Last weekend I went over to Tempe in order to support my buddy Jeff who was competing in the Ironman race and to enjoy volunteering - the whole weekend was a blast!
On Saturday morning, I got in a good 10 mile run around the race course at about 6:00 - the perfect time for running in the desert. It was great to watch the desert sun rise, watch the day come to life, and feel the warmth of the sun. While I was out there, one of my favorite pro triathletes Michael Lovato came running passed me. He was flying!! And making it look effortless. Fun to watch him run and have a brief chat with him. After the run, I jumped in the lake for a good practice swim. I spent the rest of Saturday helping Jeff prepare for his race.
Early Sunday morning, I went down to the marina in Tempe to get my volunteer kayaking duties going. I was positioned out at the end of the swim loop, just east of the Rural / Scottsdale Road bridge. Watching the athletes come through was a blast. Jeff, a superb swimmer, came through in the first chase pack - perect position for him and right where he wanted. I gave him a yell and took some cool photos. He gave me a "you da man Mo!" while crusing, which is a nickname he's had for me forever (in fact, he' one of the few who knows its orgin; we've been friends since kindergarten).
The rest of swim was spent helping slower swimmers find their way through, offering encouragment to them, and making sure everyone was safely accounted for. After my voly duties were over, I went back to my aunt's house to relax and follow the race on the computer. Turns out Jeff swam a 53:17 and was the 4th amateur out of the water (24th overall). We watched online as he made it through the 3 loop bike course on a good pace and then returned to the transition to catch his bike finish. He came in with a strong bike of 5:40 and looked ready to run a solid mary.
I should mention that the conditions were brutal at this point. It was approaching 95 degrees and the winds were gusting very strongly. The next day we learned that there was 17.7% DNF rate, which is the 3rd highest in Ironman history. That shows how tough it was.
Back to Jeff - he started his run with 2 solid sub 8:00 miles, but he started to fade a little bit as the day wore on. I think the heat and wind just got to him a little bit. The Kona spot he had dreamed about slipped away, but he finished with a 4:04 marathon for a 10:45 finish. This was 17th in the age group and 156th overall. He's a bit of a perfectionist and a little disappointed, but I am super proud of his effort. He gave it all and gto to look at what he is made of - I think he should be happy.
We enjoyed a nice mexican meal (I ate too much!) and then returned to the finish line to watch the finishers come in until midnight with a few beers (I drank too much!). This is really one of my favorite parts of an Ironman - watching people realize their dreams and be rewarded for their hard work!!
It was a great weekend and filled me with motivation for my Ironman day on June 22nd in Coeur D'Alene.
Pictures to follow...
Turns out I really only had one good photo from IM AZ - this is my buddy Jeff about 1/2 way through the swim from my vantage point on the kayak. He had a great swim and was the 4th amateur overall out of the water.
