365 to 70.3

 I have a long ride home let’s blog!

I hope all who read this is doing well. I haven’t done a post race report in a while. I wondered if people get tired of reading them? If they helped anyone. When you have a 7 hour drive home, ya might as well type it up. 

I can say this, Every race is different. Every race has its challenges. Ironman Michigan 70.3 was my 27th 70.3 race. I started this distance in 2014. Knowing I’ve completed 27 is wild. I’m super proud of me for it. The distance is enough to be a hard challenge without completely destroying myself like an Ironman does. Although I’ve learned a lot, it’s still difficult to do. 

I titled this 365 to 70.3 because last year at Michigan 70.3, I had a broken clavicle, had to wear button down shirts because I couldn’t lift my arm, and was pretty down to watch others race in near perfect weather conditions. I vowed I would be back. Then the 2026 race got pushed back a week later than usual (it’s been 372 days but that doesn’t sound as cool so let it go ;). Mother Nature has been a challenge this year with a ton of rain and heat in Ohio this summer. Charlie and I are used to getting rained out once in the summer. We had to cancel 3 rides this summer due to rain and lightning. That’s a big deal when training for races with a 56 mile bike ride in them. 

The past 2 months I’ve had a few health issues that set me back. A sinus infection that set me back 8 days. Leg and hip cramps at the end of a few rides that challenged my confidence in riding bikes. Then the added challenges of trying to be a good husband and father while answering the many requests of the public for police records! That’s a new sentence in my race report. I just so happened to crash my way into a new job. Many of you already know I am now the Dayton Police Public Records Administrator. Very sexy title. I know you are jealous. 

Imagine my shock after baking in the summer heat, when we got out of the car in Frankfort, Michigan (7 hours north drive) to 58 degrees and no sun. I was chilly!! I almost didn’t recognize the feeling. After so many races of dying in the heat on the run, I was excited for the cool air! With triathlon, there’s always a trade off. Moving the race back a week meant cooler air which led to colder water. Friday we were told water was “65 and dropping.” 

Saturday Charlie and I got into our wetsuits and jumped into Lake Michigan. It was cold. The wetsuit and thermal cap did a good job keeping me warm and I never lost feeling of fingers and toes. I knew I could get through this swim. After indulging in the “free samples” at Cherry Republic (it’s not free when you spend a lot of money on product that is delicious). We then got to head back to the AirBnBs. A little rest then Charlie made his famous gluten free spaghetti dinner!

Sunday alarm was 5am. Race doesn’t start until 8. I slept well. I had no expectations other than finish with no injuries. I was just lucky to be healthy and being able to participate. I like being an athlete way more than a spectator! 

Brittney gets the best pics as I slide the wetsuit on

Charlie and I were ready to have wetsuits zipped up. I zipped him up. Then I turned around. Charlie zipped my wetsuit up and this strange feeling happened. My brain went from “I’m just lucky to be here “ to “Fuck yes! It’s go time! Let’s do this!”  I looked at the place I was last year and smiled. My turn now! I kissed my beautiful wife and told her I’d see her soon.  Charlie and I then made the slow march to enter the cold ass water. 

Ironman posted race day water temp of 62.4. 

3 swimmers enter every 5 seconds. I stepped up to be next and thanked the volunteer who was “traffic control” and dropped his arms every 5 seconds. Then I ran in the water and dove in. Experience in cold water and the day before “acclimation “ led me to knowing the cold would take my breath away then I needed to get my face into the water and find my stroke. Stay relaxed. Swim to the next buoy. Try to find someone to draft. Don’t get too far off course. There was some business going on that first 600-1000 yards. Lots of swimmers meant not too much “clean water”. Feet getting slapped. Legs pushed. Bumping into others. It’s weird but I enjoy it. How many people can say they’ve swam in super cold water and gotten physical with others at the same time? I’ve got to add that my goggles seem to fog up and my visibility sucked. I could barely make out the buoys. I had to rely on where the other swimmers were heading. I made due. Then I started the back half of the swim. The strangest thing happened. The water got COLDER. It was a noticeable difference. Many racers agreed. Made me smile that I could tell while swimming that the water temp dropped in this part of the bay. My hands and feet were not smiling. They were cold! I just kept on swimming. Buoy to buoy. Then I could start to make out the swim exit. I heard an ambulance siren and saw a medic bus leaving. At least I think it left. I prayed all swimmers made it out. That’s not always the case in these races. It would be easy for a person with no experience to freak out in the cold water. Can’t freak out in the swim. Next thing I know, a volunteer offers his hand to help me stand up. Ive done it. I swam 1.2 miles in 62 degree water. Step one complete. 

