2023 Ironman Wisconsin Champ - Race Report

Everything leading up to the race was solid. After a final hard 100 mile ride the weekend prior, I took a heavy taper with 2 rest days leading up to the race. I stayed at my brother Brett’s house with his girlfriend Becca and was treated like royalty. They even turned the house temp down for me to sleep better! Two nights out I ate my traditional Taco Bell and the night before I got my sub from Firehouse. 

The day before the race was the 70.3, and I had several friends racing. I got up early to get my final ride and run in, then went to the bike course to cheers everyone on. I tried to stay off my feet as much as possible, but it was hard with all the excitement. I got to see my dad finish before dropping off my gear, then we hung out for a bit before getting dinner and winding down.

That day I was having some lower back tightness, so my wife Ty spent over an hour working on it for me. She also spent another hour stretching me out for the finishing touches. 

 

I was clearly freaking out

Race morning was smooth with no issues of hiccups. I ate 2 pieces of bread with a banana and peanut butter along with a cliff bar the second I woke up. We left my brother’s and parked a little farther away where there was zero traffic or stress. I got all my gear setup, and we sat in a quiet part of the terrace for me to go through mobility without whacking anyone. Once it was go time, I suited up and walked down to the start. After a few tears I gave everyone several hugs and off I went. 

The swim (58:44 - 17th OA): Right before entering the water, Ty gave me one last shout to send me off. There was quite a bit of bumping until the first buoy, then everyone found their space. I was on and off different feet quite a bit and felt like I was slipping back in the group. It wasn’t that windy, but the top side of the loop felt very choppy and I took on a bit of water. I swam with my watch covered, so I had no concept for how fast I was swimming. But, I could feel it buzz every 500 for a sense of how far I’d gone. On the 2nd loop we merged with the 1st loop swimmers and navigated the best I could. Each turn buoy was very congested and had someone resting on it, but I felt like I got around them efficiently. Anytime I had some open water in front of me, I’d elevate my pace, otherwise I felt like I was swimming quite slow. In my mind, I was coming out of the water around 50th. Even so, I was stoked to PR my swim in under 59 minutes when I split my watch.

T1 (5:06): I got my wetsuit down efficiently as the peelers were very close to swim out. They got it off in 1 try and I was off. I passed a lot of people up the helix and absolutely love/hate running up it. The crowd support is incredible. The volunteers in the change tent were awesome as well, helping me get everything sorted. This was especially helpful since I decided to borrow a buddy’s aero socks the day before. Thank you Brian Willing!!! I ran with my shoes in hand across the top of the parking garage and put them on next to my bike rack while a volunteer grabbed it for me (and turned my Garmin on!) After grabbing my bike, I noticed another athlete (who won’t be named) with his shoes already clipped in. At IMWI, this is not allowed unless you are competing in the pro field… Needless to say, I moved up 9 positions to 6th with the 3rd fastest transition. 1s slower than someone who did a flying mount ;)

 

The Bike (5:06:08 - 4th OA): I started my bike computer at the bottom of the helix and took off way too hard, 40W above my target for the first mile or so. Once I settled down and got through the bike path section/sharp turns, I was right where I wanted to be. There weren’t too many athletes around me, and I remember passing a few and getting passed by 2. The stick out was light headwind, so my pace seemed very slow but my power was spot on. I had 1 guy sit behind me for the first 20-30 miles, but I was happy to just push my numbers without anyone influencing my effort in front of me. In 2 different spots I was riding back behind someone myself as the race official came right up next to me. Both times he gave me a thumbs up to indicate that I was the within the legal distance. As I came to mile 40, I knew my crew would be waiting with an update. Ty told me 7th, and at that point I actually assumed AG instead of OA (thought there were 20-30 people ahead from the swim still). Going into my first time up the 3 big climbs I felt incredibly strong and did my best to keep the power controlled under 300W. As I came through Verona to start my 2nd loop, Ty told me I was in 4th and 10 minutes back. This was good news to me that James Burke was *only that far ahead halfway through the bike, so I expected him to maybe take another 5 minutes the 2nd half. Planning ahead, I knew I wanted to be within 20 minutes starting the run and I was confident I could close that gap. Next to mile 80 I saw them a 3rd time and same story, 4th place but 9 minutes back. It was around this time that my power started to slip a bit and I was concerned about forcing it too much to run anyone down. I really took my time up those 3 climbs again and was ready for the home stretch. When I got back to the stick, 2 sets of spectators told me I was in 4th place and only 3 MINUTES back from the lead. I wasn’t sure I could believe the gap closed that much in 20 miles while my own power was dropping. Once the 2nd group said the same thing, I was incredibly motivated and felt like a win was within reach! The last 10 miles we had a generous tailwind pushing us home, and I focused on the bumps and staying safe along the bike path. By the numbers, I landed at 214W average and 223 NP with an average speed of 21.9mph. This was about 25W higher from when I raced in 2021.

