While we knew the Iron Cowboy himself wouldn’t have time to spare, we wanted to get the inside scoop on how to support James. Well-known local triathlete Bill Fowler (also a big Iron Cowboy fan) suggested we reach out to Bart Lee, one of James' most ardent supporters.
So, long story short, we gave Bart a call during the run portion of Day 76 (May 15th) to get some words of wisdom. Thanks for the time, Bart!
We hear you’ve been one of the Iron Cowboy’s most loyal supporters – what has been your level of involvement?
This story is in no way about me, but I’m happy to try to rally additional support for what James is doing! Today (Saturday, 5/15) is Day 76. I’ve done 72 of the 2.4 mile swims with James and made up 4 on my own. I did St. George 70.3 and was out of town on spring break for a few days. I’m aiming to hit 100 total swims. I’ve lost count of the bikes I’ve done with him, but today will be my 9th full day with him.
What led to you to being so involved with the Conquer 100 quest?
I followed James closely during his 50/50/50 (50 Iron Cowboy triathlons in 50 states in 50 days), and later he came to speak to the Salt Lake Tri Club. I kept watching him on IG thru the years, and when I heard this was happening I thought 'I’m going to take full advantage to go out and support him!'
I followed James closely during his 50/50/50 (50 Iron Cowboy triathlons in 50 states in 50 days), and later he came to speak to the Salt Lake Tri Club. I kept watching him on IG thru the years, and when I heard this was happening I thought 'I’m going to take full advantage to go out and support him!'
On day 4 during the marathon he said “how many swims are you gonna do?” I wasn’t quite sure, but he challenged me with “why don’t you do’em all?” He has an amazing support crew from his wife Sunny to his wingmen Aaron Hopkinson (who bikes with him every day) & Casey Robles and many others. I’m just trying to do anything I can to make him successful as well.
How can people participate and what should they expect logistically?
Where James needs the most help is on the bike. There are hard days, windy days, etc. and having people to pull on the bike or just help with morale is a major source of need. For the swim he’s in his own little world there, you can’t communicate with each other, and there’s quite a lot of support there already, always pretty packed.
The bike is the main place he needs help. The group sets out at 7:15 AM from the Lindon Aquatics Center, so it’s easy to predict. From there it’s typically 6-ish hours and I believe the average pace overall has been 16.6 mph average. That said it’s a bit of a shocker to some people who have come out, it’s a little bit faster than people were expecting. The route often consists of 3, 14 mile loops in Payson so you don’t have to do it all, you can customize and participate in many ways. I’ve seen bike groups range from 5 – 70 people.
Other notes:
- Be prepared with the fuel and nutrition you'll need
- Watch the weather and prepare with proper gear
- People do need to know this isn’t a group ride in some ways. If you flat, they don’t stop, since any extra minutes during the day = less recovery time and sleep for James. Unfortunately sometimes people do get dropped.
- At 30 miles is the first pee break
- We stop at the Payson Chevron at mile 56, but people need to understand these are pretty quick stops. James will holler out “rolling in 1 minute!” and people sometimes have to scramble to be ready in time
- At the mid-point you can ditch a jacket or something in the support vehicle if you need to
- Another pee break around 80
Like the bike, for the run you can do as much or little as you want. James typically has a ~2:00 average start time, sometimes 3:00. The other day though he was feeling good and set out at 1:45. Everyone meets where the Murdock trail picks up at 400 North in Lindon. It’s basically two loops between 800 North in Orem to the Valley Vista mountain biking trails in Pleasant Grove, with the daily finish at Fryer Park.
Note that detailed course maps are on ironcowboy.com!
Note that detailed course maps are on ironcowboy.com!
What would you say to encourage even more people to come out and support?
The biggest story in triathlon is happening in our own backyard... come see history in the making! There are many people coming in from out of state and I've even met a few international folks. In all honesty, the local tri community hasn't jumped all over this like I thought they would, but there's still time. Something amazing’s happening. Come support however you can!
Additionally, James and his team are hosting a race on September 11th called the Starvation. Details can be found at ironcowboy.com The website also contains course maps and an FAQ about the day.
Here’s a little teaser, be on the lookout for a new tri club emerging in Utah county! James has seen such huge support from the people in this area, so we feel that by starting something here we can continue to expand that and introduce people to triathlon. More details to come!
*****Below is the 2021 UTCS lineup! Check out this post if you need a refresher on how it all works. Thank you Trent Perry for being the title sponsor of the Series!*****
Below are links to all the races in the 2021 Championship Series:
POPULAR LINKS
UTAH TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES 2021 --> HERE
LATEST AGE GROUP RANKINGS --> HERE
CHAMPIONSHIP BELT HOLDERS --> HERE
MOST IMPROVED TRIATHLETES --> HERE
TOP LOCAL RACER AWARDS --> HERE
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2020 --> HERE
IMSG "COUNTY COMPETITION" (MAY BE REVIVED) --> HERE
UTAH TRIATHLON HISTORY 101 --> HERE
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Local triathlete Steve Monson has a stellar reputation
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We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising a few bucks towards awards & swag for athletes of all abilities in our tri community. We've given out a lot over the past 3 years, but would like to continue to expand our offerings & the volume we can do.
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HISTORICAL U.T.B.
"BELT HOLDERS"
Interviews
Clydesdale to Thoroughbred: Interview with Nate Cook
Kona Profiles 2019: Jake the Pepper Snake Barnes
Kona Profiles 2019: Liis "The Beast" Rametta
Kona Profiles 2019: Laura Yost [Still the] Host with the Most
Kona Profiles 2019: Brice "Heat & Hills" Williams
Kona Profiles 2019: Gentry Yost, Still Hustlin!
Kona Profiles 2019: Randall the Mandall Steinfeldt
Kona Profiles 2019: Nate the Great Zarlengo
Not Afraid of a Challenge: Interview with Ian Gerritsen
Kona Profiles 2019: Jake the Pepper Snake Barnes
Kona Profiles 2019: Liis "The Beast" Rametta
Kona Profiles 2019: Laura Yost [Still the] Host with the Most
Kona Profiles 2019: Brice "Heat & Hills" Williams
Kona Profiles 2019: Gentry Yost, Still Hustlin!
Kona Profiles 2019: Randall the Mandall Steinfeldt
Kona Profiles 2019: Nate the Great Zarlengo
Not Afraid of a Challenge: Interview with Ian Gerritsen
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