A great weekend of racing was just had!

What a great weekend it has been for our firefighters. Lots of racing and wins for everyone. The +Mt. Borah Custom team uniforms look great!


#teamfirefighter #firefighterfitness #fire #iaff
+Road ID +David McQuillen +TrainingPeaks +Rudy ProjectUSA +LifeProof 

Welcome to 2015!

As we ring in the new year, 8 of our Team Firefighter athletes are starting off on the right foot.
Eight TFFers are down in sunny (but cold) Florida running in the annual "Dopey Challenge" at Walt Disney World. In no particular order:

Jazz Zombo, Running in firefighting gear with Air-pack
Jamie Champion
Jim Williams
Dave Dushkin
Luke D. Lewis
Mike Pozika
Mark Cowderoy
Jeff Patrow



The races take place over 4 days and consists of a race each day, getting progressively longer. It starts with a 5K, then goes to a 10K, a Half-marathon, then a Marathon. As you can see, the collection of medals for the weekend is quite impressive.

Day 1: The 5K

As you can see from our pictures, spirits are high on the first day, even though the races start at the literal butt crack of dawn.
Everyone had a great time before, during, and after the race.

We will keep you all updated on their progress as the days go on with a final recap after the maraton on Sunday! Stay safe and warm, brothers and sisters!

Jazz, Jeff, Dush, and Jamie

Jazz and Jamie

Jeff finds a way to combat the wind chill

Below freezing is shorts and t-shirt weather for Canadian Mark

Luke packed all the essentials

Team Photo

Aloha!

Aloha everyone! Today is the Ironman World Championship race from Hawaii! Team Firefighter is proud to have member Brendan Corcoran representing in this years race.

Brendan qualified for the "Big Island" race at Ironman Mont Tremblant this year, coming in 5th in his age group!

We are all extremely proud of you and are sending our best wishes for a great race!

To follow Brendan or any other athlete, go to Ironman.com and use the link below to watch the live stream starting at noon EST.

#teamfirefighter #iaff #fire #ironman #kona

September 6 and 7th, 2014

Another great weekend for Team Firefighter!

Florida member Jazz Zombo completed the Stephen Stiller Tunnels to Tower 5k in her full firefighting gear with airpack.

Marius Laursen from South Dakota completed a Half Marathon with a time of 2:16 on Sunday.

+Benjamin Racho completed the Westport Kiwanis Sprint Triathlon run by +Trifitness   in 53:46 and shaved 7 minutes off of his previous time on the same course.

All in all a great weekend for racing!


#firefighterfitness #fire #triathlon #teamfirefighter #tunneltotowers #westport  

 

     Team Firefighter would like to welcome +LifeProof as one of our newest sponsors! #Lifeproof makes the best protective cases for your iPhone, iPad, and Samsung smart phones. 

    

     Make sure you check out their products which are some of the highest rated in the industry at www.lifeproof.com and check out some of the pictures and videos taken with lifeproof cases. The underwater ones are amazing!

 

 

#triathlon #firefighterfitness #teamfirefighter #lifeproof #fire

Race report from Waconia HITS full Tri. 

     I went into this race with the mind set to actually race and not just do it to finish so I had no idea how it would turn out. Rachel Zambrano you inspired me to do this n you will remember when I explain. In Austin when we ran the Marathon Rachel had gut problems from pre-race dinner. Well she was talking with my wife at some point when I was not around n asked my wife if I was holding back n had more left. Not sure what my wife said but I believe Rachel said his race results never reflect that. Which is true. So I decided to race it. Thanks Rachel for helping me PR. I PR'd by one hour twenty two minutes.
     August weather here can be brutal n humid so when I got up n got to be time for swim start it was cloud cover n fairly decent temp. Swim went well. Nice clean lake n calm. It was a two loop swim n they had us come out of the water n run a ways on the beach n back in at the start for our second loop. The half started at the same time. My swim time was 1:17:58. 9 minutes faster then IM WI last September. I was very happy with my swim. T1 3:12 n off on the bike.
     The bike is my strongest leg. It was a four 28 mile loop coarse. Went out hard and kept it going for two loops. Third loop was still hard but toned it down a bit. A few of the roads were bumpy n had no shoulder so traffic had to go around you. Roads kept rattling my bottle cages loose and I lost a full bottle of nutrition n almost lost my second one but noticed it had fallen out n went back about 100 yards to pick it up. This happened on my third loop so I really needed that nutrition as miles were adding up. Nice thing about 4 loops you went by your special needs bag three times which was nice. Other than having bottle cage issues bike went well. 5:20:14. I ranked 19th in the swim and 1st on the bike. I had no idea out on the coarse because they ran the full n half together. Wish they would have had a way on bike n run to identify half n full athletes. Passed a lot of people n never got passed by anyone. I was nervous I had gone to hard on the bike n would have nothing left for the run. My running is not fast n I need to work on that.
    

T2 2:30 and off and running. As soon as I got off my bike the sun came out n it got hot n humid. Run was brutal. Out n back twice for the full. 6.55 miles. I decided to not wear my fuel belt like I did in WI. The aid stations were not as often as Ironman events n I needed more at some points in the race. Quads started cramping about two miles into run n I thought oh well swim n bike went well. Kept running n that went away. Pounded water n coke at every stop. Crammed ice in my Tri top n used the sponges to wet head n neck down. I always try not to get my feet wet but it was impossible not to. I had a fresh pair of socks n shoes in my special needs bag half way. That felt awesome for about 4 miles n they were soaked with everything dripping off me from trying to stay cool. Was in third place till around mile 22 then got passed. Finished run in 4:57:04. Need work on my run. Ended up 6th overall n 5 th in the males. 1st in my age group. Total time 11:41:01. Very happy with my race.