 

T2 (2:06): Before the helix, I got my shoes loosened and started pedaling up. As I got to the top, I attempted to pull my feet out and was met with some nasty leg cramps. I wasn’t sure I’d get on top of my shoes in time but managed to get them off and barely got my leg over in time. A very slow dismount, so I may pull my feet out before the helix next time (yep, see you in 2024). The bike catchers were all cheering me on, but no one offered to grab my bike. I was about to leave it along a wall when one of them came to and let me hand it off. When I got to the change tent, I saw James still there putting on his shoes. I wasn’t sure what to make of this as I now had no idea who the other 2 guys were ahead of me. Having my socks already on, I blew through the rest of transition with the fastest time of the day.

 

Run (3:00:56 – 2^nd OA): Now keep in mind here… I’ve never been in the top 5 coming out of T2. After splitting my watch, I saw 2^nd place running across the top of the parking garage. I knew right away my pace was quicker and closed the 50 meter gap before we even hit the exit.  I told Ty I would at least be satisfied with my race if I got to run with one of the lead bikes, and that box was immediately checked. I must’ve been a little too quick because I didn’t see my gang by the run out for an update. Regardless, I knew the HR target and started to execute. As I was running by the capital, I was able to get an update telling me I was 3 minutes back from 1^st. I jokingly asked a few volunteers if I looked faster than him, and I was given a “yeah, you’re flying”. The first 2 miles were downhill and clicked off a pair of 6:30 miles. A few times I was able to see 1^st up the road and got a 2.5-minute and 2-minute split about a mile apart. I knew I was closing at least 30s/mile, so I stayed patient and kept my HR under control. This was the best feeling for the first half of the run…Telling myself, you need to ease up, don’t go to hard. Consciously holding myself back meant I was feeling strong, I didn’t over-bike, and I felt like I was floating out there. As I got to the base of Observatory Hill, I made contact with Kyle in the lead. We exchanged a few words, and I went to work up the hill. When I finished the twisty descent, I looked to the top and he hadn’t made it up yet. With no one ahead of me, my focus switched to who might be coming from behind (a thought I’ve never really had before). It was so cool running with the motorcycle up the road and my bike escort Thad right behind me. I got to my favorite part of the course which is the out and back up State Street. I could see my friends and family up the road, and everyone just exploded. It was surreal to be leading an Ironman with 20 miles still to go, and the run leg my strength. The energy and excitement had me feeling like I had already won….but Matt, this is an Ironman let’s not forget. I couldn’t get a gap time since I was the FIRST across each timing mat. Again, never been in these shoes before. As I continued around the top of course, my next focus was getting halfway. As I passed the BBMC tent, my buddy Dustin said he’d have my gap when I came back around. 8 minutes…What is happening?!? As I got back to the capital, I was still feeling good as I grabbed 3 more gels from my special needs bag. I pulled more energy from the crowds and I really felt that rush as I was met with athletes on their first loop. I split a 1:28 that first half, just over 6:40 pace…but I started to unravel at mile 15. Running on the turf in Camp Randall Stadium seemed to take all the energy from my legs, and that float left me. Instead of being able to elevate my HR up a notch, it dropped. What I thought was going to be an “easy” jog to the finish turned into a grind. When I got back to Observatory hill, I shuffled up at a 10 min/mile. It was a controlled stumble on the way back down, but I was almost back to State Street. At this point, I needed anything and everything the crowds would give me. I got my update again of 8 minutes, so I knew I was running stride for stride with 2nd, even though I was slowing down. A spectator along the road informed me that James Harrington was behind me. He won in 2021 in a rundown, and this got my mind going. I didn’t give my crew any response at the turnaround and prepared to suffer the final 7 miles. This was a very dark spot for me. That top stretch gets lonely on the crushed path even though I was with other athletes and Thad. I will never forget the thoughts that went through my head.

“Who cares about breaking the tape...”

“You don’t want it that bad...”

“We’re fading, just give up...”

I did my best to snap out of it, drawing on my community back home intently refreshing the tracker. I also started my runner math. With 10K to go, I knew I could give up 1 min/mile and didn’t think James would be running faster than 6:30’s. I convinced myself 7:30 pace is all I’d need to seal the victory, and any time under that was additional insurance. I don’t remember much other than being completely numb to cheers and it felt like I was running 9’s. Looking back, my slowest split was only 7:27… but it felt so much worse. On the final out and back, I was turning away as I saw James for the first time just coming around the corner. I calculated a 9-minute lead with that final 5K. I still felt threatened, so I kept pressing but couldn’t get my HR up or go fast. When I hit mile 25, it was uphill to the finish and my hamstrings simultaneously cramped. I panicked at the thought of walking it in and performed an awkward straight legged run until it subsided. When the capital came into view, for the first time I knew the race was won. I closed the uphill section in a 7min mile and came around that final turn…

 

The Finish (9:12:58 – 1^st OVERALL): The cameras, lights, red carpet, and the TAPE outstretched waiting for me. Words cannot describe what I felt in that moment. The pain melted away, I pumped my fists in the air, and I was on top of the world. When my feet hit the carpet, I saw Ty standing there next to the media, big smile on her face waiting for me to finally grab that tape. Some last second high fives and I was the 2023 Ironman Wisconsin Champion. To come back to my first full on September 10^th, no pro field, and my wife there to hang the medal around my neck… Embracing her at the finish line, tape laying at our feet, was the happiest moment of my entire life. WE did it.

