The past eight months of hard work all comes down to one day. This Sunday I will be racing IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene out in Idaho. This will be my fourth IRONMAN event, but my first outside of Wisconsin. Ever since I heard about IRONMAN I’ve always had a dream of competing among the worlds best at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. At IRONMAN Wisconsin last year, I fell short of qualifying by seven minutes. Since then I have been determined, no matter how long it takes, to make it there. Sunday is my next chance.

You never know who will show up on race day, so I can’t focus on the other competitors, it’s all about racing my race. For those of you who don’t know, there are 50 slots that are allocated by age group to qualify for the World Championships. My age group gets maybe 2-4 of those. So in order to qualify I have to be in the top 1-4 of my AG.

I have set some pretty high standards and goals for this race, but I think they are very attainable.

Whenever I get worried or anxious about the race, I fall back on the training that I have put in. Wow, in the past 8 months I’ve put in almost 190 hours on the bike, 81 hours in the pool and 97 hours running. Not to mention hundreds of ab and weight lifting sessions.

The race starts at 6:40am (8:40 central time). I expect to finish around 3:40-4:40 (5:40-6:40 central time)

Here’s how to track me on race day and also live coverage of the race and live stream of the swim, bike and finish line: : http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/coverage/live.aspx#axzz35TfsHp5N

Here’s a look at the course maps:

Swim: The two-loop swim, featuring a rolling swim start, takes place in beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene. Athletes exit the water and have a short beach run in between each lap. Water temperatures tend to be in the 60s F.

Bike: Cyclists make two loops through rural northern Idaho. Each loop begins with a scenic ride along the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene and then enters the rolling hills west of the lake.

Run: The spectator support on the run course is the highlight of the race. Athletes will run parallel to the shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene for two loops, with one steep climb at the southern turnaround point.

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I have a lot of people to thank. And I wanted to say thanks before the race because whether I qualify or not, these people have helped me get to where I am. I know I am stronger, faster and more mentally prepared for this race than ever before so thank you to everyone for your support, patience and knowledge.

My coach Joe – I’ve only met him a person a handful of times, but over the past 8 months we have become quite the team. His knowledge of the sport and physiology behind it is amazing. I’ve learned so much from him and we’ve made leaps and bounds with my training. Thanks Joe!

My family – I wouldn’t be where I am today without my family. They are my biggest support system and cheering section for all my races over the past 6-7 years and beyond. I’m sad that they won’t be able to watch in Idaho, but I’m hoping we can all plan a trip to Hawaii this fall. Thank you Mom, Dad, Jeff, Meagan and Shannon. I love you!

My girlfriend Allison – She is the one person who has to listen to me complain about all my bad workouts and injuries over the past 8 months. She has also been there to cheer me on and keep me motivated. She will be my lone cheering section on race day, but if I could only have one person there, it would definitely be her. I love you babe.

Friends – I have such a great support network of friends. Thank you for all the supportive and encouraging words from all my training and races. I wish I lived closer to you all, but how does a vacation to Hawaii sound? Anyone is welcome 🙂

Jackie Arendt – This IRONMAN Champion was my first coach and she continues to give me advice as needed. I wish we could have worked more together, but I learned so much from you and I am inspired by all your amazing finishes. Hope to see you in Kona!

Staff at Endurance House – Justin, Kyle and Brandon helped me so much last year as I was part of the Endurance House IRONMAN team. Thank you all for everything you do, you have created a great community that brings amazing people together.

Erik’s Bike Shop – Almost all my gear I’ve accumulated over the years has come from Eriks. They have been a great supporter of mine for the past 3 years and they have always exceeded my expectations. Thanks especially to Jim and Neil in Madison for being awesome!

TN Marketing: My co-workers have been very supportive of my over my journey. They are all eagar and excited to track my results on Sunday and I’m so thankful to be working at such a great company. Special thanks to Josh, Jim and Bev.

Everyone else: Thank you to all those who I don’t know (blog followers, Facebook fans, etc). It’s amazing to hear such supportive and kind words from absolute strangers. It means a lot.

 

Again, thank you so much to everyone. It means the world to me to have such amazing people in my life. I am truly lucky.

-Eric