What a weekend for Team Firefighter! This past weekend we had two of our firefighters complete full distance triathlons.

Firefighter +Pat Hamler competed in the #HITS triathlon series in Waconia, MN. His results were amazing, nabbing 1st in his age group and 5th place overall!

Our other story is about Firefighter +Brendan Corcoran, who was at Ironman Mont Tremblant this weekend. His performance in the race earned him a 5th place in his age group, which also has qualified him to compete in the +Ironman Triathlon World Championship at #Kona !

Congratulations to both of our athletes on amazing performances this weekend and Team Firefighter will see you in Hawaii!

A big thanks to all our Team Firefighter sponsors whose support has helped our two firefighters achieve such amazing feats this weekend.
+XTERRA Wetsuits +Road ID +David McQuillen +TrainingPeaks +Mt. Borah Custom +TriSports Tempe +SolRx CA +Rudy ProjectUSA +Duro Tire, Honey Stinger #HSHIVE, Boston Common Coffee, Infinit Nutrition, Flexr Sports, Wheelbuilder.com, RaceDay Transport, and Running Warehouse

Ricardo Alamo - Ironman Louisville 2013

Race morning came quick. It was 4 am and I was up before any of the 3 alarms that I set went off. Get it done! I told myself and then began with my pre race routine shower, PB & J sandwich and some coffee.

I was feeling good about my race the weather had been good the entire week that I was in Louisville and I had scoped out the course so I knew what to expect. I grabbed my swim cap, goggles and woke Mina up to let her know I was off she said she loved me wished me luck and that she would be there to see me come out of the water. 

I made my way to the transition area which was a half mile walk from the hotel to set up my bike and nutrtion. The walk was quiet even though there were hundreds of triathletes and spectators on the narrow road along the river. Everyone looked focused and serious. I tried to smile strike up a few conversations but nobody was really wanting to have small talk.

Finally I made my way into transition found my bike checked the tire pressure and added my race day nutrition then walked another mile to the swim start. 
The swim start is different than any other Ironman it's not a mass start rather you line up single file and jump off a boat dock one at a time, last year it took about 45 minutes to get all the athletes in the water, so they encourage the slow swimmers to line up as early as possible. I heard of some athletes arriving at 1 am to stand in line but I didn't think that I needed the extra time so I decided to take a risk get some extra sleep and try to arrive at the swim start by 5:30 am hoping to end up somewhere in the middle.

When I got to the swim start the line was really long and  I was starting to get a lil discouraged because I didn't want to be the last person in line.  I made my way towards the back of the line and was trying to count how many people were in front of me so that I could get an idea of were I was. Then finally I reached the end of the line, a sigh of relief, my risk worked I had positioned myself in a good spot. While I was standing in line, I saw Lito walking by and it was great to finally see a familiar face. "hey Lito buenos dias man let me get out of line y me espero con togo" I spoke span english to Lito. I met Lito while dinning at the hotel he had a short build to him looked very athletic and had a heavy accent he was from Puerto Rico and was here to complete his first Ironman. We had shared a few meals together and talked about our journeys his home and the Ironman course. So I got out of my position in line and walked maybe about 20 yards to the end to stand in line with Lito. It was about 6 am and the start was about an hour away. 

Because of how far away my position was from the swim start it was hard to hear any announcements. I remember thinking this kinds sucks I won't hear the national anthem or any of the morning opening ceremonies. Then I heard a loud BOOOOM! the sound of the start connon and Ironman Louisville had officially started. The line was moving pretty quick and as I approached the swim start I looked over at Lito and gave him a high five and said  "lets kick some ass" he replied "lets get it done man." As I approached the dock the music was playing and the crowd was gathered around the athletes making their way towards the jump off spot. I felt like a fighter making my way into the ring with the crowd lining the path and the other athletes as my entourage. Then finally I jogged down the walk way towards the end of the doc and jumped into the warm Ohio River. 

The water felt warm at 82 degrees and as I was slowly resurfacing after my jump…..Bam! Someone had jumped on top of me and pushed me back down. It caught me off guard and I began to panic as I fought my way back to the top of the river to get some air. When I finally resurfaced I gasped for oxygen and caught my breath. My neck and back were not feeling good and I was a lil shook up. But I just started to swim. I remember doing breathing drills during my swim workouts and I just treated this as a breathing drill till I could compose myself and get into a groove. About 500 yards into my swim I looked at my garmin and I was moving super slow. It was discouraging. But then I realized that I was swimming up river and that when I hit the turnaround spot my splits would get better as I would be swimming down stream. The swim went ok the rest of the way. My neck and back were in pain from getting jumped on but I was able to just get it done. 

Finally, I arrived at the swim finish and exited the water made the short jog over to the transition area and glanced into the crowd looking for my lil Mina but didn't see her. I grabbed my gear bag made my way into the tent, changed, grabbed my bike and off I went on my 112 mile journey. The bike ride has a lot of rolling hills and a few climbs. However, the first 10 miles are pretty flat. I felt good but decided to not push hard rather just take it easy and get into my cycling groove.

About an hour into the bike ride I made it to the first climb and was doing good staying on top of my nutrient and my hydration. Wasn't going for a bike PR rather just a smooth ride and my focus was to have a good marathon. At about mile 20 I came up to the first aid station cooled myself, the heat was starting to raise and so was the humidity, got fresh water and gatoraid and kept riding. Shortly after while descending I hit a pot hole on and my water went flying and there was no way that I was going to be able to get it back. This was not good because I was probably about 45 minutes to the next aid station. So i conserved my gatoraid and used it to hydrate. I made it to the next aid station and filled up with water and continued on. But my stomach was starting to feel funny because of the gatoraid and I could not get any food down. I decided to just focus and hydrating and evaluating my digestive system at the next aid station.  