Ironman saw Brittney's pre-race pics and said, "Hold my beer!" 

Getting those goggles off over that thermal cap was tricky!

I see Brittney. I joked that the water had warmed up all the way to 63 degrees. Then off to the bike. 

I tried to get in and out of T1 as quick as possible without forgetting anything. I went right up to the mount line and it was Grand Central Station of mount lines. Volunteers yelling to pass the line before mounting.  Very wet and cold triathletes trying not to fall over and yet get moving. Spectators cheering right next to us. Spectators like my beautiful wife Brittney who was an arms length away from me…who I never saw or realized she was right there. Way too much chaos going on there. I did see Charlie’s wife Emily and daughter Ava. As I yelled hi to them, a guy flew by me on the right side. True reminder to pay attention in the very congested bike start. 

Experience has shown that if I hammer the bike for 56 miles, I end up walking way too much of the run. So I tried to make the bike go without pushing the pedals too hard. I never looked at my swim time or my bike splits. I just rode with feel and sat up when I wanted. Had no idea of speed. Made sure I was taking in nutrition. Saw 1 guy getting cleaned up from a crash “just road rash, he finished the race but gave blood doing it”. 

There was a downhill section where another cyclist was on my left. We weee approaching a slower cyclist. I said ,”I gotta slide left.” He knew what was happening and gave me room. I was happy good communication allowed us to work together and no almost collisions happened. Mile 46 was the last aid station. It was also the place another cyclist went down. I’m only guessing it had just happened as the cyclist was still lying there as I passed. If you’re gonna crash, crash at an aid station! Lots of help there!

Around mile 51, I sat up. Slowed my heart rate. Enjoyed the scenery. Started to prepare the mind for the 13.1 mile run. Don’t start out too fast. Keep taking in nutrition. Enjoy the experience. 

Stopped the bike and took a breath. Swung the leg over the bike and smiled. Step 2 done and dusted. Didn’t look at bike time. Didn’t care. Made it this far with no injuries!

While rolling the bike back to T2 I made the right decision and stopped at an open portapotty. Got rid of the business and went to T2. Bike shoes off, run shoes on! Picked up my Omius hat and some of the cooling pieces fell out. Well shit. I gathered the loose pieces up and folded my towel over them. I’ll take what I got. Brittney and Emily were waiting as I left run out. 

I got another kiss and off I went. A huge positive for this race is the run course is lined with spectators like 90% of the race. Tons of free energy!! Excellent aid stations. Well marked course. Loud music. Fun atmosphere.  Around mile 3ish, a family with squirt guns had set up shop. I opened my arms and yelled “Do it!” Kid blasted me with water!I laughed and said thank you. I saw Charlie and he was like a mile and a half ahead of me. Charlie is a triathlon machine. Bro just puts his head down and cooks! I go around the park and start working my way back. Then I see the place with the kid and squirt cannons. An athlete just ahead of me yells at an athlete on the other side, “Come on man! He’s just a kid!” I look back and see the other athlete is mad he squirted with water. I’m thinking “really bro?! It’s just a race and the water cools you down”. The kid probably felt terrible he upset a racer. I was proud of the guy who stood up for the kid. I kind of just shook my head and thought “ya never know what you might see on a race course 70 miles long”. I can’t forget to mention that Dan Semsel and his trusty companion Huxley made the trip up to Frankfort just to support the athletes! Dan and Huxley were the smiling faces that helped keep me moving! Lap one of 2 gets done and off I go to do lap 2. Legs are tired. Chafing has set in. Left quad is tight but not cramping. Matter of fact, nothing cramped. It was glorious. I wasn’t running “fast” but I was running. The squirt gun family had left their station. That made me a little sad. I made fun of a guy with a speaker that had stopped playing music. You could tell he felt bad and was actively trying to get it to work again. “One job bro! You had 1 job!!” He apologized. I laughed. I ran as I could. Walked when I wanted. Didn’t look at time or splits until Mile 12. Then I saw I was right on target for a 2:20 half marathon time. That’s what I told Brittney I thought I would run. Then I decided I needed help. “Hey crowd! Make some noise!” I got great response! Lots of noise! Lots of cheers! I yelled it to the next group. Same response!! High fives! Little kid fives! Smiles!! I was on top of the world. I knew I had to round a corner and go right to the red carpet. I walked a little to save some energy for the carpet. Both sides of the carpet were 3 deep in people! I yelled it again! “Hey crowd! Make some noise!” The sound was amazing!

