Ironman Rockford 70.3 – an amazing run

2026 Ironman 70.3 Rockford Race Report

DATE: June 14, 2026

WHERE: Rockford, Illinois

RESULTS: BIB # 154 5:45:37 finish time

What a difference a year makes! Last year was a fight for survival (link to 2025 race report), and I struggled to finish in 7.5 hours. But this year was almost a perfect day for racing a 70.3. Not only did I achieve my arbitrary goals of running a sub-2-hour half-marathon, but I also got under 6 hours for the race – by a lot, setting a new personal best for myself, too!

Training went really well for me this year. My doctor advised me that my blood work showed a very low amount of vitamin B-12. Once I added B-12 to my day, it made a huge difference. My muscles recovered more quickly and were less sore, and overall, I had more energy.

I stuck with my usual training plan, Don Fink’s IronFit Secrets for Half-Iron Distance Success, which has served me well for my three half-iron races. 16-weeks of training made me well prepared.

Prerace Notes

Kari and I got to Rockford midday on Saturday, and I was able to get checked in and put my bike into transition. We had a nice dinner at the same restaurant we ate at last year, Tavern on Clark, and I opted to not overindulge. Our same hotel (Home2) had its act together this year, and check-in went very smoothly. The only issue I had was not getting a good night’s sleep. Lots of tossing and turning, and dreaming.

Race Day

The alarm was set for 4:30am, but I got up at 4 and took a shower. Even with giving myself some extra time, Kari and I lost track of it and realized we needed to hustle to get to the Ironman Village to set up transition and catch the bus. Kari pulled up to the parking garage, and I hopped out with my stuff and headed to my bike. I set up my stuff, covered in a plastic bag as it was sprinkling, which would end by 6:45am or so. I then walked to the line to catch the shuttle buses to the swim start. Upon getting there, I realized I had not left my eyeglasses with my bike, so I ran back and put them with my helmet. That might have been bad for me. I could have dropped my glasses off at Swim Start, which the IM people would have then dropped off at Swim Out, but I’m glad I didn’t have to do that.

Although I was relieved to have remembered the glasses, the line back at the shuttle buses was now double in length, and I worried that I might have to hoof it down the 1.2 miles or so of trail to get there. I stuck it out and was able to get on a bus, fortunately.

Last year, I got a push notification from IM that the water was 79 degrees, which meant no wetsuit for me. This year, the water was 72.4 degrees! Plus, the dam upstream of Rockford had been opened, which created quite a current. It was going to be a great day for swimming.

I was a little hyped up with adrenaline at Swim Start, but somehow was able to calm myself down, talking with others and comparing notes. We were waiting in our predicted swim time groups to enter the water (I entered the water about 38 minutes after the 7am start time), and the Race Announcer was telling us that the first swimmer had exited the swim in under 20 minutes! This guy was going to be way into the bike ride before I finished the swim! Crazy.

The Swim – 28:40 / 26th M60-64 / 1062nd overall

As it turns out, 72.4 degrees is pretty damn cold! It was a little bit of a shock to the system. I swam in my new sleeveless wetsuit, and although my arms were cold, I slowly got used to it and worked my way into a good pace. After going under the first bridge, I had gotten a little off course when I swam right of this red buoy that marked the halfway point, and I was now struggling to slow down my breathing. I saw a paddleboarder and held on to it for just about a minute to reset myself, then I proceeded to swim back to where I needed to be.

I could see the Swim Out and made a beeline for it, and was shocked to see that I clocked a 28:40 swim. I’m the world’s okay-ish swimmer, typically swimming a half-iron in about 43 minutes. This was a shocker. The Rock River was certainly rolling and in our favor today!

Happy as always to be done swimming and off to the bike.

T1 – 6:40

I wasted over 8 minutes in T1 last year, and I was determined to get out of there faster this year. Due to construction in a park where the athlete village was last year, transition was moved a couple of blocks north of there on the road. There would be no quarter-mile run to my bike this time. I was lucky to basically jog 100 yards to my bike, which was right near the entrance of T1. A wetsuit peeler stripped me of my wetsuit, and I quickly sat down, tried to dry myself off, and struggled to get my socks on. I knew the bike would start with me being cold and wet, so I opted to put on a long-sleeve (and super small – 😂) cycling top. Being super close to the Swim In meant I had a long haul to the Bike Out. I stopped and had a guy add some sunscreen to my neck and face, and he shot a bunch into my ear, and we both laughed. I pushed on to the Bike Mount zone and began what would be a great ride.

Me chuckling at the sunscreen volunteer guy who had just filled my ear with sunscreen. Also, why do I look like a stuffed sausage? *Photo credit Chris Farrell*

BIKE – 3:06:32 / 18th M60-64 / 802nd overall

Most of my training rides of 56 miles took me about 3:20 or so, building up to the race. With the day we were going to have – cool temps and what I considered to be a favorable wind direction – I figured I might be able to pull off 3:10 possibly. I reminded myself not to redline leaving Rockford, as it is uphill for maybe a mile or two, but my heart was pumping hard. We got to the first turn, and it’s a super fast downhill with a sharp turn at the end. Just as we were flying down it, the referee motorcycle rode very slowly past. I wasn’t more than a couple of miles into this race and was afraid I was going to get a penalty for drafting, as there was a pretty big group that hadn’t spread out yet. But he kept going, and people tried to behave when they saw him, and I quickly settled back in.