At about mile 56 I finally started to feel caught up on my fluids and my stomach started to settle to the point were I could get some food down. I got through the next 14 miles pretty smooth and I was starting to relax and settle into a groove.
Before I could get comfortable a really sharp pain started on my left foot and felt as if the side of my foot was about to snap off. I could not tolerate my foot inside my cycling shoe. Somehow the clips shifted forcing my foot sideways and I was using the side of my foot to push down on the pedals. I had no choice but to pull over and try to figure out what was going on. I could not bear any weight on my left foot. So I decided to ride with my foot outside my shoe and try to power through to see if the pain would subside. It was a slow push. The heat and humidity of Louisville were slowly creeping up on me as well.

I made a decision to stop and try to regroup because I also started to feel dehydrated, fatigued and I was still a distance from another aid station. After a few minutes I just  decided to try and pedal through the pain and keep moving forward. The only way to continue was to start taking it one minute at a time sometimes 15 seconds "ok just tolerate this pain for 15 seconds and you can pull over" "Ok I can hang another 15 seconds" "give me another mile" I kept talking myself through the pain the fatigue and the thirst. Because I had spent so much time focusing on my foot I had run low on my hydration and nutrition. Finally at about mile 80 I made it to an aid station and pulled over to try and regroup. I felt like shit I was limping and could not put any weight on my left foot. I knew that I also had to hydrate and get some food down.

Then I began to doubt myself and gave myself an out: I thought you can give up there is no way your going to run a marathon with your foot feeling this way why finish up the bike just tap out. I began to cry and then I thought of a quote by Eric Thomas " don't cry to give up keep going! don't cry to quiet! Your already in pain get a reward from it!" I wiped the tears and got on that bike and rode. 

My foot was hurting really bad but I had hydrated enough and ate enough at that aid station that I was no longer fighting dehydration and fatigue just foot pain. I began to again take it minutes and seconds at a time and before I knew it I was at mile 90. Only 22 miles till the bike finish and again the heat and humidity had sucked the water right out of me and the fatigued made it difficult to pedal up the short rolling hills. But I kept going and pushing through the  Ironman war zone. I could see the casualties on the side of the rode laying next to their bike tapped out done for the day. I kept asking "you Ok" and I would get a nod or a thumbs up. I just kept fighting. I fought for every inch and every pedal stroke and again I would take it minutes even seconds at a time. "ok ride for 15 seconds and you can pull over and lie down if you want" "come on get it done! get it done!" and just like that mile 110 came up and I began to sob. . I had been broken down so much mentally and physically and pulled through it that I was overcome with so much emotion. 

As I rode into transition I saw Mina standing on the side of the rode by herself. Her face lit up and she was so happy to finally see me. "OMG dad where  have you? Ive been trying to find you all day" as she ran along the rode trying to snap a picture. It felt good to finally see her too. She had no idea what I just went thorough and seeing her was my reward. of course I began to cry. With tears running down my face I pulled into transition and the volunteer grabbing my bike said "don't cry your in a good position you didn't miss the bike cut off and you have plenty of time to finish" I replied " I almost gave up out there it was a fight to get here and I just saw my daughter I'm just overcome with emotion right now." he high fived me and told me to keep going. 

Getting of the bike felt so good they could of told me that they were dumping the bike in the garbage and I would of been ok with that. I slowly made my way to the changing tent and my left foot was throbbing really bad. I could barley walk. I thought how the french Im i going to run a marathon like this, changed into my running gear and made my way out to the run course. Lil Mina was standing at the run start. I think she could see the look on my face that I was thinking of throwing in the towel because she didn't even give me a chance to say anything to her. She said "dad if you only knew what I went through today to try and see you on the bike! Ill see you at mile 13 ok dad bye" and off she went. So she didn't leave me with any other options other than to at least make it to mile 13. The first mile was painful feeling defeated and I had 25.2 to go.

How could I finish in time walking a 17 min mile pace and the clock was not on my side. Cross the finish line in under 17 hours or it doesn't count. I had about 6 hours and 40 minutes to get it done. Then I thought about fireman Rob. He walks these marathons in full turnouts and moves quickly. I remember watching him walk in Arizona so I knew that walking a marathon at a good pace was possible. So I just started to walk fast. I looked at my garmin and it was reading 4.4 miles per hour. I figured if I kept this pace id be able to make the cut off. My foot was still in pain and I was fatigued from the bike ride but I kept walking.

The marathon is a 2 looped course 8 miles out the first loop then back 6 out 6 back 6.  When I made it to mile 4 I saw Lito walking back on  the  other side. "hey Lito" I was happy to see him I thought he had a great day and was on his last lap heading to the finish area. He had this look on his face as if he was in pain he looked at me and said "it hurts man" I told him "dale dale sige moviendote!" go go keep on moving. Seeing a familiar face gave me some inspiration and  I kept moving forward as well at a fast walk. At mile 8 I heard the beep from the tracking device and I thought of everyone at home fallowing me how they probably were on the edge of their seats cheering me on. I was at  the first turnaround and I was heading back towards mile 13. I tried to run but it aggravated the blisters on my feet. So i just kept walking fast. 

