Outdoor Knoxville

I recently competed in Ironman Boise 70.3 in Idaho. While I have been competing in triathlons for a few years now this one was exceptional. Boise is an outdoor lovers town. Tons of paddling both flat and whitewater, tons of biking, and trail running. A local said thay had over 105 miles of singletrack starting in town. The Greenway system extended over 30 miles from one end to the other taking you out to Lucky Peak Reservior. This was the start of the 2pm race.

Picture this a small body of water surrounded by grassy/shrubby hills and mountains. The water temp was 63 degrees but felt like 40 and thunderstorms were blowing in so it made the water exceptionally wavy. I was in the 7 wave and extremely nervous getting in the water, but I did. After going through the panic stages of feeling like I was having a heart attack and dying, I took off my neoprene swim cap and was able to struggle my way around the loop. Following the frigid swim, I ran to my bike and tried to thaw out to prepare for the 56 mile bike ride ahead of me and listened to the announcer yell about all the storms around us heading this way and he hoped it would dry off before "he" rode (in a car) to town.

I have to say, despite being wet the whole ride, this was the most spectacular road ride I have ever been on. We rode out into the country side of Boise. Nothing but land for miles and miles. We could see several storms moving around us of all sizes. It seemed like we were weaving in and out of them, almost like we were playing dodge ball. Once I got back into town, it was time to start the 13.1 mile run.

I was excited to run because this is the one part I had trained for. I felt GREAT! I think I consumed 10 oranges the whole time, but felt like a kid playing in the rain, stomping through puddles, giving high fives as we went through the crowds on the streets and knowing I was going to get to eat and drink whatever I wanted when I finished because that is the reason we do these, right??
When I finished and was waiting in line to get out of the area, a man finished. He was paraplegic and had the biggest smile on his face. He had just finished a 70.3 mile race not only did he bike, but he swam 1.2 miles and arm cranked the 13,1 miles. AMAZING!!! As tough as I thought it was and the ups and downs I experienced while racing did not matter at this point, this man is a hero, he is against all odds and overcame everything to compete. His face alone was a blessing and made it a very humbling experience for me. I did not get to speak to him, but I did not need to because his facial expressions where enough for me. I have asked myself a hundred times over, if I could do that. He is truly an Ironman regardless of the distance.