Kudos if you made it through all of that. I tried to leave nothing out so I can read this again and remember as much as I can. My friends and family were all there for me celebrating and losing their minds. Emotions flying, tears rolling, and hugging everyone in sight. I can say with 100% confidence that I could not have done this without you all. Whether you were there or back home, I drew on your energy the entire day. I don’t want to list names for fear of leaving someone out, but you know who you are. I am going to continue to soak it in for the rest of the week before picking apart my performance. My run should have been better on the back half, but on that day…it got the job done. This was the perfect end to my triathlon season, and I look forward to working towards Kona 2024. I’m sure there will be a few more people paying attention this time.

My Team

Quad Cities Triathlon Race Report

Back with another race report. I competed “relatively speaking” in a local sprint tri that I had really been looking forward to. Even though it’s short, it’s a big home town race and I really wanted to go out and win this one. 

Pre-Race: I tried to have some perspective going into this race knowing DSM 70.3 was only 6 days prior, and I truly left everything out on that course. My recovery went well, but I made a somewhat foolish decision to race a 20K bike Time Trial Thursday night before. I hadn’t really thought of it being 36 hours before the race, but in hindsight it was a little close. Regardless, I felt ready to attack the day.

Swim (7:55 - 6th): To start the race, I was with 2 other athletes that also registered as Elites. We were allowed to all start together 2 minutes before everyone else was released. This may have been the most humiliated I’ve ever felt in a race before. Within 100 yards, I was dropped and swimming on my own. 

T1 (1:18 - 2nd): Flawless until the uphill bike mount. Maybe someday I will learn. Much better than the 1:50 it took me back in 2019, even though I had a wetsuit. 

Bike (36:31 - 3rd): Starting the bike, I already felt defeated. By the time I got to the main road, I could barely see the police escort lights over half a mile down the road. I felt winded and was struggling to get my power over 250W. I did my best to stay in the moment, but I really just felt like I didn’t belong. At the turn around it looked like first was 3 minutes ahead and 2nd was 2. This was better than I thought, but I still gave up too much time. I pushed it into T2 and was a little disappointed to not be over 25mph. 

T2 (0:46 - 5th): Not much to note here. My bike rack was in a great spot for this and I felt like I made it through without too much trouble. I opted to go sockless, which was the perfect move. .

Run (17:56 - 3rd): The start of the run is all grass and then a gravel path. I felt like I wasn’t moving anywhere and knew my opening 5:57 mile wasn’t going to cut it. I saw the 2 pros coming back from the turnaround and knew it was definitely over. The 1 looked like he was running around 5:15 pace and the other was over 3 minutes ahead. I clocked a 5:33 2nd mile and at least felt like I was moving now. Even though I was locked in 3rd, I pushed to the line and  ended up averaging 5:40 pace. Considering that I ran 5:56 pace for 13.1 at Des Moines 6 days prior, this felt pretty slow. 

Humbled by these guys

Post Race: This was not the feel good race I was hoping for, and I don’t want to feel like I don’t belong again. When I came into the finish chute, the guys had already caught their breath and were just chilling. Even though I had a 4 minute gap on 4th place, I didn’t feel like I should have started with the actual pros. I basically did a solo time trial all by myself between the pros and amateurs. 

In the end, I ate some humble pie but I’m ready to start grinding away again.

Des Moines 70.3: Race Report

Lots to unpack from this past week and weekend, so get ready for a long read!

The week leading up to the race, I didn’t start a taper until Thursday. I was also feeling rather lethargic about competing and questioned whether or not I should even show up. This was a first for me as I normally feel pre-race nerves before a big event. I decided to show up, check in, do my workouts and drop my bike before making a final decision Saturday afternoon. After being at the venue and feeling the energy, I got the final boost I needed from my wife, coach, dad and buddy Drobs.

 

Race morning:

This went very well! I slept better than normal before a race and was up at 4:00AM. We left the hotel just after 4:30 and were walking into transition by 5. I learned it’s easier to get my bike ready on one of the side fences instead of on the rack. There was much more room to clip my shoes in and get the rubber bands set. I was in and out (with a potty stop) in 15 minutes. I met up with Drobs and his wife to walk over to the swim start, and we chilled for just a bit before getting in for a quick practice swim. After that, I dropped off my bag and got up near the front of the race for the start.