I may not be a rock star or big celebrity, but those 2 minutes I'm on the red carpet as I close in on the finish line, I feel like a rock star. I'm not afraid to work the crowd, The crowd is kind of bored waiting on their athlete. So why not give them something to cheer for? The feeling is amazing. Knowing I went from broken to finisher in a years time is something to be proud of. Conquering the swim alone in that cold water was a feat that not all athletes who started the race accomplished.

After crossing the finish line and finding Brittney and Charlie, I then looked at my watch. 6:02. My first thought was, "Aw man! I could've went sub 6 if I tried a little harder." Then I smiled. I knew I was truly back. 

I also smiled because this past year has been particularly hard on Brittney, and yet, there she was at the finish line, waiting for her big silly triathlete husband. She was smiling, she told me how proud of me she was. I'm a lucky man to have her!

Going to wrap this one up now. I can't close it out without a big thank you to Charlie who has been a great friend and training partner this year. Not to mention chef of gluten free spaghetti dinners!! ( Charlie also destroyed the Michigan 70.3 course and I heard the fire department was on standby to extinguish his run shoes after he crossed the finish line.) There is one other triathlete who has been a huge source of inspiration this year. Bart Girdwood has taken the triathlon game internationally and raced the very best in Germany and France this year. He sets the example of a guy who puts his head down and does the work. His results speak volumes of his work ethic. Bart and Charlie set a bar that I try to be close to and I'm truly blessed to have them in my corner also.

With IM Michigan 70.3 over, my 2026 triathlon season has come to a close. It didn't take long to turn my attention to 2027. I love triathlon. I love the 70.3 distance. I'm already registered for IM Happy Valley 70.3 in May 2027. I better start training!!

IronDad out!

 

Ironman Rockford 70.3

 Let’s rewind time about a year ago. 

Ironman announced a new 70.3 location, Rockford, Illinois. 

Date, June 22, 2025. 

Rockford, I had never heard of it. Date, 23rd wedding anniversary.  Brittney and I love going to places we’ve never heard of. 70.3 is my favorite triathlon distance. After Heidi’s graduation and kids awards, we needed a weekend getaway. After merciless begging, I’m kidding, Britt was all in for letting me wear myself out on our anniversary. I was excited for another down river swim and a run using a bike path along the river. 

Then I get told some keyboard warriors from a way overpopulated Facebook group were being Debbie Downers on the location. Imagine that, people being negative about a location they have probably never been to let alone race a triathlon at. (I’m so glad I left that group years ago)

Charlie then gets on board to race Rockford. This works out great as we can train for same race at same time. Plus I have a friendly face who will be on course with me. Charlie celebrated 4 full years of running at least 13.1 miles a week on race day!! His streak challenged me 9 weeks ago. I ran Columbus and Flying Pig in back to back weeks, so my “streak within a streak” was born. This was a change to my training plan, but I hoped that keeping my legs used to running 13.1 would help on race day. 

I was offered a chance at the Law Enforcement Torch Run to knock out my 13.1 on a Thursday, in the heat of the day, with some hills. I used this run as a chance to practice nutrition and pacing. I ended that run with 14.5 miles and sense of what I need to do in hot conditions. I had no idea how valuable that experience was. 

About a week from race day, Charlie tells me river temp is 66 degrees. That’s just about perfect for me. I can wear my wetsuit and let the current shoot me right down the river. Then Brittney says, “Have you seen the forecast for Rockford?”  I’ve known Brittney for 32 years. We’ve been married 23 years. I know when my beautiful wife asks questions in certain manners. She was using her “this looks bad” technique. Heat advisory for race weekend. Full sun. What has been IronDad’s kryptonite in the past? Heat. My legs melt then cramp. Calves, front of legs, hamstrings…cramps are the worst!! In triathlon, you gotta take what Mother Nature gives ya. Can’t control it. 

