 6 hours and who knows how many minutes, I honestly haven’t looked, I just knew I was well ahead of the cut off and that if I needed to walk the marathon I had a fair amount of time in the bank to do it. I got off my bike and walked to transition not feeling the best but hoped a change of clothes and some cold drinks would pep me up. I took my time and changed into my running clothes and put my arm in a sling. Sure enough I felt a little better and set out on a jog starting to feel the pain soften from the narcotic.

My plan was simple and that I would run as long as I could and walk through each aid station, also known as my life rafts. This plan worked like a champ for about 16 miles but the shortened gait and pain in my hips were taking their toll. By mile 20 I walked through the aid station and found I couldn’t jog anymore. By this time I had befriended another athlete not having a great day either and we had settled on walking to the finish knowing we had plenty of time in the bank to do it. The run was a lot of firsts for me. The first time I watched the sunset in the race. The first time I got handed a glow stick. The first time I ate chicken broth. The first time seeing once again what the volunteers do to make this race happen. When I finally made it to the finish line I was overcome with joy. I mean real joy and gratitude for so many people. I thought often of Jason Crompton and grew my side burns out in his honor. There are many finish lines in life and the parables one gains from this race are countless. I have come away with a new perspective and a new fire burning.

My gratitude to my friends and family is strengthened. I can’t name everyone but I will name a few. Thank you Jeff Isbell and Sunprint for helping me pursue my dreams with your help. Thanks to Enve Composites and letting use the finest wheels and bars on the market. Thank you Dimond bikes for making a bike big enough for this guy. Thank you Addaday for helping me release the tension in my body. Thanks Blue Seventy and your superior swim products. Thank you Salt Lake Running Company and your support. I have many others to thank but I will do it personally.

The motto of the ironman is that anything is possible. Life has lots of obstacles and challenges and they come in different shapes and sizes. Sometimes they prevent us from doing what we had originally intended but it will open up a new path that just might give us a new perspective and new outlook that would have never been possible without it.

Related Posts:

Local Legend: Interview with B.J. Christenson