Swim: 28:13 (24^th overall)

I was very happy with my starting position on the swim. I was the 5^th or 6^th wave of 3 to enter the water, and this ended up being perfect for me. I had a first on the swim, and that was a claustrophobic type breathing issue. 200 yards in, it felt like someone was standing on my chest and gave me some heavy anxiety. I backed off the pace and tried taking deeper breaths. I was getting ready to try breaststroke and thought this was going to be a long day. I kept going at the slower pace and rounded that first turn buoy. Once my watch buzzed for the first 500 yards, I finally relaxed a bit and settled into a better groove. Using some swim cues from my masters coach, I was able to distract myself and was good for the rest of the swim.

I was very happy with my time and place out of the water, and I finally saw the months working with Caleb come together.

 

T1: 1:37

The first transition was very short, and I thought I’d be in and out in just over a minute. Relative to the athletes around me, I posted one of the faster T1s and moved up 6 places in a very short amount of time. Everything was smooth and got my wetsuit pulled down on my own this time! The peelers did the rest. Got to my rack, helmet on and buckled, bike off the rack and had a quick run to the mount line. As I was mounting my bike a spectator yelled to tell me my shoe was untied…. Having no clue what she was talking about, I looked down to see my rubber bands holding the shoe in place. I told her I was good and off I went. Flying mount was MUCH easier in my newer shoes. Feet went in smooth and nothing else to report.

 

Bike: 2:23:02 (16^th overall)

Well, here we go again. BUT not as bad this time and I only lost 2 minutes. Despite riding and driving the first part of the course, I took a wrong turn. In a moment of confusion, I saw an athlete (coming from the right) turning onto the road I was supposed to go straight on. At the same time, the athlete in front of me turned right and I saw the green RUN arrows pointing right. In a complete brain lapse, I followed the athlete to the right. Realizing my mistake, I sprinted after him to tell him we were on the run course and popped a U-Turn. When I got to mile 5, I saw this had cost me exactly 2 minutes to go the extra 0.75mi. For the next 10 miles I was stuck in this rut wondering how I made such a costly error. Around mile 15, I snapped out of it (mostly, but it still lingered) and went back into race mode. I stuck to my power plan of 240W for the first half knowing the 2^nd half was mostly headwind. My legs did not want to push the power today, but they eventually came around. Once I hit that wall of wind, I brought up to 250+. This worked mostly well, but it was hard to sustain with the multiple U-turns on course. Overall, I was happy to come off the bike in 11^th with a 10 minute deficit to 1^st (Even with my wrong turn).

 

T2: 2:54

Similar to T1, not much to report here. On the pavement my shoes settled on the clips and I was running smooth…until I got onto the grass. They started catching again to a point where I threw my bike over my shoulder and ran with it since it was only 30 more meters to my rack. My legs also felt heavy, and I wasn’t too happy with my turnover going into the run.

Run: 1:18:04 (3^rd overall)

We did it again on the run! One of my goals was to prove my Chattanooga run (5:55 pace) was not a one off. This race, I held close to my prescribed bike power and still ran 5:56 pace. The weather was the best I have ever had on the run. High of 65 degrees and the sun only said hello a few short times. With a few updates from Ty, I knew I was in 2^nd place AG and 10 OA early into the run. I could see the guys way ahead of me and told myself to be patient. Mile 1 was my slowest mile of the day at 6:09, and my initial thought was this run is going to be slow. The effort felt harder than Chatt 3 weeks prior and I was running slightly slower out of transition. The next few miles were sub 6, but I wasn’t sure if it was sustainable. I was also struggling to elevate my HR despite the effort being high. I started to make some passes and at least felt like I was getting somewhere. I could also tell that I was gaining on 1^st overall, but in the end only ate up 5.5 of the 10 minutes.

With 5K to left, I told myself it was time to go. Mile 12 hurt going into the headwind and up the 1 “hill” on course. As I got to the top with 1 to go, I saw 4^th place about 200 yards up the road on the ¾ mile straight away. I timed him at 40s again of me using a street he passed. Part of me said no this hurts enough already, but I knew I had to at least try. I absolutely buried myself running a 5:37 to catch him just before entering the finish chute. I felt him try to go with me, but I ended up coming across 8 seconds ahead of him into 4^th place overall. This was the deepest I’d ever gone to close out a 70.3, and I wonder if there was a little more to give in the middle portions of the run.

Every Second Counts

Finish: 4:13:48

This is exactly how I needed to rebound from my race 3 weeks ago with the bike issue. I feel like I was carrying more disappointment than I originally realized from that one, and it was affecting my preparation for Des Moines. In the end, my family and friends helped me rally to the start line and I’m glad I showed up.

To anyone reading this far, sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the podiums, medals and epic race photos. The journey in this sport has many ups and downs; in the race itself and just training to get to that start line. I want to thank everyone that has been in my corner for the messages, encouragements and simple “good lucks!”. It’s still early in the season for me, and I have much more give.

 

Chatt 70.3 Race Report

I had been looking forward to this race for weeks. After doing some checking, I knew the men’s field would be stacked and I was both nervous and excited to test myself against the best.