Finally made it to mile 13 and Mina was there to great me with a sign and a smile. "Hey dad smile" as she took a picture. "Dad do you need anything can I get you a coke?" "no honey I'm good" I replied. "Ok dad see you on the other side" and I kept walking I knew that I was racing the clock and that I didn't have much time to talk. At this pace If I continued Id be able to make the cutoff and finish. At about mile 16 the blisters on my feet were so bad and painful that I started to slow down. I could not hold that fast walk anymore. Then the doubt came back. Well this is it your done then I saw Lito I thought oh man that last loop was his first loop he is also having a tough time. He said something but I couldn't hear him and I yelled at him "just keep moving"   again he gave me some motivation and I refused to give up not after what I conquered on that bike ride.

So i began to fight. "ok walk for 15 seconds and you can take a break" then I knew I had to start running to make up some of the lost time from walking to slow. Ok run a quarter mile then you can walk slow. Inch by inch I fought and fought and made it to mile 20. It was dark out and all you could see were neon lights that athletes had around their neck and I was no longer looking at a marathon ahead of me. All that was between me and that finish line was a 10k and I had 90 minutes to get it done. I felt that I could finally take a gamble and just run. So I started to run. Id run for about half mile then walk a quarter mile then run half a mile till I made it to mile 24. 
I couldn't believe that I had made it this far. I thought "I'm gonna get it done" At this point I started to jog and I felt like everyone who was watching me at home, were on the side of  the lonely streets of downtown Louisville cheering me on bringing me home. I could see your faces it was a surreal experience.  

When I turned the corner and I could see the bright lights and hear the crowd.  . I had reached my destination and  I began to cry because I thought of the time 2 years ago when I was 310 pounds, couldn't stop drinking and wanted to end my life. I was so happy that I chose to live that I chose to change my lifestyle most importantly I had realized that even though life growing up wasn't the greatest I had one of the greatest blessing in the world my lil Mina and I couldn't wait to see her at the finish line. I made my way down the shoot and enjoyed the crowed. It was loud and high fives everywhere. When I crossed the finish line, I took a bow because it was a great performance and pointed to everyone at home watching me to thank them for the support and I raised my arms up in victory!

 "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.
Vince Lombardi"

Max Dale Christensen - Bio

1) Age - 39
2) State (location) - NJ
3) Fire Department - New Milford
4) Why you race and how/when you got started. - Love the personal challenge and comradery with fellow participants. 2007
5) Current Goals - evaluating at the moment...
6) Podiums, PR's - all my race results are listed on athlinks and Favorite races - pretty much love them all..

If you have a blog - www.maxdale.com I do RD a local 5k in my town that actually benefits our FD here's that link, www.newmilfordrun.com

Athlinks race results link- http://athlinks.com/racer/28204134

Wildflower Race Report

 First off I must say that I love this event. It has everything that is cool about triathlon. The atmosphere is amazing, lots of first timers and tons of crowd support. My amazing wife allowed me to go down as a boys trip so I drove the trailer down on Wednesday with plenty of time to get a good spot and be ready for the race. On Thursday Morning I woke up and enjoyed some coffee at the trailer by Transition. I then noticed that returning champion Jesse Thomas and his beautiful wife Lauren Fleshman walk by. I chatted with them for a while. They are both really genuine and nice people. Thursday was hot and my plan was to stay off my feet all day. So, with power in the trailer I watched movies with the AC on. It was great. Godfather, Rudy, and Wedding Crashers. Love it!

 Friday my buddy Eric showed up and we went for a little ride and swim. Got our gear together and met up with some friends that we haven’t seen in awhile. Got a good prep in and was ready for my race on Saturday. I was a little worried about this race. Wildflower is a tough course and my training this pre-season has been less than consistent. However, I was looking forward to a good ass-kicking to motivate me for Tahoe. I slept great on Friday night and woke up ready to go. Setup transition and put the wetsuit on and got in the corral. The swim was really uneventful. I felt good but not great. My mind tends to wander and I slow down but I was focused and came out of the water and was a little disappointed with 34 minutes.

 I had a good transition and quickly got out on the bike. Wildflower bike course is pretty hilly and on the second mile is a pretty steep hill. I was spinning up it with the goal of keeping my heart rate low this early in the day when I saw a very good looking woman topless holding a sign that said “Hey! My eyes are up here!” Needless to say my HR goal was not achieved. I immediately chalked up my race as a success regardless of the rest of the day.  I felt like I did a good job following my plan of holding back until mile 40. My nutrition was good and I was feeling fresh. On mile 40 I kicked up the wattage and attacked the hills. I beat my previous best on this bike course by ten minutes. It was still slower then my goal of three hours however, I felt good going into T2 and this run course can suck the life out of you. Bike split of 3:08
 

My transition was quick and I was out on the course. I felt a little warm but overall I was feeling good. The first couple of miles went by and even though my Garmin was not working I could tell I was in the 8 to 8:30 mile pace and feeling good. The first hill slowed me down a little but I still felt confident I would finish the run in 2 hours or less. Then I hit the trail and the wheels fell off. I started to cramp up a little in my quads and my mental game broke down. Almost all of the competitors around me slowed way down on the trail where there is little to no crowd support. I should have taken this opportunity to attack but instead I joined them and it cost me a lot of time. I walked almost all of the hills on the trail and at mile seven when we got back into the campground I realized it was only mental that was making me walk. I could run on. So, I picked it up and finished the rest of the race only walking on the “Pit.” I finished with a disappointing 6:09. You can tell on my finishers picture that I was not very happy with my performance. However, the weekend was a blast. I will be back to show that course what I can do! We spent the rest of the day relaxing and hanging out with new and old friends. It was great. I met a lot of firefighters from Santa Barbara and San Diego that are interested in joining the team.