I was so glad that I had put on the extra layer, as I was somewhat cold for the first hour. Hardly anyone else was wearing an extra top, and I thought I was the crazy one. I’m not regretting it at all.

The ride north was into the wind, but fortunately, I was pretty fresh at this stage and feeling good. It seemed to me that the cross/headwind we dealt with when we started heading west was worse than the headwind we had heading north. At the first aid station, I had a near miss when some dumb rider passed me on the right as I was pulling over to the toilets. She got an earful from me, and I wasn’t nice about it. She could have really messed both of us up. There were lots of people riding out of position. Anyway, I escaped the one close call and put it behind me.

About 32 miles into the course, I turned south and started reaping the benefits of a strong tailwind and some speedy downhill sections. My watch clocked a 35 mph max speed, which was more than likely in one of these sections heading back. I was passing riders a lot heading out, but now I was passing people very consistently and with speed.

At about 46 miles, I looked at my speed and realized that if I managed to keep up this 20 mph-plus average, I might get pretty close to three hours. So I started pushing pretty hard.

The fast hill early on leaving Rockford, was now the last beast I had to overcome before rocking Rt. 20/State Street back into the city. Shocked to see my bike split at 3:03 on my watch, which still had autopause running, and the two stops at the porta-potties cost me a grand total of about 3 minutes. Pretty amazed at that.

This is either coming in to finish the bike or just heading out. Take your pick.

T2 – 4:49

As I dismounted from the bike and started jogging to my transition spot, I wasted as little time as I could. I took off the cycling gear and put on my shoes, grabbed my arm sleeves, bib belt, and visor, and I was off to hit the run course.

RUN – 1:58:56 / 14th M60-64 / 738th overall

I told myself to not go out too fast, but I felt good and was ready to beat feet. About a half-mile into the run, I saw a guy rocking a Rush cycling jersey, and I asked him if he was going to see them in Chicago. He said that he was going to all of the shows (four, I believe!). I’m going to the Monday show, so we talked Rush for a brief spell, and then I kept trucking.

First mile of the first loop. Feeling good.

I started to feel the headwind, and I was starting to feel my effort was way too strong, so I dialed it back and tried to run comfortably. At times I was cold, other times I was hot, depending on whether the wind was at my back or in my face. I walked through most of the aid stations, stopping at one or two to pee, but I was still managing just right around 9-minute miles, which I knew I had to maintain in order to get a sub-2-hour half-marathon.

My wife, with her broken foot, was undeterred in being the best supporter for me out on the run course. She positioned herself in the same shady park area as last year, and I had no trouble finding her and letting her know I was doing okay.

I really like the variety of the run course. It kept things new and exciting. Plenty of cheering fans all along the course. The guy ahead of me had just given five to the kid.

On the second loop, I pulled the arm sleeves out of my back pocket and pulled them on because I was now getting pretty chilled in the wind. I told myself to wait to kick until about 10.5 miles, and then I started picking off runners ahead of me. I got lots of “looking good” and “you got this” from spectators, so it wasn’t just me thinking I had a good pace going.

In the final stretch, trying to pace with this much faster youngin’. *Photo credit Kristy Suriano*

I got to the final stretch and hit the gas, and then floated down the chute to the finish line. I couldn’t believe my eyes – not only did I go sub-6 hours, I also finished in 5:45, a minute and some change faster than my previous personal best from 2014, twelve years ago!

It was a race of a lifetime for me. Certainly, the swim played a role in my overall speed and time. But I earned that bike split and that run split, as they both had equal portions of hard work into the wind and help with the wind at my back. The results will show 5:45:37, and that’s all that matters.

Post Race

Not a pose I generally strike, but I had the towel and water bottle they handed me in my hands. I kind of like it.

I stood in line to get a finish line photo, then focused my attention on recovery. Recovery is always hard for me at this distance (and most others, too), and I could sense that I’d better keep moving and get out of the finish area. I found Kari, and we walked to the backside of transition. Fortunately, the race official there said I could enter, but advised me that I couldn’t take my things out of transition until 1:45pm, as people were still on the course. I made a beeline for the toilet, as I was starting to feel a strong urge coming on. But inside, after unzipping my onesie trisuit and sitting down, I couldn’t do anything. So I made the best use of the time in there to warm up a little and kill some time.

I made it to my bike, grabbed all of my stuff, and walked to the exit where the staff checks your numbers to make sure you aren’t taking what isn’t yours. I passed through, and Kari and I walked to the IM Village to possibly get some post-race pizza. Ironman makes you walk through the IM Store because they want you to buy overpriced stuff, and I decided to see if I could pick up a name t-shirt and a new visor or hat. I got to the checkout and realized that I didn’t have my phone or wallet, but she said I could use my watch to make the payment. Great! But it wouldn’t work – it kept getting declined. So I cut bait and said I’m better off not spending $140 on three items anyway.

We almost forgot about picking up the morning clothes bag, and I asked someone who was carrying one where they were located. Fortunately, it was in the village, so I made the trek back through the store, this time ignoring the temptation to buy anything, and got my bag. At this point, I was starting to crash.

Kari and I sat for a while until I could find the energy to begin the two-block walk to the parking garage, and as I made my way up the sidewalk, I began to sort of hyperventilate as I walked. I made it across the street, and I sat on a concrete barrier while Kari went to get the truck out of the parking garage. I wrapped the finisher’s towel that I received at the finish around me, and also wrapped myself in my trisuit and sat there waiting. Kari pulled up, we tossed the bike onto the carrier, and my junk into the backseat, and off we drove. I turned my heated seats to high, put on the heater, wrapped myself with whatever towels I had in the truck, and slowly began to feel better. I’m not sure why I get so wrecked post-race (I have had some doozies), but it’s not like you can train for that. I probably needed some food/sugar/liquid, but I didn’t feel like I could stomach that at the moment.