Making Lemonade

Race Prep: We put everything towards this race and I had a very nice taper going in. I was anticipating an exceptional effort from myself. I also believed this would be one of my better opportunities for that elusive AG win. Everything went well

Swim (28:24 – 44^th): This race I knew I wanted to be as far up front as possible. I was right at the gate 30 minutes before they even opened it. I ended up being around 20-30^th into the water, and I was very happy with where I started. Swimming with my watch covered, I wasn’t sure how I was doing, but I was expecting a good split and to be in the top 30 out of the water. The effort was hard, but maybe not hard enough… I struggled to get up onto the stairs and lost about 10s fumbling with the volunteer. When I got out and saw my split, I was immediately disappointed. I heard the current wasn’t as strong as last year, but placing 20 positions worse was not ideal. I still have some time to develop my swim fitness this year, so that will be my goal for the rest of the season.

 

T1 (3:11): I made the mistake of having a stranger Velcro my wetsuit at the swim start and didn’t have my lanyard tucked up there. When I tried to undo it, it was really stuck on and I couldn’t get it undone without the help of a volunteer. Normally I’d have my arms out before the wetsuit peelers, so this cost me at least another 10-15 seconds.

 

Bike (2:30:32 – 113^th): I was very excited to see how my winter training would show up on the bike. I had a goal of 250-260W but didn’t know if I would be hitting those numbers. As I started to get my feet into my shoes, my right foot unclipped and I nearly lost the shoe. The hazard was avoided as I managed to recover, but I lost some more precious seconds getting myself sorted out and up to speed.

The wind was at our back on the way out, and I felt like I was moving at a good pace. Mostly passing, but still had 2-3 pass me. My first five 5 mile power splits were 246, 247, 249, 251, 251. I was so happy to see the numbers and thought I had a good chance at holding 250+ for the remainder of the race. Unfortunately, I am still learning in this sport and had my first bike mechanical during a race. On the first major climb around mile 25, I shifted out of my big ring and couldn’t shift back out. Despite charging the battery 2 nights before and checking it in the morning, it died and I lost front shifting for the last 30 miles. I tried stopping and pulling the battery in hopes it’d let me get just 1 shift, but no luck. I ended up riding the last 90 minutes cross-chained, sprinting up hills and coasting down. Needless to say, I was pretty upset as about 30 athletes passed me during my struggles. This was a mentally difficult situation for me, and I really just wanted to soft pedal it in and jog the run. But we’ll get to that.

 

T2 (2:25): I felt my T2 was fairly solid. Dismount was good, but I probably could’ve come in a little faster. Everything was smooth despite my shoes flopping around, and I got to my rack quickly. Socks and shoes went on and I grabbed my hat that contained a still partially frozen water, 3 gels, base salt, sunglasses and my bib. I ended up walking about 15s as I got everything sorted, but took off quick towards the run out. I split my watch and was ready to bury myself.

 

Run (1:17:41 – 2^nd Overall): Starting the run I was mad, but I had a plan. I knew I wanted to run sub 6’s, but the first 1.5 miles is uphill. I decided to target a 6:20 mile to make sure I didn’t go out too hot and clocked a 6:19. This is when I took my first gel, and I ended up consuming FIVE during the run. The 2^nd mile had a little bit of downhill and I was happy to see my pace in the 5:50’s. My HR was just starting to hit 160bpm as well, so right on target. I mostly ran by feel and would check my HR and current mile pace to see if I was within myself on HR, but also running those 6:00’s. At 5K, I had only made my way to 7^th place, but Ty told me I was 30s a mile faster than everyone else. About halfway through the run, my confidence was building and I was right at 6min/mi average. Ty told me I made it to 4^th AG but had 9 minutes to 3^rd with 7 miles to go. I kept the pressure on and just focused on navigating around everyone. I anxiously awaited mile 10 so I could focus on the final 5K and holding my HR above 175. I really leaned into it and pushed it all the way to the line. Somehow I ended up 3^rd in AG by 5s! This was the breakthrough run I had been looking for and being in the 1:17s gave me a new confidence that my run is still in fact a weapon. This is also my 2^nd fastest half marathon thanks to some very cool and dry weather.

 

Post Race: After finishing, I got to catch up with 2 of my teammates. Our coach Brent was still racing with his brother Kyle and were in transition as we left the finish area. We got to seem them start the run, but Brent was more interested in how we did than anything else. For the rest of the race, I jogged up to the Dynamo tent, had some drinks and continued to cheer on everyone else still racing.  

 

Closing Thoughts: I am obviously disappointed with the bike issue and finishing 14^th overall. In 2021 and 2022 I hadn’t finished outside the top 10, so this felt like a step back. The men’s field was incredibly strong, and I was really looking forward to mixing it up with them. Even without the mechanical, I doubt I would’ve hit my goal of 4:10 and was certainly not in the running the win overall. It’s also hard to say how I would have run had I pushed my race watts the entire time, but we’ll never know.