IronMan Los Cabos

Rick Van Tuyl...
I thought I would be writing a race report about how I qualified for UltraMan Canada by finishing in under 14 hours and 30 minutes. But instead, it's a tale of things that happen when you travel to races and do not pace correctly on the bike.
My wife is kind of tired of watching/waiting for me at races. Although, when I told her about IronMan Cabo, she said without any hesitation "I'd watch you race in Cabo". With that, she booked her timeshare and told me to sign up. I've been to Cabo a handful of times and love it down there. I actually thought this would not be too expensive of a race as we were already going there for her Spring-Break. Well, it was. I've raced in Arizona and Hawaii and it was very easy to get whatever food that I needed, but, not so much in Mexico. I did the best I could, but if I do this race again (I probably will) I would book a condo instead of a hotel room so I could cook my own food.
We arrived on Fri. afternoon, checked in and I went to register and listen to the athlete meeting. On Sat., we boarded a bus to take my bike and bike/run bags to T1. Once there, the ocean was beautiful. I tried to stay off my feet as best I could, but it was hard to eat a good dinner at our hotel. I slept pretty good, got up early, ate and then went to T1 a few miles by bus. My goals for the race was to swim comfortable, ride moderately, and run 4 min/walk 1min.
As soon as the horn sounded, a wave came crashing in. I thought it was kind of funny because it was just shore break, nothing to worry about. The swim went ok, 1:24:22. I was hoping for 1:15-1:20. Some people think the swim was about 500 yards long, I agree as I would have hit my time target. As,the bike started, I was surprised to be ring with a 20-30 mph head/cross wind. I was also surprised by the rolling hills. I thought I paced good, got to the turn around and picked it up with a tailwind. The crowds were awesome. I've never raced with such energy. Once off the main highway, there is a steady 25 min. climb, followed by about 30 min. of rollers in a steady decline aided by the tailwind. What goes down fast, comes back up SLOWLY. At mile 56 and special needs, I new I was in trouble, I really tried to ride easy. I was not able to eat anything the last 2 hours of the bike. I threw up, and knew I was in deep trouble. The last long climb, I just kept saying to myself "don't stop, cuz if you do, you won't finish". I got into T2 and just sat in a chair for a while. Ok, about 10 min. I exited and saw my wife. She looked at me and knew I was hurting. She asked how I was, and I replied "f#cked". She said "be safe". I modified my plan a few times, then figured I would walk the rest of the first lap, about 5 miles and then resume running. The run is a mind-screw. It's three laps, great crowd support for about 3-4 miles, but then does an out back and not many spectators. But the most brutal part comes at the finishing chute, if you're finishing, you stay to the right and finish. If not, stay left and make a u-turn about 50 yards from the finish line. As I started my second lap, I saw my wife and her parents. My wife started walking with me and then said she would walk with me if I wanted her to. I said sure and she went to our hotel to change as I went about on the course. When I got to the turn, she had her running shoes and shorts on. We walked and talked with each other as well as other racers in the hurt box too. As we were coming up back into town, I told her to get me some food. Pizza, a quesadilla, anything. She offered the guy that was walking with us something also, but he declined. We met up and she got my a quesadilla. It was as dry as a rice cake. We kept walking and I knew I was going to finish before midnight.
I know there are a few reasons why I could be DQ'd, but I wasn't. I have a wonderful wife. After the swim, she ran about 5 miles to the hotel, and then walked about 16 miles with me. Lessons I learned. When traveling to race, try to stay were there is a kitchen, at least until the race is over, so you can eat what you are use to eating. Even if you think you're pacing correctly on the bike, it's probably too hard. At least for me it is. IronMan is like life, it isn't always easy, it doesn't always go as planned, but if you keep moving forward, you'll get to your destination.

IM Ca 70.3

Rick Van Tuyl...

On March 30, I raced IM Ca 70.3, just 13 days after finishing (It started as a race and ended up just finishing). I had a really fast swim. I completed the 1.2 miles in 33:05. I think it was a short course because I'm usually around 37-38 min. and I have been doing any swim focused training. I just concentrated on a long smooth stroke. I had a very conservative effort on the bike and came in with a 3:03:19. I really tried to hold back on the bike after my race in Cabo so that I could implement my run/walk strategy. Every 5 min. I drank either water or eFuel and I ate a rice ball every hour starting 30 min. into the ride. I came off the bike and felt good. My plan was to run 4 min. and walk 1 min. I also kept the same liquid schedule as I did for the bike and I had a Honey Stinger Chew every 10 min. I was ale to complete the run in 2:13:00. My total time was 6:00:14. I finally had a good race. I controlled the things I could, kept a positive outlook, and I did not have to many things go wrong. 

Jimmy Koppert - LeadMan 250

Leadman Epic 250 Bend, OR Race Report (9/22/12)

About the LeadmanTri Bend Race Course

 5K Swim — Voyage Across the Cultus
LeadmanTri Bend starts with a brisk swim in Cultus Lake. A deep, mountain lake at the base of Mount Cultus, it is filled with crystal clear water that is expected to be approximately 64 degrees on race day. The course will be two 2.5K laps along the shoreline. Swimmers will exit the water after lap one and pass an aid station before returning to the water for lap 2.
 223K Bike — Trek Round Mount Bachelor
One of the most scenic and challenging courses in the sport of triathlon, the LeadmanTri Bend course climbs over the Bachelor pass not once but twice, with 1.5 laps around Mt. Bachelor. Athletes will have spectacular views of the summit, several mountain lakes and the shores of the Deschutes River. The bike finishes with a 16-mile descent into Bend.
 22K Run — Tetherow Dash
The run course takes you out and back along the Deschutes River, through the majestic Tetherow Golf Club, and finishes crossing over the pedestrian bridge into the Events Plaza in the Old Mill District of Bend. The entire course is known for its old growth, large Ponderosa Pine, Douglas fir and western White Pine, sometimes rising to 120 feet (37m) tall.