We made it home okay, got unloaded, showered ourselves, and then went to my favorite post-race restaurant for some much-needed dinner.

Conclusion

If you are interested in some of my gear, I used the following:

Zoot one-piece trisuit
Xterra Vortex sleeveless wetsuit
2012 (purchased new in 2013) Specialized Shiv Pro bike
Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire watch
Hoka Ceilo X1 shoes

Many thanks and love go to my wife, Kari, for always being there for me. This lady had a broken foot in a walking boot and still shuffled around after me. She won’t let me do these things by myself, and I got a feeling that if she were sick with the flu, she would be there to make sure I was okay. I’m forever indebted to her for putting up with me.

Thanks to everyone who posted kind words on Facebook about my race. I was just as awed by my finish as many of you were. I hope that maybe you all can join me in racing this race someday.

Thanks to all the other racers, volunteers, locals, and spectators/fans along the course. You truly make racing at Rockford a special day.

Thanks to local friends Chris and Kristy for taking a few action pictures of me today. And congrats to those locals in the Manhattan Tri Club (which I sorta associate with and follow). Chad, Karen, Dan, and several others did a great job!

And always, thanks to my Number 1 Fan, Carl, for always taking an interest and following my adventures. I appreciate that you are entertained and impressed by my performances.

Thanks for reading and all of your kind words.

Team Gunners (me) placed 123 out of 189 tri teams at the race! Go Me!

Race Week Taper Time

Race week is finally here! It always surprises me that I still get nervous with a race coming up, even with having done over 130-something races over the years. Ironman Rockford 70.3 is on Sunday, and I’m pretty excited for it this time.

The weather last year played a significant role in the inaugural race, with super-hot temperatures and a reliance on the locals in what was dubbed “Sprinkler Alley” to keep us cool by hosing us down with garden hoses and making it to the finish line. The weather watchers are already back at it again this year, and although we will have some warm temps this week, race day is looking to be a wonderful mid-70-degree day. Man, that is such a welcome relief. My only concern is that the warm week leading up to the weekend may heat the water up some, pushing us out of a wetsuit legal race. Fingers crossed that the additional rain will also help cool it down.

On Monday, I was already starting to plan out my weekend, thinking about what trisuit to race in, what nutrition I would need for the three events, and trying out my new sleeveless wetsuit for the first time in my pool. It’s a little tight around the neck, so putting anti-chafe lotion on my neck will be a must. Glad I pre-swam with it.

With the weather being cool, that means I might need to add another layer for the bike ride, or at least add some gloves and arm sleeves. Being wet after the swim will make 60-degree temps feel even cooler while riding the bike.

One thing I have learned while training this past 16 weeks is that I have been a little underhydrated and behind on nutrition on my bike training rides. That is mostly due to my bringing just enough on those rides and not anything extra. The race will have plenty of extra water and nutrition for me on the course.

I have an easy week to finish out and hopefully get to Sunday to let it rip instead of hoping to survive like last year. So, here’s to a good last week of preparation! Up next is race day!

I’m Bonkers

I swapped my weekend-long ride with my long run this weekend, thinking I would rather ride on the warmer Sunday. Saturday’s cool day was great for my run. Plus, there was a group ride at noon that I thought I would join.

I ended up skipping the group ride for a couple of reasons; first, I thought it might be windier later in the day, and secondly, I wanted to watch The Masters! So I decided to ride solo and leave earlier.

This ride seemed doomed from the start. I left home around 9:30 and got about 3 miles into it when I looked down and saw that I had forgotten to bring my water bottles with my nutrition in them. A quick call to my wife, Kari, and she agreed to drive them over to me. Crisis averted.

I decided my best bet would be to head west into the wind on the paved bike trail, which was a great move, as the tree-lined trail sheltered me from the wind. From there, I rode through the “rough” part of Joliet to pick up the Wauponsee Glacial Trail, a mostly crushed limestone path that heads south. It also headed straight into the wind.

I had gone through one water bottle after about 1.5 hours of riding, and I decided I’d better nurse the last bottle just a little bit to make sure I got through the ride. There’s an outdoor parking lot along this trail that typically takes me about an hour to reach from home when going the road route, but today it took me 2 hours on the trail. I figured I would have a tailwind heading back, so I made the great choice to head a little further south and head into the Midewin National Preserve. That was a mistake, because it was rough riding into the wind.

I finally exited the preserve and caught the tailwind I was looking for. My ride was supposed to be about 3:45 hours today, and I was starting to think that I would make it home way before that. So I decided to just double back the way I had come. A lot of decision-making was going on, and none of them seemed to be working out for me. I was getting dehydrated and needed to refill my bottles soon.

I stopped at every water fountain that I knew of, and they all had a little red sign saying “Water Fountain Closed For The Season”. C’mon, man! It’s a seventy-degree day! Let’s get that water flowing!

As I rode on, I got stopped by a train in the “rough” part of Joliet, so I stopped by this factory building that has been there forever, and sat on its steps until the train passed.

Me at the stage of the ride where I knew I was starting to bonk. The train is up in the distance.

