Ironman Fun in Arizona

This is a brief description of Tony Perkins, Kent (Hammy) Johnson, and Mike (Sharky) Whitesides’ epic adventure on November 16.

First and foremost I want to thank Dave Anderson and all of the TNR riders for contributing to our success in the 2014 Arizona Ironman. Without playful and competitive Tuesday Night Rides, our bike training would not have been as fun or effective.

For those of you who don’t know what an Ironman is, it is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run or sometimes called a 140.6 (2.4 + 112 + 26.2). The World Championships are held in Kona, Hawaii every October. Ironman Arizona is a qualifying event for Kona with 50 slots available. Hammy and I were 1^st timers while Mike was competing in his 4^th Ironman event. Mike was hoping to earn a slot to Kona.

The day started like any other long hard day of competition at 3:45 am. We woke up, quickly ate a small breakfast and departed for the race venue at about 4:30 am. Most of the 3000 racers had the same idea and we got stuck in gridlock traffic as we approached Tempe Town Beach where the whole event unfolded. We got close and Mike decided to drop the car in a questionable parking spot and we walked the rest of the way in. We arrived at about 5:45 am. We split up to do our final checks of our bikes and transition bags, last call bathroom breaks and then tried to relax for a few minutes before we squeezed in to our wetsuits. The gun sounded at 6:45 for the pro men and 6:50 for the pro women. The gun sounded shortly after 7:00 for the other 3000 competitors.

A mass start for the swim is exactly what it sounds like. 2.4 miles of roller derby action in the water. We all had similar experiences in the water with collisions and crowding. For me, it was a difficult swim, not because of the distance but because of the beatings.

Once out on the bike, Hammy and I consistently moved up through the other riders. There are rules that prohibit drafting or blocking so the entire effort is un-aided by other riders. Our average speed for the 112 mile course was about 20 mph. Mike flew through the course at 22 mph. High winds (not by Rexburg standards but by Arizona standards) took its toll on many riders and ultimately caused some to quit or suffer greatly on the run. It was like another TNR wind ride for Hammy and I. We were prepared for worse.

Neither Hammy nor I have ever run a marathon and this race was going to be our first. Fresh legs would have helped, but all things considered, we did fine. Both our times were well under five hours and our overall times in the Ironman were sub 12 hours. That is a top 20% finish among all other racers. Mike posted an impressive finish time of 9:45 and was 59^th overall and 7^th in his age group. Sadly he missed an invite to Kona since there were only 6 allocated slots. 

The entire race was amazing and still a bit unbelievable. Special thanks and highest praise to our family and friends who supported us at the race. Crazy long races like Lotoja, the Crusher, this Ironman and others prove that we can do more than seems possible with the proper training, support and attitude. Will we ever do another one? No word on that at this time.