Race Report

The alarm was going off and the music of Jack Johnson was to thank for that. It was the BIG day! I looked over at my brother and there were no words spoken, maybe because it was 3:45AM! I had already set out my morning outfit and it looked like I was headed to the snow. After getting all things packed up in the van I was off to where the shuttle busses were. I jumped on and tuned out listening to my music. The bus ride was scheduled to take roughly 45mins to the start of the swim (Cultus Lake) The funny things was that our bus driver got lost and it took us 1 Hour and 30mins. Everyone on the bus thought we would miss the start, that was until we realized that the course officials were sitting behind us! After the fun detour we got to Cultus Lake and set up T1 and got the wet suits on. I was not showing it but WOW was I nervous. My brother and I stayed with each other and with 15 mins before the start of my wave was in the water surrounded by nervous souls and pros (Jordan Rapp & Matt Lieto to name a couple) Before the start my brother and I had our game plan... stay with one another and grab someone's feet! 10..9..8..7..6...5...4..3..2..BOOM the 5K Swim was underway! Months of preparation and races lead to this moment to get my BELT BUCKLE!!!! The swim was a two loop course and buoys were placed every 50 yards which helped with my sighting. After the first loop we were to get out of the water and loop around the timing mat, I did so and looked behind me and my brother was nowhere to be found. I was nervous because I did not know if he went ahead of me was stuck in the back. Without hesitation I dove back into the water and started out for my second and final loop, I found myself in a nice rhythm and was enjoying the swim surprisingly. Just like my workouts I tried and negative split my second half of the swim to the first half. Finishing up the second loop I ran out of the water and up to the changing tent, It was a chilly morning and I knew at the high altitude that I would need to put on some warm clothes. I spend total of 7 mins and 18 seconds stripping down and dressing up. I ran right over to my bike and my coach was there saying  "Great job" my first words were "Where is my brother?!" I looked over where he placed his bike and it was still there, so I knew I was ahead of him :) I jumped on my bike ready to head out for the 223K bike ride! I felt great on the bike, a little chilly but was in a good position and was flying, in the back of my head I was thinking "Where is my brother, he is a little faster on the bike than I am and thought he would catch up." It was a beautiful course, I was in good shape through the first 90 miles to the top of Mt. Bachelor, I looked at my average speed at it read 24.8MPH!!! I was PUMPED! That second time up Mt. Bachelor got me, my MPH were declining rapidly, I was afraid of this the BONK was setting in! My body was telling me to stop and my mind was saying "NEVER GIVE UP!" I kept going and stopped a few times up the top of Mt. Bachelor. I stopped once for about 10 seconds and one fit guy passed me and had encouraging words for me, "ROCKY BALBOA, NEVER GIVE UP!" I jumped on my bike and kept a decent pace into T2. In the back of my mind I kept thinking, "Where the HELL is my brother?!" As I came into T2 I raced over to my bag and saw my Dad, Sister, Coach, and my BROTHER! As I ran over there I could see my brothers arm wrapped up and knew he took a spill. As I get over to my bag my brother says, "Jimmy I CRASHED, but your going to get the BELT BUCKLE!!" I got a rush of adrenaline, changed into my running gear and was off out of the tend to start the 22K run. I don't know what it is about crowds, but I get a rush or energy and my first 2 miles were around 8min miles, that would change. The run course takes you out and back along the Deschutes River, through the majestic Tetherow Golf Club, and finishes crossing over the pedestrian bridge into the Events Plaza in the Old Mill District of Bend! The best thing that happened during the run was a gentleman and myself had the same pace working with us and we ran together the whole way. We even ran an extra mile off course and looked at each other and earned around and said "Keep going, we got this!" With a quarter of a mile left, I could see my brother and him yelling "The finish is right over the bridge!" My brother ran to the finish with me and when I crossed I looked up with arms in the air! I FINSIHED!!! About 20 seconds later my running partner and friend Brian Holthus crossed and we high fived each other and then got our medals!!!

Leadman Epic 250 Splits

http://results.milliseconds.com/participants/detail/806945390

Here is the Leadman Epic 125/250 Offical Video!!!!!!!!

At 45 seconds into the video you can see my brother and I thumbs up and smiles on our face ready to have some fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WegtwCm-F00

Superior Man 70.3 Duluth MN August 26, 2012

Superior Man 70.3 Duluth MN August 26, 2012

 Jeff Patrow

Getting the final things packed in the truck and all I was missing was my Team Firefighter tri kit. I knew it was shipped, but I hadn't gotten it yet. It should have already been there. So it was time to take my son to the Grandparents house for the weekend and when I left, my wife was still getting ready. Well, I got home and there was a note on the front door. I thought maybe since the wife’s car was gone that she left me a note. NOPE!! Fed Ex was there, and they needed a signature for the package. Damn!!! Missed them by 10 minutes. So we headed north for the 2 hour ride. Checked out the town a little on Friday and prepared for the big day. Saturday came, got an early run in then it was time for packet pick-up and bike drop off. Sunday morning came quick, got dressed and everything put in my bag, put the Road ID on and got the FLEXR bottles filled with some fluids, and away we went to the start. It was a little cool at the start of the swim but not bad considering the water was colder. My Xterra wetsuit kept me going despite the cold water. The swim is a big psychological monster for me since I have never been the best swimmer, but over the last year I have gained enough confidence to know that I can make it this distance. Well the monster was in the water when I jumped in. With no pre-race swim or dunking in the water, I was a little nervous (did I mention our start was off the back of a boat). So needless to say I finally got into a rythym and I made it back to the water exit, not a very impressive time (58:51) but I made it. The Bike was next up. I was a little sluggish out of the water, but quickly got my legs back.  Even with some hills it was a fast ride out to the turn because of the stiff wind pushing me along, then a slower ride on the way back, but the view riding back along the north shore of Lake Superior was amazing and that kept me going. I finished the bike in 3:02:55. I am very happy with that, would have loved to break that 3 hour mark, but I have to start somewhere. Then the final 13.1 miles came around. I actually felt good coming off of the bike, and was ready to go on the run. The heat might have gotten to me a little, but I just kept hitting the aid stations and that kept me going. So in 2:27:09 I finished the 13.1 and finished the 70.3 in 6:37:55. The best part is I finished, even better I'm gonna do it again.