I got back on the trail home and realized my next best option for water was back in New Lenox, where I work. I was dragging when I got there, but there was some relief for me. I tried the village hall side door, a door that my old coworker used to leave unlocked for some reason, but he’s no longer there (for obvious reasons), and the new guy has the place locked down tight. Next up was the police department, where I have spent my last 12-13 years working, but I didn’t have my keys, and no one was around to let me in. Thankfully, next door was the library, and it was bustling with activity. I pulled my bike up to the door and peered in, but didn’t see any fountains right there. The library has a really nice vending room just inside the door, so I parked my bike next to a bench where there were two other bikes parked, and went in and bought myself a 16.9 oz. bottle of good old Coca-Cola. I wanted something cold, something sweet, and something with some caffeine. It might have been the best Coke I have had. As I sat in the room looking out the window, I saw a father and son exit the library and take a really long look at my bike sitting there. I think they were just admiring it for some reason, but I started to wonder if I might lose my bike at any minute. Fortunately, they opted for their own bikes, and I finished my drink and saddled up.

The rest of the ride was brutal. Drinking a carbonated drink and trying to ride was not sitting well with me. At least I was functioning and getting closer to home. Eight miles to go.

I took a shortcut and hopped over the railroad tracks with my bike to finish this brutal ride at 56.25 miles and four total hours. At least I have the ability to ride the distance I need for the 70.3, but I need to work on a few important necessities that I surely neglected today.

Upon getting home, I grabbed a Gatorade and tried to get some sugar and electrolytes in me. I ended up in a ball on the floor, suffering from one of the biggest “bonks” in recent memory. I was so low on energy I couldn’t even think right. Kari kept asking if I needed anything, but I just needed to not move for a little while. I finally got up, took a shower, and sat down to watch some of The Masters. Since I had screwed up the ride, I also started screwing up the recovery by not refueling. Kari and I decided that my best option was to take a quick trip and get a smoothie. It hit the spot, and it wasn’t long until I felt normal again.

It’s a good thing that these things happen in training so that I can learn to not do them again. No more going bonkers for me from here on out.

Let’s Go!

It’s time to start training! Well, I should have started last week, but I screwed up and got complacent. I blame this never-ending winter.

I remember that I started training for Rockford last year around this time, so when I checked, I realized that I had forgotten that Ironman moved Rockford up a week on the calendar. I’m guessing that it was due to them adding Omaha, Nebraska, to the 70.3 circuit, which is a week earlier, and the traveling Ironman circus can just pack up from there and head to Rockford. But it’s not like I haven’t been running and being active, and my training plan has less activity in the first week than I normally do anyway. I really haven’t missed much, but it is time to begin following my plan.

Racing the 70.3 in Rockford will be my main focus for the first half of the year, but I have two other races that have been added to my race calendar.

First up is a new event that is much like a backyard ultra, but it’s not a last runner standing format. I will be running in the Texas Outlaw Outlast Chicago in Palatine, Illinois. The format for this race is one 5K every hour for 6 hours. The quickest cumulative time for each 5K will be the winner. I’m really just using it to have some fun and start building endurance and speed for my later races. My son will be joining me, and I look forward to watching him compete. The race is on May 2. Here’s the link to sign up if you would like to join in the fun: Outlast Chicago

Next up will be Ironman Rockford 70.3 on June 14. I have some unfinished business there and a score to settle. Last year was brutally hot, and I didn’t do as well as I had hoped. I wanted to be under six hours last year, but barely survived the seven and a half hours it took me to get it done. Hopefully, the weather will be less of a factor this year.

After some recovery after Rockford, the focus will be on long, slow running and making a serious attempt at getting deep into the night at Broken Anvil Backyard Ultra in West Point, Iowa, in September. This will be my sixth time at this fun and well-run backyard ultra, and I intend to push myself past the mental roadblocks that always seem to make me quit before I should. My advancing age is making it more difficult to get that 100-mile finish, and I hope to accomplish it at Broken Anvil. Here’s the link to sign up: Broken Anvil BYU

That’s the plan for this year right now. I may add a race here or there, but the focus will be on the above three races.

As for my expectations for the year, my running outlook greatly improved after having a routine physical in February. My doctor advised that my blood draw showed that my vitamin B-12 levels were really low and suggested that I take a supplement. I ordered some B-12 gummies and some multi-vitamin gummies and have been taking them daily. Since taking them, the soreness in my quad muscles that I had dealt with for the past year or longer just went away. Apparently, vitamin B-12 is vital to muscle repair and overall health. The more you know. Routine physicals are so important. Don’t skip them!

Time to hit the trail and get some miles in. Let’s go!

2025 Ironman 70.3 Rockford Race Report

DATE: June 22, 2025

WHERE: Rockford, Illinois

RESULTS: 2025 Ironman 70.3 Rockford Results BIB# 1385

I survived. That should be in bold. The day brought mid-90ºF temps with Real Feel temperatures in the low-100ºs. Plus, Mother Nature decided to throw some tough wind at us today as well, and not in a favorable direction. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s dive in.

TRAINING

When it was announced that Ironman was possibly coming to the Chicago area, I got intrigued. I hadn’t done any long-course triathlons since 2021 and was getting a little burned out chasing the 100-mile ultra that I have yet to accomplish. When Rockford 70.3 was announced, I signed up on day one. I encouraged anyone else I could to join me, and was glad when my Gunner teammates Jeff and his sister Jan joined in the fun. Numerous locals also signed up, too!