My biggest take-aways from the race are: Buy a new di2 battery, I can run pretty fast, and my teammates are the best. Despite a horrible bike split, but they pushed me to get the most out of my day.

2022 Recap

2022 recap by the numbers! I am going to attempt a quick recap of my 2022 racing season with all of my stats and highlights. 

Swim: 565,000 yards / 155 hrs

Bike: 8,500 miles / 415 hrs

Run: 1,450 miles / 182 hrs

Strength: 52 hrs

Total: 10,200 miles / 804 hrs (33.5 days)!

Ironman: 4* - if you include my indoor at the Y

Ironman 70.3: 4

World Championships: 2

Going through all of my Blog Posts from this year, here is each race along with the highlights =)

Road to Kona Indoor Ironman: What started as a joke turned into me swimming 4,250 yards in the pool (they opened early for me), riding 112 miles on Zwift in the weight room, and running 26.2 miles on a TREADMILL, all at Two Rivers YMCA. I had so many friends join me and bring snacks/beverages throughout the day. This kept me entertained, and it turned out to be a very fun day. 

2021 Ironman World Championship, St. George Utah: (9:55:04 - 10th AG)

2 weeks before the race, I was nursing a calf injury on my left leg. I stopped biking and running and only swam. Not being able to bike or run key parts of the course wasn’t ideal. Going into the race, I simply hoped to finish. The venue was electric, the sites were beautiful and I was just happy to be there. I also received my first ever random drug test (PASSED)

I had a great swim with a 1 minute PR, and it was the coldest I had done at 60 degrees. 

I “conquered” the tough bike course with 7,300 ft of gain and some intense winds on the final descents.

I jogged through a brutal marathon in 90 degree heat and 1,500 ft of gain.

I had adjusted expectations with the calf injury, and I set the “new” goals of breaking 10 hours and top 10 AG. It came down to the final miles of the marathon, and I made it thanks to my wife Ty. 

Chattanooga 70.3: (4:18:30 - 4th AG / 7th OA)

15 days after Ironman St. George, I wasn’t feeling myself. I went into the race excited about a new venue and hoped to grab a spot on the podium. I learned a very important lesson about starting up front because I was around 1500 people back, yet finished 7th overall. Needless to say, I had to pass A LOT of people.

This was one of my best swims relative to the field landing 9th in my AG (best I’ve seen so far). 

On the other hand, I had a poor ride and fell into a lull the last 10 miles, losing time.

Flip flop again and I had a very strong run with a 1:22 and 3rd fastest in my AG. The highlight of the race was passing Miranda Carfrae on the run. Overall, I was proud of my run and for pushing the highest HR I’ve seen so far in a half Ironman.

Steelhead 70.3: (4:11:21 - 2nd AG / 4th OA): 

A 4 second PR and my highest placement in an Ironman Event! This was a race I felt ready for. 

The roughest swim I had completed to date, but happy with where I came out of the water. I had also learned from Chatt and started inside of the top 50. This worked out perfectly as I came out in 32nd place. It made for a very lonely race, but that helped more than hurt. 

My best bike performance to date! 24.9mph average at 237 NP. Aside from losing time both mounting and dismounting, I had a very strong bike and pushed beyond what I thought I was capable of. 

I had my first battle on the run from mile 8 to the finish, and came so close to cracking that 1:20 mark.

Overall I was very proud of this effort, and this was the best race I’d put together since IM Tulsa. 

Route 66 and Great Illini 70.3s: (1st OA - 4:30:36 / 1st OA - 4:12:23) 

These were two small town races that I had won back in 2020, so I was excited to be back.

At Route 66, I was given a HR cap on the run to avoid over-racing before Kona. I had a great swim and strong bike to build enough buffer to keep the lead and take the win again. Highlight from this race was my brother Scott completing his first Olympic Triathlon! 

At Great Illini, I was allowed to go full gas. There wasn’t much competition and I took the lead a few miles into the bike. I won by a little over 40 minutes, so it was quite the sight. Highlight again was my brother Scott completing his first Ironman 70.3!

2022 Ironman World Championship, Kona Hawaii: (9:29:42 - 30th AG) 

The race I had been waiting 3 years for! The island did not disappoint and certainly lived up to its expectations. I had never felt so prepared for a race. My coach Brent truly had everything fall into place for me, and I had experienced the 2 toughest parts of the course during my final training days. 

The swim was PR by another minute this year! I was so close to breaking that 1 hour mark, and I am very happy with how I performed here. 

The bike went as expected except for the last 20 miles into a headwind. This hurt the split a bit, but my power numbers were very close to the targets. The course suited me incredibly well being a simple out and back with some steady climbs. 

The run felt like a cake-walk through the first 7 miles before getting onto the Queen K. With the aid stations spaced out more than normal, I melted and fell apart in the Energy Lab. I learned a little more about myself, and came out of there broken. Even after getting back onto the Queen K, I had lost my ability to fight. I let 2 guys pass me without even attempting to stay with them. 