Freak 5K

Freak 5K

Saturday September 22, 2012

The Freak 5K is a 5k mud run/obstacle course that is put on by Fit Elite, the local cross fit.  The week leading up to the race was very cold and so was the morning of the race.  The low temps were in the 30-40 degree range. Coupled with a steady wind it was going to make for a cold, wet and muddy day. It is hard to describe the course, so I included the promo video, which is video from last years race.

 If you watch this, I am the one cannon-balling off of the Leap of Faith into the pond.

http://youtu.be/FQ18dHp82ZU

 The parts of the course not really shown on the video would be waist to chest deep mud pits and the up and down hills that just about made my legs fall off. There is nothing but trees and roots to grab onto while trying to get up these hills. The mud pits had piles of dirt in between them which made getting out tough unless you cheated and went out the sides. There was some crawling over and under obstacles through tunnels and a lot of mud.

Through all this Pat Hamler and I lead our Fire Department Team to a Victory over the PD. We finished 1-2 with only seconds between us.

What made it all worth it (beyond the beer and after party) was that the event benefits cancer foundations.

Race Report J.R. Coleman

Race Report J.R. Coleman
Pumpkin Run 5 k

I ran the race with my brother Jacob. It was his first ever race. We started out great, passing all the walkers and slow runners.  At 1.5 miles, a guy had rolled his ankle on the green way during the run, so we stopped and helped. Our official time was around 45 min, but theactual time was 26:30.

Josh Schwabenbauer

Some time ago, a few of Team Firefighter's members lost a fellow firefighter and a very dear friend to a tragic accident.

"Josh was the kind of guy that always had a smile on his face or could keep you laughing all shift."

After his death, Josh continued to save lives by being a donor.

Kona Sherpa Report

Ironman World Championships - Sherpa Duties Race Report.

It was April and I was walking with Rob after a tough day at the HITS series triathlon at Lake Berryessa.  We were discussing our plans for the rest of the year, among other  things.  Rob was telling me about how he was hoping to get a Kona slot.  I made him a promise, if he got in then I would be there to help.

Fast forward a few months and as I was preparing for Boise 70.3 my phone rang.  It was Rob and he was telling me about the Kona inspired program.  I thought to myself, "There is no way he doesn't get selected for this, I better buy my plane ticket."  Sure enough he was selected and we were on our way for a Hawaii vacation in October.

I arrived on Thursday afternoon so that I could get checked in with the water safety director.  I met up with Rob at Lava Java and we discussed his week so far.  I could tell he was already tired and I started to get worried.  Rob is the type of guy that believes in the mission completely.  He was not going to waste this great opportunity to spread the word about Code 3 and Team Firefighter.  So, when someone asked for an interview or a photo shoot, he was there.  His lovely wife Nicole and I had to gently remind him that he was doing an Ironman on Saturday...

On Friday we met for a swim out to the coffee boat.  On race week, Coffee's of Hawaii staff a sailboat anchored about a half mile from the pier.  We swam out and enjoyed some coffee and cookies.  Then the plan was for Rob to get his gear checked in and get  off his feet.  I took the rest of the day to spread the word about the team and meet some of the amazing people.  I have been to Kona a few times but not in October.  During the WC it is a completely different town.  The town goes from a lazy attitude to hustle and bustle with a buzz the whole week.  You can really feel the anticipation in the air.

After buying some new shoes at the K-Swiss tent, I wandered over to the Zoot tent to say hi to a Cycling House friend of mine.  I heard some commotion to my right and saw Rob in full gear surrounded by people.  I walked over to see what was going on.  He was on his way out to a photo shoot on the lava rocks...  He was sweating and I could tell he was a little stressed.  I got a little firm wit him and told him that he needed to rest!  I don't think it worked...



On race morning I got up at 0400, quick shower and grabbed my surf board and headed to the pier.  I grabbed some coffee and a banana on my way out the door.   I met the other swim safety volunteers at Dig Me Beach by the King Kam.  We got our briefing and then grouped up for a picture.  Athletes entered the pier from the beach side.  I watched them shuffle in with nervous anticipation on their faces.  I looked for Rob but did not see him.  We paddled out to position and listened to the national anthem.  The Pro men started and swam by quickly, followed by the Pro women.  On a surfboard the small group of people swimming by created some waves but it was manageable.  I knew tough that with 2000 people about to swim by it was about to be different.  The Age Groupers started and I had to paddle backwards quickly or I was going to get swam over the top of.  I positioned myself with a lifeguard for San Diego FD to follow the last swimmers.  We paddled close by as they were struggling.  As we got to the turnaround boat I got word from the race support boat that an hour and twenty minutes had passed.  They were probably not going to make it.  I got their attention and urged them to hurry.  They bot looked up at me with blank stairs.  I yelled to the race support boat their race numbers marked on their swim caps.  They advised that they were bot Japanese citizens and didn't speak english.  My Japanese is limited to what I order at Mikuni's so I just yelled and pointed to the pier and spun my hand to signal for them to hurry.  They got that and sped up for a few minutes.  They then returned to their slower pace and as we got close to the finish I could hear the race announcer countdown the final minute.  We waved the support boat over and the contestants realized immediately what was happening and swam to the boat.   I felt bad for them, so much hard work to build up to just a swim in the bay.  They would not be allowed to continue.