I dusted off my copy of Don & Melanie Fink’s IronFit Secrets for Half Iron- Distance Triathlon Success and followed the 16-week competitive plan. Training went pretty well. The spring was rather cool, and many training rides and runs were done with layered clothing, but overall, I put in the work I needed to feel prepared for the race.

I switched from using gels as my energy fuel to liquid fuels, opting for Tailwind and GU Roctane to fuel me. What I liked about using liquid fuel is that you don’t seem to have the sugar rush and then blood sugar crash when using gels every half hour. The energy level is more sustained, and you get the added benefit of staying on top of hydration because you are drinking your fuel.

I felt pretty well prepared from my training until the weather watchers on the race Facebook page started predicting the weather. It was not looking good.

RACE DAY

Had no other choice but to accept the day that was given to us.

SWIM – 43:06

I had packed my wetsuit in my Morning Clothes bag to carry to the swim start to use if I could, but as I was leaving the hotel, I got a push message from the Ironman app that the water temp was 79.2ºF, making the race wetsuit optional. I opted to leave the wetsuit in the car and use my swimskin instead. The swimskin is legal to wear regardless of the temperature and is designed to help you glide through the water, but in reality, it’s just a security blanket for me.

Jan, me, and Jeff waiting to get on the bus for the ride to the swim start.

I seeded myself in the 43-46 minute group, and it took 45 minutes for us to reach the water. I jumped in and quickly got into a comfortable swim. I had a few little toe cramps, but I worked them out and just kept pulling myself forward. I was far right in the water, often swimming closely by the kayakers monitoring the swim, but I wanted to avoid contact and had few issues with it. I knew that there were three bridges to go under and kept an eye on those. I could have swum a straighter line, but was happy to get to the Swim Out in good shape. The much-hyped current-aided swim for this event was non-existent. I felt no current assist with it at all, and my 43-minute finish time is right where I expected my finish time to be. I was happy with my swim.

TRANSITION 1 – 8:35

Most of my solid running for the day was from swim out to transition.

Out of the water led to at least a 1/4-mile jog to my spot in transition. Upon getting there, I grabbed a towel and got my feet dry. Then I applied some anti-chafe to my feet (which was beneficial on the run), got my helmet and sunscreen on, and then headed to Bike Out.

BIKE – 3:28:27

I had pre-rode the bike course a month or so earlier and made mental notes about my effort during the various sections. Today, though, the wind direction changed most of my expectations. We had a tailwind heading out, which made that climb north much faster. I started a little too strong and kept telling myself to dial it back, which took me about 5 miles to accomplish before settling in. My 20-mile split time was about an hour, so 20 mph was quite a good time for me.

Then we headed west, and it became more difficult. I was starting to suffer and came close to hitting the wall around halfway, but I slowed down a little and kept drinking the liquid nutrition. I also opted to up my electrolytes by taking a salt capsule every hour. I’m sure that helped quite a bit. I was sweating the whole time and kept an eye on that. I stopped at the second and third aid stations to urinate, and I took that as a good sign about being hydrated. I can usually get through 50 miles on just three water bottles, but I doubled that intake here. We were all drinking extra water.

I saw lots of people walking their bikes uphill, but I just spun up them. Only one hill on the backside of the course made me work really hard, but the downhill afterwards was always a welcome recovery. I hit 30+ mph several times, maxing out at 36 mph on one downhill.

Finishing up, wondering how many matches I had burned. I burned a lot.

I was feeling pretty good coming into T2, and I was happy to be two-thirds done with this sauna triathlon.

TRANSITION 2 – 8:45

I took time to add more sunscreen and wash my face and head off, trying my best to cool down with the hot water I had in transition. Oh well, off to walk on the surface of the sun for 13 miles.

RUN – 3:00:31

According to Ironman, athletes may run, walk, or crawl. I started with a walk, hoping not to crawl.

I tried to run when I started the run portion of the race, but it wasn’t long until my body said not to. The first section of the run course was the worst when it came to heat. Other than the breeze across the bridge over the river, it was stagnant, and the heat from being exposed to the sun on the blacktop made me walk most of the first three miles. Some portions of the course were just brutal. The best portion of the course was through a very nice neighborhood that someone on the Facebook page nicknamed “Sprinkler Alley”. These people were in the street with their hoses and sprinklers, offering people a chance to stay cool. I didn’t skip a single one of them. Everyone ran that course thoroughly soaked with sweat and water. Lots of squeaky and squishy sounds were coming from the shoes.

I had had it with Tailwind and switched to taking Coke at the aid stations and sticking with ice and water. Most of the ice went into my trisuit and visor, and some I melted in my mouth.

My mood/energy/pace was picking up as I came through to end the first lap and continue on to the second lap of the run. I tried to jog longer and at least jog from aid station to aid station, but I needed another break along the path that runs along the river. This was a hot section of the run course for me, but the “Sprinkler Alley” area followed along soon, and I was getting a boost from being closer to the finish.

I jogged through the finish chute with a smile on my face, high-fiving some crew and fans along the way. So relieved that the race was done for me.

TOTAL TIME: 7:29:24 / 1274th place out of 1692 / 34th place out of 47 M60-64 age group

Currently, the results show 1692 finishers. There were 2,700 actual registrants, and with an estimated 20% DNF rate, that’s over 1,000 people who either did not start or did not finish.