Overall I can’t be too disappointed with 30th in my AG even though I was hoping for top 20. After this race, I found that I am much farther away from my goals than I had realized and that several things would need to change. More on that in my final thoughts at the end.

Ironman Florida: (9:14:23 - 2nd AG / 4th OA)

This race was meant to “simply” grab a Kona Slot and end my season. In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to win but lowered expectations with the incredibly long season I was closing out. 

The swim was the toughest I had done given the water conditions and jellies. I was only 20s off my Kona swim, so pretty happy with where my swim ended the season. 

The bike split was my fastest by ~15 minutes. It was the flattest and easiest bike course I’ve ever ridden, averaging a little over 23mph.

The run was my biggest disappointment even though no one broke 3 hours. I got to battle another athlete again, but that did more harm than good since I burned matches early on. 

Overall, I got the Kona slot and was happy to end the season on a good note. The Age Group and Overall win continue to elude me, but I’ll be gearing up for a few attempts in 2023.

Final Thoughts on 2022

I’d say this year was another step in the right direction for me. I am still getting faster and placing higher each race (4th overall twice now). I'm swimming close to an hour flat and biked just under 4:50. The improvements are becoming less and less, which is expected but still tough to see.

There are certainly a few things I plan to address for 2023 and they are as follows: 

My swim is no longer “good enough” to reach my new goals. Even if I had the strongest run in the field, I’d have too much ground to make up. I'd like to be under 28 in a half and 58 in a full to stay competitive in 2023.

Next is my run, which hasn’t really improved since 2019 when I ran a breakthrough 3:14 at Ironman Wisconsin on a tough course. 3 years later, I ran that same split in Madison again (2021), St. George, Kona and Florida. What used to be my weapon is not enough to get me to 1st.

The final is my bike, which I’m listing last because it’s shown the greatest improvement over the year. My power numbers are up and the bike splits are reflecting that as well. Kona was actually a PR bike split before racing Florida. But despite the improvements, I am still losing too much time, and I need to make an identical (if not greater) jump this year.

As always, thank you for following along and reading through the rambling. For me, it’s a great way to look back and reflect on what I’ve done. And in turn, reminiscing will be the catalyst for improvements in the years to come. CHEERS!

Ironman Florida Race Report

Final race of 2022 is done and dusted! I am so relieved to close the book on my 2022 race season and put my feet up for a while. I’m sure I’ll go stir crazy after the first week, but I am certainly ready for a short break.

Jake and Brooke

Pre-Race: This was one of my favorite trips to a race venue. Normally 16 hours in the car wouldn’t sound like fun, but I had great company. A large part of my success this weekend was thanks to Jake and Brooke (two athletes I coach). They drove the entire way down to Florida, and I just focused on relaxing. Everything went according to plan from check-in, final tune-up rides/run, and getting to the start line plenty early. I am also very thankful for my Dynamo teammates helping me fill tires, carry gear, and get my wetsuit on. 

Swim (1:00:30 - 32nd OA): This was the toughest swim I’ve done in terms of water conditions (and jellyfish). Kona was tougher from starting in the last wave. Thanks to my teammate Robert, I started very close to the front (probably 30th into the water). Being with the faster swimmers and not having the course congested made the swells and waves much more manageable. On loop 1, I went out hard into the waves and eased up after the first turn with them at my back. My first little jellyfish sting was on the palm of my right hand, and it just tingled for the rest of the swim. After loop 1, I was told 29 minutes (on pace for an hour), so I was very happy to get that feedback. Starting loop 2, I stayed inside of the buoys to avoid as many loop 1 swimmers as I could. I found some feet to lead the way and stayed on them until we had the waves going with us again. Somewhere in there my right foot got stung on the top and the bottom, but again just tingly after. On that final stretch to shore, I got stung on the face and was mostly just wanting to itch my nose after. Finishing the swim, I was happy to be close to the 1 hour mark.

T1: First transition was pretty smooth. I got my wetsuit down to my waist before the peelers, and had it off and handed back quickly. It was a long run on concrete, and I felt pretty winded for most of it. I didn’t have the fastest time, but I did move up 14 places. I opted to carry my shoes (no pre-mounting in this race), and I ran with them and my bike until the mount line before quickly slipping them on. 

Running Mitch's disc

Bike (4:49:24 - 13th OA): Early into the bike, I felt ok holding my power target. I made a few passes in the first 10 miles, but also had several guys blow by me. I was fortunate to have a very gusto cyclist pass me as we started into 10 miles of headwind to the first turnaround. I opted to keep my power slightly under goal and sit 20 meters behind him. We had the bike marshal buzzing around us constantly, so I was sure to be plenty far back. He skipped the first 2 aid stations, so I put in some surges to stay with him. After we turned, he started to fade and I went back up to goal watts without anyone in front of me. We had a long section coming up with a tailwind heading north, and I knew we’d have a strong headwind coming back. I opted to lower my watts again with the tailwind and sat up every so often to get the body ready for a long stretch staying as aero as possible. Going into that final turnaround, I was concerned to not see my buddy and competitor Robert on his way back. I figured I had just missed him, but really expected him to be leading the race. More to come on that. After I turned, I bumped the power back up and was ready for a solid hour into that wind. After turing out of it, we had 1 last out and back section that was by far the dumbest bike section I have ever seen in an event. I felt like I should have been on a mountain bike to navigate it. After surviving that, it was a final 6 mile push into the wind to get to T2. In every Ironman I have done, this is where I let up a bit to focus on the run. Instead, I held power and leaned into the effort the rest of the way in. I was very happy with a 17 minute bike PR (easy course I know) and 23.2mph.