I exited the water and took my surfboard back to my hotel room to change.  I dressed for a long day of walking and headed down to Lava Java for some breakfast.  I met up with some of Rob's friends from Wisconsin and we found a place to relax and wait for the pro's to come by.  It was at a second story bar at mile 1 on Ali'i.  After watching a few of the pro's run by I decided to head over to the finish to see the finish.  I crept my way up to the finish line and got some good pictures of the Men and Women's winners.  I then checked my phone and saw that I just missed Rob at T2.


I ran less than a mile down the course and caught up with him.  I looked at his face and saw that the bike was tougher than normal for him.  I asked him about his nutrition and the heat.  He said he was ok.  I didn't believe him.  About a half a mile later we ran into his family.  They walked with him until about mile 6 while I got some dinner and got ready for a long night.

I caught back up with Rob at the turn and we headed up Palani.  The crowds were going nuts as he walked by.  Some people in total disbelief of his attempt.  The Sun had dropped and I checked my watch.  He was going to be ok as long as he didn't slow down.  I knew tat as he walked back up the last hill or if he cramped up he might not make the midnight cutoff.  I checked his mental status and unlike previous races he was pretty beat up.  I could tell he didn't want to chat so I just walked a little with him.  We were both worried about another racer or an official disqualifying him for "pacing."  Ironman is an individual achievement.  You cannot accept any outside assistance.   So, even though Rob was not in danger of any awards he could still be disqualified by having someone pace him to the finish.  The rule makes sense because the completion of an Ironman alone is a reward in itself.  So, I would walk with Rob for a minute or two, then run ahead and wait for him.  We repeated this for a few miles until the NBC camera car showed up.  I think the camera car at first was a blessing.  It seemed to remind Rob of all the great exposure for our cause this would provide.  After the energy lab turnaround the camera car caught up to us again.  This time I could tell it was draining on Rob.  He needed to focus on putting one foot in front of the other.  His back was starting to really bother him from the heavy SCBA he was carrying.  We were finally on the last hill before the turn onto Palani.  It was at this point that I knew he would make its.






We went down the hill and I told him how proud I was of him.  I knew that we would soon be back on Ali'i and I wanted to make sure that I didn't get in the way of any of his much earned praise.  I ducked into the alley and headed to the finish line.  I got there just in time to see him cross the line on the big projection on the King Kam.  By the time I got to the actual finish line Rob was being escorted to medical.  I stuck around to cheer in the final finishers and watch the closing ceremonies.  I am sure if you have read this far you have heard about the magic of the finish line in Kona.  It does not disappoint.  The final finisher finished with less than a minute to spare, it was magical.

I ran into Rob's parents and helped them carry some of his gear back to their car.  They gave me an update, he was feeling good but needed a couple of IV's.  We said our goodbyes and I wandered up the street for a beer and a bar stool.



Please watch the NBC broadcast on NBC Saturday October 27th at 1am PST

Timothy Sendelbach - Bio

1) Age - 43
2) State (location) - Las Vegas, Nevada
3) Fire Department - North Las Vegas Fire Department
4) Why you race and how/when you got started - Simply stated - I do it for fun.  As someone whose always enjoyed competitive sports, I love to compete.  I got started because a friend of mine challenged me after seeing me post a few times that I had just completed a marathon.  I did my first 70.3 in July (Ironman Racine) and have since done Reno, Las Vegas and will do Pumpkinman (here in Las Vegas) later this month.  Next year I hope to do 5-6 Tri's to include Ironman Boise 70.3, Leadman 250 Bend, Oregon and if all goes well my first full Ironman Louisville.
5) Current Goals - Full Ironman next year, a 3:30 marathon and to eventually qualify for 70.3 Championships (age grouper) Las Vegas.
6) Podiums - No podiums, but did place 2nd in my age group in Las Vegas and 6th in Reno. PR's - 5:27 - 70.3, 3:54 marathon.  Favorite races - Ironman Racine and Chicago marathon.

Events remaining this year - Pumpkinman, Las Vegas October20th, Savannah Rock-n-Roll marathon - November, Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll marathon - December.

 

 

Robby Owens - Bio

Robby Owens
Age: 30
Henrico County Division of Fire 9 years (Fire Service for 15)
Firefighter/Medic

Races Run:

2010 and 2012 Monument Ave 10k https://www.raceit.com/results/default.aspx?event=7063 2012, https://www.raceit.com/results/default.aspx?event=805 2010
2011 Richmond Beat the Heat 5k http://runriderace.squarespace.com/beat-the-heat-5k-2011/

2011 Virginia Tough Mudder at Winter Green Ski Resort
2011 and 2012 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb Richmond Va

2011 Busch Gardens Christmas Town 8k https://www.raceit.com/results/default.aspx?event=4060
2012 FDIC Courage and Valor 5k http://www.tuxbro.com/FDIC12.html

Upcoming Races:
2012 Virginia Running Festival Half Marathon (Nov)
2013 Disney World Marathon (Jan)

Began my fitness journey 2 years ago after getting way to out of shape and heavy. I race to keep my self motivated, If I have nothing to train for it is hard for me to work out. Going to complete my first half marathon this year, first full marathon in Jan 2013, then who knows alway looking for the next fun race.

Blog: www.averagejakeff.wordpress.com
twitter: @averagejakeff