Not the best performance for me. Pre-race, I was shooting for a sub-6-hour finish. HA! Well, that wasn’t happening on this day. My strongest event, the run, was the one I had struggled most with, which is not really surprising, as running heats you up the most. I’m just glad to have gotten through this tough day. I was wondering at the beginning of the run if I was even going to be able to keep moving forward and finish. But I survived and will proudly display my medal.

Thanks again to my wife, Kari, for putting up with me and these shenanigans. Standing around in 90º+ weather for eight hours is not fun. Thanks also to my son Ben and daughter-in-law Emily for coming to cheer. It was much appreciated. Jeff’s crew included his wife Jill, son Charlie, and his girlfriend Kelly, who also provided much-needed support. Thanks to my Gunner teammates, Jeff and Jan, for joining me in doing this race. Thanks for buying us dinner, Jeff! And thanks to Karen for joining me on the course pre-ride and at the race. Everyone from the area seemed to survive the day as well.

Overall, and after a day or two of reflection, I actually enjoyed the event. Rockford was an awesome host city, the volunteers were spectacular, and I am seriously considering doing this race again next year. Hopefully, it will be a little cooler, and I can coax some more Gunners to join in on the fun.

Oh Boy, Here We Go

IRONMAN 70.3 ROCKFORD TRAINING – WEEK 15 & 16 WRAP-UP – June 16, 2025

As I wrapped up a really bad Week 15, I got busy focusing on this last week of training before the race on Sunday. Commonly called the “taper week”, this should really be called “madness week.” It’s pretty common to have some pre-race nerves leading up to the race, but man, everyone is freaking out, including myself!

Let’s rehash last week. I was up in northern Wisconsin and went out for my Tuesday run, an 8-miler, that has been the norm for the past several Tuesdays. It was cool, and I felt like pushing the pace a little bit. Welp, just before I got to the 6-mile mark, my right hamstring stopped me in my tracks. Yup, I pulled a hammie and had to walk the remaining two miles back to my truck. I got a little down thinking that I had just jeopardized my run race for the 70.3, but I spent the rest of the week laying off running, and it seems to be doing better. It didn’t affect my cycling at all, nor was it bothering me while working around the yard.

Then I tried an open water swim. I haven’t done an OWS in over a year, and silly me thought that it would be old hat. Nope. It was cold in both the air and the water temperatures. It was brutal, I’m talking the mid-50s. Garmin actually gave me the “Arctic Swim” badge after I hit stop on my watch.

A Garmin badge I never wanted and never intended to earn.

I started too fast, and quickly was out of breath. Fortunately, my wife Kari was kayaking alongside so I could take a break if needed. I took three, or maybe four, I don’t remember because my brain was frozen. My planned mile-long swim lasted 866 yards. It was not the confidence booster that I had hoped for. However, my coach-wife and I discussed it and tried to make it a positive experience instead of focusing on the failure. I was reminded that I need to start slow, very slow, and get myself under control. A lot of the high heart rate and being out of breath was due to the cold temperature, and my just not being able to focus on slowing down. But, I definitely won’t have to worry about it being that cold on race day because it’s predicted to be 94 FRICKING DEGREES FARENHEIT ON RACE DAY!!!

Oh boy, here we go again with another triathlon in miserable heat. Fortunately, I have experience in that area. I was a proud finisher of the 2019 Ironman Chattanooga race, a day that was in the mid-90s with a heat index in the low-100s. Somehow, I got through that non-wetsuit swim and the very warm ride and run. Maybe I should re-read that race report: 2019 Ironman Chattanooga Race Report I’m sure I can survive this as well, that is, if I just THROW AWAY THE WHOLE RACE PLAN THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR 16 FRICKING WEEKS!!!

Yeah, the plan was to go sub-six hours; have a great current-aided swim, not dawdle in transition, rock the bike like I stole it, then dial in for a sub-2-hour 1/2 marathon. Best laid plans… Now I will shift my focus to wrapping my head around the swim possibly not being wetsuit legal, and dialing it back on the ride and run to avoid heat exhaustion. And pray that my hamstring doesn’t flare up.

Time to stop focusing on what I can’t control, and get my mind in a better place. I’m off to sort through 13 years of triathlon related crap I own to figure out what I need to bring to the race. Next post will be the race report! Stay tuned.

Read All About It!

IRONMAN 70.3 ROCKFORD TRAINING – WEEK 14 WRAP-UP – June 8, 2025

The Athlete Guide is here!

Something to get excited about, I guess.

Last week, I touched on feeling a little burned out with training. I could sense it with a fellow rider who is doing her race soon, and to be honest, I was feeling it as well. Enough with the 4.25-hour rides every Saturday, and the 2+ hour runs every Sunday. Enough with this damn saddle sore that I’ve been dealing with for weeks now. Enough with this crappy weather, especially the Canadian wildfire smoke that seems to be lingering far longer than it should. Enough with just the general blahs of going through the swim/bike/run training to prepare for the race. I’m ready, already. Let’s get it over with.

But now my attitude has done a reversal because the Athlete Guide (AG) is out! The AG is often eagerly anticipated, and usually is forwarded to the athletes a few weeks out from the race. Smaller races may skip an AG, or have a shortened version, but bigger races like marathons and long-distance triathlons usually do. When the AG comes out, excitement builds, as it is a signal that the training is almost over, and the race is here.