203W average at 208NP with an avg HR of 150bpm. Goal was 211-216W.

T2: Flying dismount was successful and I got my bike to a catcher right away. I was quick through transition with 2 guys in the change tent. On my way out, I was about 50 yards behind one of them. He looked like he could be my age and was moving fast.

Hanging with Thiago

Run (3:14:03 - 6th OA): This is going to be a jumble of thoughts because that’s how this run went for me. Good luck following along! Starting out, I felt like I was running slow but saw 6:45 pace on my watch that first mile. I took the first 2 miles to bridge up to the next athlete, and was already at my HR limit. I thought I heard I was in 2nd place AG, but wasn’t sure how far back 3rd was. I didn’t see my Dynamo teammates for splits, and this made me more concerned about not seeing Robert. Before I made any conclusions, I decided to wait until the first run turnaround to see him. At this point, I was flying a little blind and just wanted to put down a solid run. On my way out to the 6.5 mile turnaround, I ended up running shoulder to shoulder with the guy ahead of me. We didn’t say a word, and I didn’t want to ask his AG. As it turned out, this was Thiago, an athlete from Atlanta that knew my teammates. After that introduction, we started talking and found out we were different age groups. We got to the turn around and never saw Robert. Based on this, I knew there was an accident on the bike, but there was nothing I could do. I just wanted to finish and find out if he was ok. I also knew he would want me to close it out and grab that Kona slot, so that’s what I aimed to do. Around mile 8 I really started to struggle. My effort felt harder, HR was dropping and my legs didn’t want to go. I was on top of my nutrition and salt, so I thought maybe I needed more fluids (despite carrying a bottle out of T1). I told Thiago that I was suffering and thought I needed to start walking aid stations. He told me to wait until lap 2. I kept pressing on and we took turns leading. We started the 2nd loop and still no sign of my Dynamo fam, and it started to hit me a little harder. I hung with Thiago until mile 15, but the elastic started to break. I had no response and started walking the aid stations. At this point, I was still averaging just under 8 minute miles even with the walking. I told myself, you can run 10 minutes and then walk. Turns out this is just what I needed as my pace slowly dropped back down to the 7:30 range. I hit the final turnaround and felt like I was moving decently well. Focused on ice and fluids during my walk breaks, I got to that final 5K and started to pick it up even more. With 2 miles to go, Thiago came back into view, and I actually felt motivated to put in the effort to catch him. With one mile to go, I gave him a fist bump and he told me to finish it. I brought it in around 6:30 pace, and probably showed the most emotion I ever have on that red carpet. I’m not normally one to beat my chest, but I took in several high-fives and came across pumping my fist. Far from the win, I’m not sure what got into me.

Finish (9:14:23) - 4th OA: 

Overall, I ran my way to 4th place, held onto 2nd AG and was the 1st American across the line. I was very happy with my swim considering the conditions, and I believe I landed as expected placement-wise. I am also happy with my bike power and speed, but I gave up way too much time to the leaders. Even if I ran the time I thought I was capable of, I’m not sure I would’ve run them down. Despite my run being 1st AG and 6th overall, I’m pretty displeased with the time and how I fell apart. Before beating myself up too much, I am proud of how I rallied back to close that last 10K around 7:15 pace. I punched my ticked to the Ironman World Champs for the 3rd time as my primary goal this race. Secondary was an AG win and third was the overall. I am continually humbled every time I race, but that will simply drive my hunger next season.

Without saying too much, I’ve alluded about my friend Robert Swan. He was in fact hit by a car while Leading the race at mile 50 with a ~2 minute gap. He was brought to a hospital before I even got to where he was (yeah, I was getting my butt kicked). I can say he is back home now and recovering, but will leave the rest for him and Devon to share via social media. @devonandrobertcoaching. This is the first time I’ve been directly affected by one of these incidents. I am so heartbroken and cried several times post race. I was told one of his goals was to beat me, and I have no doubt he would’ve been waiting for me at the finish.

Had a crowd for my post race massage

For me, that is a wrap on 2022 and I am so happy to be taking a break. I knew I had a season of fatigue during this race, and it thankfully didn’t really hit until mile 9 on the run. With Kona secured, that will be my only full and sole focus for next year in the 30-34 AG. 

As always, I appreciate everyone for following along and motivating me every time I toe the line.