After the Torch Run, I notice something new. Garmin is telling me my heart rate variability is off and my body is “strained”.  In the past, I may not have given this much thought. But it was odd for me and I was going into taper week. I gave myself 2 rest days (yes I kept run streak alive). Heart rate variability took another day to get to balanced. The race in the heat was looming a few days away. It almost killed me, but I took another rest day Friday. As I type this, I believe taking 4 days, Wednesday-Saturday, was a huge help on Race day. 

Friday- travel day.  Brittney and I split up the driving. Outside of Chicago traffic, no real issues (Brittney endured the Chicago mess). We made it into Rockford about 4pm Central time. We went straight to IM village and I got my packet and wristband. 

We also bought a few Ironman shirts and a water bottle for the same cost as Heidi’s Purdue tuition. The volunteers working the village were all welcoming and helpful. The city had put up lots of Ironman welcoming signs. We sat down at an athlete briefing, which may have been for first timers because the guy running this briefing was not a regular IM guy. He started this briefing off with what may be the most valuable thing I heard all weekend. “I know some of you are really going to hate to hear this, but this will NOT be the race to go for a PR.” “The expected heat will tax you in more ways than you will know until it’s too late, your heart rate will be higher, your body will get more tired with any pushing.”  At that moment, I erased any pressure of trying to go “fast.”  Fast is relative. I accepted the fact that this race was all about survival. Just make it to the finish line and preferably with no injuries. Then he tells us that the river current was there but due to lack of rain, it was not very fast. Water temp posted on Friday 75.5. Still wetsuit legal. I was really hoping for a better current but you gotta take what Mother Nature gives. Ironman has water jugs and cups out in the village. They are trying to help with hydration. I take advantage of that. After dinner at Sam’s Ristorante (as the kids say, it was mid”. We then found an arboretum to chill at. 

 

We then drove to see the Guardian Rock Men. 4 big rock statues who were properly dressed for the weekend. Although none of them raced, they were very IM supportive! 

Swim start was right next to Rock Men

Saturday morning started off with a 1.5 mile shake out streak saver run with Brittney and Charlie. Brittney and I then went to Anderson Japanese Garden. There was no getting around it, it was hot outside. The Japanese Garden was perfect because there was a ton of shade and places to just sit and be grateful for the experience. We got our steps in and loved the tranquility. 

 

Then we went to Disco Chicken for lunch! Gluten free tenders and tater tots!! 

Quite tasty and salty! Perfect for day before a race. Checked my bike in and did a quick recon of swim in and bike out then off to the movies. Charlie had a great idea to get off our feet and out of sun. Charlie’s daughter Megan had joined him for the weekend. We enjoyed Karate Kid Legends. I thought the post credit scene was the best part. Then we hit Lino’s for dinner. Unlike Sam’s, I highly recommend Lino’s. Make a reservation, trust me. The pizza was incredible. The menu tells you how they get the cheese from the Amish nearby and man is it delicious!

Water temp posted on Saturday 75.9..still wetsuit legal but it’s climbing and the sun is cooking Rockford. Weather forecast is also calling for big wind gusts. Like 40 mph wind gusts. We are about an hour outside Chicago, so wind should be expected. Wind can play a big part of a cyclists day. I will never forget pushing hard through a head wind in Ohio 70.3 and my legs making me pay for it on the run. No stress on speed plus wind made me be totally ok just keeping heart rate down and not pushing through the wind. 

Race day!- Alarm was set for 3:45. I was awake and up before alarm went off. Charlie picked me up at 4:35. We were parked by 4:55. IM announced water temp at 79.3!! Jesus Christ! It went up 4 degrees in a day! Not even close to wet suit legal! Bummer. Charlie said one of his daughter’s teachers always said, “Everyday you make a choice, you decide if it’s a good day or bad day.”  I’ve heard this plenty. Charlie said it was going to be a great day and we were going to have fun. 

 

I was on the let’s just stay positive train but I knew we were about to be challenged!

The bus ride from transition to swim start took a little longer than expected and we joked our swim better not be that long! I used my Pedialyte bottle to keep drinking water while we waited for the start. Charlie and I stayed in the shade as long as possible. 