So, what’s so exciting about the AG? Nothing really. 😄 Ironman typically just cuts and pastes the guide from year to year, with some editing for new rules and such. It’s always good to review the rules, though. There have been some changes to the penalty cards since I last raced, and the amount of time spent in the “penalty tent” when you get shown a card. Yes, you have to go to the penalty tent when you screw up, that is if they catch you. I haven’t been in the penalty tent before, but I haven’t been caught either. I’m a good sport and follow the rules for the most part, but the bike drafting rules are easy to break.

But I do have a favorite part of the athlete guide:

“RUN COURSE RULES – 1. Athletes may run, walk, or crawl.”

This rule always makes me chuckle, then wince a little. They tell you specifically that you can crawl in this event, not out of fun, but out of necessity. I’m guessing that it has something to do with Julie Moss in 1982 (see here) or possibly Sian Welch & Wendy Ingraham battling it out in 1997 (see here) – a battle not for the win, but for fourth place. Fourth place. Those two instances were in “full” Ironman races, so hopefully, no one will have to crawl across the finish line. I’ve had to walk plenty of times in races, but I’ve never had to crawl. Let’s hope I keep that streak going. I’m surprised that “rolling” is not listed in that sentence. There’s plenty of rolling going on, too.

~~~

Training this week went well. Wednesday was done inside due to some much-needed rain for our area, but the other days were done outside. I got my e-bike back from the shop, so I was also able to get some cheater bike workouts commuting back and forth the eight miles to work. They may be pedal-assist rides, but I’m spinning my legs nonetheless.

I moved my Sunday long run to Friday and got in twelve miles in about an hour and 51 minutes. That’s a good sign for possibly going sub-2 hours on the run, but I will need a smart ride to accomplish that. I’m also hoping for a sub-6-hour race overall. I’m hoping that the river swim will push me along quickly.

The plan had another 4.25-hour ride on it, but I had other plans. I opted to just ride for the race distance of 56 miles, heading out for 28 miles, then heading home to see how long it would take me. I held a comfortably hard pace, and the day was not bad. I held an 18 mph average, so that was a good sign.

Since my fellow competitor Karen and I rode the bike course and she suggested that I try Tailwind as my nutrition, I’ve gotten to the point where I’m comfortable using it. I also have been using GU Roctane powder, and neither has resulted in feeling drained while working out. I plan to use them during the race, but will bring some gels just in case.

I’m off to the lake home in northern Wisconsin this next week to get our boat out of storage, as well as putter around the house doing odds and ends. I’m looking forward to being on different trails and routes for a change. Plus, I will bring my wetsuit and get in some open water swims, which is often a benefit for the mind, getting comfortable in swimming in water that isn’t a warm, non-moving pool. I’ll fill you in next week on how that goes, but for now, I’ve got to dive into the Athlete Guide!

Week 14 Totals: Swims 1/1300 yards – Bikes 3/91 miles – Runs 4/31 miles

Birds Of A Feather

IRONMAN 70.3 ROCKFORD TRAINING – WEEK 13 WRAP-UP – June 1, 2025

I like birds for the most part. They rarely cause any trouble for me, and they are fun to watch. I gifted my wife a bird feeder with a camera for her birthday this year, and we have had fun watching the variety of birds stopping by for unlimited seeds.

But there is one bird I hate with all my physical being – the red-winged blackbird. This is the asshole of the bird world. Seeing that I live in Illinois and run through nature preserves on my route, I get to see these jerks on a regular basis. There are two of these birds that nest near a tree alongside the trail that I run on. First comes the hideous call, which is just the precursor to what comes next, the dive-bombing. I don’t regularly get an adrenaline rush while running, but these damn birds give me one every time. And they are very adept at staying exactly above your head so you can’t see them, squawking their little heads off and putting the fear of death into you until you are just far enough out of their territory. All I can do is take my visor off and wave it around, looking like a loon-atic (bird pun) until I am in a safe spot. I guess I can take comfort in knowing that it only lasts FOR THE ENTIRE SUMMER.

Photo credit to Charlie H., which I stole from Facebook without permission.

I saw a post from the local riding group that I ride with by my super-stud friend Charlie, who advised that he was doing a “chill” ride with another rider named Amy for 3.5 hours. A “chill” ride for Charlie should be taken with caution, as he normally has two speeds: all-out and stopped. “Chill” could easily mean 19 mph for him. But I got the sense that Amy was not going to be going super fast, and I decided to join in. I’m glad that I did because it was a fun ride, and I enjoyed meeting Amy. She is doing Boulder 70.3 in two weeks and seems to be experiencing some burnout, just like me. When you get to a certain point in training, you just want to get the race over with. I’m getting close to that point.

Coming back from that long ride, I was stopped at a railroad crossing waiting for a freight train to pass, and just behind me was a 1963 Buick Riviera. As I backed up to ask him about his car, he was instead wanting to know how much riding he would need to do to look like I do! I was a little flattered, as I am as fat right now as I have ever been, but I told him that I was 63 miles into my ride and had about 4 to go. His jaw dropped. Then came the words that I could have anticipated – “I need to do what you do, but I just don’t have the time.” Non-exercisers always have some excuse, and any conversation I have with people who are surprised at how much work I do running and biking will always have that caveat – I don’t have the time. Oftentimes, it is the desire to do the work, but a lack of time is a common excuse. I said to him, “If I had more time, I would be driving around my classic car instead of doing this!”

Training went well this week for me, and I had two strong swims to help boost my confidence a little bit. I have no doubt that I’m prepared for the bike and run, but my swim could use a little more work. Thankfully, my race in Rockford, IL will be current aided, and I am counting on that to not make me work so hard.

