06/18/2025
RACE RECAP!! Took some time to unwind and reflect on what was a challenging yet incredibly rewarding 5 months. This was my first 70.3 triathlon in 3 years, taking time off from long distance tris while our family grew from 1 kiddo to 3! This go-around was by far my most intentional training block, out of necessity, balancing it with my responsibilities as a dad of three awesome kids all 4 years and under. Priorities, planning and consistency were must haves, but on the flip side I had to be flexible, creative and not so hard on myself. The journey taught me a lot about who I am and what I’m capable of, self-awareness is a super power!!
I had looked on and off for the past 4 or 5 years for fundraising options to make racing about more than just myself and my family, but hadn’t found the right opportunity. When I found that Grand Rapids Triathlon was partnered with the Make-A-Wish Michigan Dream Team, it was the perfect fit for me. A local race with a great and well-known cause was just what I had been looking for! I reached out to our team captain and founder, Dan, and he was able to answer all of my questions. I took the leap of faith despite being nervous about fundraising and here we are 5 months and $6682 later raised for the incredibly deserving kids at Make-A-Wish Michigan! The whole team ended up raising over $21,700! Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping absolutely crush my initial goal!! It’s truly amazing the impact a group can have when effort and intention continue to compound! I am grateful to have such an amazing group of supporters and this experience has given me so much more than I ever expected!
Now for race day, it felt like more of a victory lap - the work was put in and I’d already won for the awesome kids at Make-A-Wish! My inner competitor thrives on race day though and I love racing against my previous times and others on the course. I was locked in mentally for most of the day, really is a test of the mind pushing yourself for 5.5 hours straight.
Swim went well besides stubbing my big toe on the boat ramp while getting pulled out of the water, was not ready for the quick departure up the steeper than expected ramp due to helping hands of volunteers at swim exit. Their help was appreciated and besides, ONWARD!! I was right about where I figured I’d be at time-wise out of the water, followed by a long run up to transition (might’ve been an overall finish time PR had it not been for that, maybe a little bothered by it, but not gonna dwell, could’ve been faster elsewhere!!). Had a little hiccup coming into T1, accidentally flipped my watch to bike tracking early during my run into transition instead of out - got flustered for a sec but quickly course corrected and noted my time offset on the bike.
On the bike course early at mile 3, was keeping an eye out for Chris Robotham, a MagnaInternational coworker and a pretty awesome sports photographer who I connected with through this journey (check out some of my recent posts for our pretty unreal small world encounter)! He was able to snap some awesome shots of me on the bike, have to give him another shout out, thanks again Chris! Luckily my watch gives me 5 mile split times on the bike and my messed up timing from earlier didn’t throw off my mental math too much, constantly gauging pace/milestone times throughout the day to understand how I’m doing and adjust accordingly. Kept nutrition in a good spot throughout the bike (yes, eating and drinking enough carbs, electrolytes, sodium is part of the race plan).
Felt great off the bike, legs were still good and were more under me than normal heading out onto the run (Minimal jelly legs = win!). If I put up a good run time, knew I’d be close to a PR. Had a solid chance with good run conditioning from 25k and half marathon races worked into training plan in the month prior. Run course, despite some nice shade throughout, got hot in the sun as the temps climbed towards 80 while running on the asphalt. I took ice at every aid station to try to get ahead of it and keep my body temp down, but the run course heat continued to wear me down with each mile. By the end I was focusing on keeping the feet moving, knowing I was still close to PR time but had decided that even if I had to let up a bit for a clear finish chute to run across the finish line with my oldest two, Brooks and Charlie, that was way more important to me than a finish time that really only matters to me. They deserved to run across that finish line just as much as I did, they helped me train on rides and runs, helped me fundraise by returning cans and cheered me on every step of the way. They’re the best training buddies anyone can ask for and they remind me of how lucky I am (for the most part haha) on a daily basis. With Father’s Day falling a week after the race, it gave me extra perspective and reflection this year on my gratefulness for my kids and how much they teach us. Each day is an opportunity to push ourselves, pick up those around us and breathe in all that’s good in this world!!
Back to the race, I saw my friend CJ about a half mile from the finish line - was nice to see a familiar face on what wasn’t the most spectator friendly run course, double loop but didn’t pass transition area at end of first loop. Seeing him got me to kick it in gear as he ran ahead to catch the finish, I pushed hard and saw Kelli waiting with the kids at the finish line chute. I had someone that I’d caught up to coming into the finish line and I held up a bit to pick up Charlie to carry her while Brooks and I ran across the finish line. It was AWESOME and my favorite part of the entire race, capping it all off with my kids!! How about that finish line photo?!
Carrying me through the race at multiple mile markers and as visual reminders of my amazing supporters, I had 23 different dedications chosen by those that donated and wanted to join in on what’s become a bit of a tradition for me doing race dedications on my hands and now arms in sharpie prior to the race. Check out my recent video post where I go through all of my race dedications!! Had an absolutely awesome group of dedications and was honored to swim, bike and run with so many amazing people, memories and special thoughts on race day!
Finish time: 5:29:28, just missing my PR (5:28:11 from 2022), but beating my goal time of 5.5 hours! Would not change a thing about this experience from training, to fundraising, to race day - can always play the “what if” game, but I put my best foot forward and toed the line on race day, all while making a real difference in the lives of local kids right here in Michigan. That was my purpose for this race and knowing that I achieved that is enough for me! It’s a liberating feeling, understanding what “enough” really means - not settling, but being satisfied with what’s in front of you and what you put forth. Always a worthy pursuit and something I plan to continue chasing!!
https://sportstats.one/event/grand-rapids-triathlon/leaderboard/143972?focus=3835&type=pid
