70.3

In November of 2008, I struggled to swim 2 lengths of the pool at the Forest City YMCA. I owned a hybrid bike but nothing close to a road or triathlon bike. I was probably about 185 pounds -- not super-overweight but not feeling too healthy either.

Over the last year and a half, though, I've completed two Olympic distance triathlons (.9-mile swim, 24-mile bike and 6.2-mile swim), two half-marathons and a bunch of other races -- including a 105-mile century bike ride.

I did not win any of these races and to be honest, some of my times weren't all that great. But I've finished every single distance that I've attempted. And I've improved.

And so far, that's been enough for me.

Over the winter of 2009-2010, I decided to sign up for the a Half Ironman -- a 1.2 mile open water swim followed by a 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile half marathon run. This was the next distance to try after accomplishing the distance of the olympic triathlon.

I've always been interested in going longer distances and not necessarily concerned about getting faster in the shorter races. The excitement of a new distance and a new challenge has been more thrilling for me than the competitiveness of improving my times.

So after months of training (and a few hiccups in the schedule including the trip to Europe and a poor nutrition plan), I was heading to Lawrence, Kansas, to stay with my aunt and uncle for the two nights leading up to the 70.3 Ironman Kansas race.

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Race morning began at 4:45 am and I was setting up my transition areas in complete darkness along with almost 2,000 other participants. The field included Chrissie Wellington -- the top female triathlete in the world -- and Chris Lieto, one of the top American male triathletes.

The day before had been in the mid-90s but we lucked out on Sunday and saw temps in the 70s and 80s. With my T1 set up and my bike tires freshly inflated, I put on my wetsuit and went to watch the opening heats which included the professional triathletes.

My swim in Clinton Lake almost didn't happen. I was lingering about the starting area when I realized that my heat was about to begin and I had to run to start of the swim and get in the water so I could paddle over to the in-water starting line.

Arriving at the starting area just in time, the gun went off and the race was afoot!

I had a little panic as the swim started. My full-body wetsuit kept me very warm in the 78 degree water (just barely wetsuit legal -- if the water is too warm, wetsuits aren't allowed) and my mind began thinking about getting overheated.

Eventually I just told myself to "Shut up!" and I continued along with the swim. I'm not the greatest swimmer and probably under-trained for the swim. The 47-minute time for 1.2 miles was disappointing to me but pacing was important and I felt good as the bike portion of the race began.

My transition time was quick and my legs felt fresh when I got on the bike. The 56-mile bike seemed really fast as I stayed in the aero position and kept my head down and pedaled hard. I took in a good amount of gatorade, water and gels during my 3-hour bike ride (18 plus mph average).

As the bike concluded, my back ached and I was actually looking forward to running. The first mile of the run was tough because my legs were so stiff from the bike but I loosened them up after 10 minutes of running and after a quick #2 in the porta-potty following the first mile, I felt much better and was ready to roll!

I kept a nice 9 - 9.5 minute per mile pace for the first 6-7 miles. It really did start to get hot and I pushed lots of water at the frequent water/aid stations and also used the cold sponges to cool down.

I was really glad to see Hunter Callanan during the race (even though she was kicking my ass!) because it's nice to have some encouragement from a familiar face -- plus I ran past my mom, aunt, uncle and cousins and they gave me a loud cheer!

The final few miles were very difficult but I kept pushing along and finished the run portion in 2:16 -- concluding the race in just over 6:15.

I was hoping to break 6 hours but my main goal was to finish and I was very proud to complete such a long distance.

Lieto won the men's race in under 4 hours and Wellington won the women's race in just over 4. Amazing!

I was probably 10-15 pounds over my ideal racing weight, my swimming could improve and my running speed is still lacking -- but crossing the finish line was one of the more fulfilling feelings I've had in my life.

I stuffed my face with Chinese food and a couple of beers when I got back to my aunt and uncle's house -- after taking a shower, of course, and scrubbing all the salt off that was literally caked on my legs.

Only fours after the race, I was in my car heading back to Forest City so I could get to work on Monday.

I hope to finish a complete Ironman by the time that I'm 30 but the amount of training time will take a serious commitment from me and I'm not quite ready to make that commitment yet.

However, doing 70.3 miles was the highlight of my 2010 and I'm making some lifestyle changes that will allow me to continue to do these types of races at a faster speed.

I hope to do a marathon still in 2010 -- I haven't done a full marathon since 2005 (my first). I'm doing my first bike races this upcoming weekend. And many more fun days of running, biking and swimming lay ahead this summer and fall.

In the back of my head, I always know if I've worked hard for something or not. If I slack off, I don't achieve a true sense of fulfillment.

But if I work hard and dedicate myself to a task, I achieve a true sense of fulfillment and happiness.

Although I didn't win or even do my first Half Ironman very quickly, I truly feel like I achieved something special.

I pushed myself to a physical limit that was unforeseeable 18 months ago.

70.3 miles is now in the books. 140.6 is now in my sights.

Enjoy the ride (and the swim and the run),
Damm