Week 13 Totals: Swims 2/2726 yards – Bikes 3/100 miles – Runs 5/35 miles

Break Time

IRONMAN 70.3 ROCKFORD TRAINING – WEEK 12 WRAP-UP – MAY 26, 2025

Sometimes the plan I follow gifts you an easier week, sometimes you have to take it. It was the latter for me this week, as the midweek workouts suffered from the cool and rainy days, forcing me inside to do my workouts, which can be a big downer for me sometimes. This spring has been really weird, and summer seems to be taking its time getting here.

Memorial Day weekend also means a trip up to our lake home in northern Wisconsin, where there is a bunch of chores and work to be done. So, the training this week took a backseat to the weather and the responsibilities of owning a second home.

But that doesn’t mean I sat around doing nothing. Although no swimming was done, I did get in the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday workouts. Thursday was a run that I managed to get outside for and push myself a little too hard. That resulted in some sore hamstrings and a reminder that I need to not race in training. I can sense that I will show up to the 70.3 in four weeks with some soreness that can easily be prevented if I just would have taken it easier.

Friday was a rest day, if you consider sitting in a car with sore legs for 6 hours “resting”. Saturday was for working around the yard, raking leaves, mowing grass, and dragging the deck furniture out of the garage. I also took time to wash our snowmobiles and will need to “summerize” them in a couple of weeks.

Sunday was the gift day, a nice ride on the Bearskin Trail down to the town of Nokomis. I didn’t bring enough water and couldn’t find anywhere to refill the bottles when I arrived. So as you can probably figure, I suffered on the ride back home. Fortunately, the beauty of the Northwoods helped offset the suffering.

I’ll be back at it this week at home, hopefully getting back outside again, and also doing some much-needed swimming. I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day weekend as much as I did.

Week 12 Totals: Swims 0 – Bikes 3/91 miles – Runs 3/16 miles

Wind/Pollen/Dust – Oh My!

IRONMAN 70.3 ROCKFORD TRAINING – WEEK 11 WRAP-UP – MAY 18, 2025

Classic Rock lives in my head, and this week was a little rocky, so here’s the playlist (more like earworms) of this week in training.

Bicycle Race – Queen

I’ve been riding my e-bike pretty regularly to work and back the past couple of weeks. The temps have been warmer, and it hasn’t rained. But my bottom bracket on this bike has been creaking and making popping noises so much that it just can’t be ignored any longer. Thursday did, however, look to possibly have storms in the afternoon, so instead of trying to ride home and then hop on my tribike for an actual workout, I opted to extend my ride commute home and use the e-bike for the workout. I powered it down to the lowest level and rode 20 miles on it, making it home in time to also get in a swim. The storm? It may have rained for 10 minutes in the late afternoon. I took my bike into the local bike shop to have it looked at, but come Monday, I will really just want to ride my bicycle again, even if it is to work and back.

Dust In The Wind – Kansas

Friday was hot, and lately the pollen around the Chicago area has been off the charts. I came home and headed out for my 8.25-mile run. When I got home, there was a weather alert on my phone for a potential dust storm. That storm was something we hadn’t had here, well, in like ever. Fortunately, I only had to deal with the pollen on the run and not the dust, as it would have been miserable.

A screenshot of the brown dust storm heading into Chicagoland.

Against The Wind – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

Me wondering why I didn’t listen to my wife on this crazy windy day.

My “coach wife” Kari was looking at her phone and said, “It looks like your best day for biking this weekend is Sunday.” Great. I have had to move my weekend schedule around so much this training cycle that I was dreading the swap. It means moving the bike to Sunday, which is no big deal, but it puts the typical Sunday long run on Saturday and makes it a back-to-back hard run effort after the Friday run. Did I listen to my wife? No, I chose to ride on Saturday, a day that was cold and windy. Fortunately, the wind would be in my face heading out this time, unlike last week when I suffered trying to make it back home after a long ride. Going out toward the west was hard, but coming back, I was flying. I put in 55 miles on the ride, and then followed it up with a 5-mile brick run. Sometimes you just have to take on the day as it is presented. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, as race day is always a gamble.

The turnaround point for many of us is the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL. It’s hard not to be thankful for the service to our country these lives once gave us when I am here.

Lust For Life – Iggy Pop

I was running that 5-mile brick run and caught up to a runner I see on the trail all the time, and we always share a wave and hello. This time we were running in the same direction when I caught him, and we introduced ourselves and talked about our running plans for the year. Tom, as I learned, is newish at running, but has three marathons under his belt and had a ton of questions about fueling for me as he was trying to figure that part of it out. It really was a high-energy conversation that I enjoyed, and it ended quicker than I wanted it to, as my trail home went opposite of his. He definitely had a lust for life and running, too.

Running On Empty – Jackson Browne

Sunday came, and I was still sore from the 60-mile effort on Saturday. A lot of the time, getting a run workout done when you really don’t want to is to just get dressed and take the first steps out the door. And that’s what I did today. Put my foot outside the door, paraphrasing Robert Plant on Led Zeppelin’s The Ocean. But once out, I could feel the strain of running on tired legs. Running on empty, for sure. I kept putting one foot in front of the other and ended with a nice 10.75 miles. Just get out there, and you might surprise yourself.

That wraps up the soundtrack for the week. I’m sure I will have something in my head next week.

Week 11 Totals: Swims 2/2600 yards – Bikes 3/88 miles – Runs 5/35 miles