A beautiful rendition of our National Anthem was sung and the canon went off. 3 swimmers at a time hopped off the lily pad and into the Rock River. Charlie and I hopped in line and got started. River is plenty wide and not much action happened for me. I definitely ran into some swimmers as expected. I was in my rhythm quick and feeling good. Then I noticed my swim cap seemed to be working its way off my head. It didn’t feel great and I wasn’t doing it on purpose, but when the cap popped off, my head felt cooled off by the water. I believe my Rockford swim cap will forever live at the bottom of the river. 

We swam under 2 or 3 bridges. There were spectators yelling at us as we went under them. I was smiling. Just another body of water this guy who never was a swimmer before 2013, is swimming 1.2 miles in. I’m incredibly lucky. 

Out of the water in a regular time for me. No wetsuit plus current cancels each other out I guess. Triathletes are competitive people. Count me in on that. I got passed by so many people running from the water to their bikes, it wasn’t funny. I knew that if I ran, heart rate would sky rocket and that would show up later. The swim is the quickest part. We had a hot long day ahead of us. I got my cycling shoes on and made sure nutrition was loaded into back pocket. I had a referee help me get that pocket open as I was struggling! Got to mount line and off I went. Immediately changed the screen on bike computer to show heart rate. I was hoping to cap at 120. I failed at that, although now I’m ok with it. It did help me keep the heart rate controlled and back off when I started to work. The course had hills. Almost constantly going up. There was a few flats, but IM told us there were hills. As we were sailing along on the way out, I was quite concerned about the wind on the way in. That concern was later validated. I don’t want to brag on myself, but my cycling is strong. These races are where I can see results, and the results show I can pedal a bike. I always thank the guys who have helped build my cycling legs. Charlie and Bart Girdwood are added to the list who is helping keep my cycling strong. I smiled as I passed a ton of people on the bike. I know some of these cyclists ran past me in transition or swam around me and I’m happy to return the favor on my trusted steed. This bike course was like an out, a triangle and back. Wouldn’t you know the long part of the triangle was straight into the headwind. We went from sailing to crawling. This was clearly the way my Dad went to school, up hill and into the wind in 90 degree heat. I could feel the warmth on my arms and legs. Cherry on top you ask?? Farm land and the fresh smell of manure! The perfect concoction of how to fry your energy! “Watch the heart rate Matt”. It’s almost boring, and tedious. I could go faster! But I’ve learned, we don’t go fast until mile 12 of the run. So I Stayed in control. Still passing cyclists, and yes other cyclists passed me. I’m also asking myself how I’m feeling. Stayed on nutrition, drank more fluids at aid stations and just kept pedaling. Never looked at overall time or average pace, just heart rate. Was thrilled when we had tailwind, stayed positive in headwind. Finished the bike and off to transition. Again walking the bike around and into the rack. I’m feeling good. It’s hot out but I’m feeling good. I make sure I have everything I need. 

Insert my recommendation for Omius head band here. I believe 2 years ago this company came out called Omius. They sell a hat, headband or visor with what they promote as cooling pieces. The pieces feel like stones. The hat is like $200 with the pieces. 

I spend enough money on this crazy sport. I switched to Team Zoot this year. Team Zoot has a partnership with Omius. I got a discount that brought cost under $200. My wonderful wife bought me the visor for Fathers Day. I would be reminded to not say this played a huge role in keeping me cool in brutally hot conditions. Real feel was reported around 104 degrees. 

Off to the run. Heart rate is shown as bottom number on my watch. It was the only number I watched. The first few miles, the cap was 140. If it hit, 140, I walked. Sure I had 2 events down. I’m feeling good now, but I want to feel ok later. The only way to do that, control heart rate. I’d run some, I’d walk. The run starts out in full sun. This out and back with not much to look at. Just a bunch of sweaty triathletes trying to look strong. Then through a parking lot and another parking lot behind a building. Then we hit an area with spectators!! Lots of spectators! Also an elderly guy with a water hose!! He is living his best life watering triathletes! And we love him for doing it. My hat also works better with water applied to the cooling pieces. Fun signs, great energy, these people rock! There’s a very short decline from this area down to the bike path. Can’t say we had much shade on the path. 

  

But we had a beautiful river and boats to watch while we ran..or walked. Then we’d hit another aid station. Rockford volunteers were amazing. Ice down the back, sure! You want 2 cups? Yes I do! I had ice down the back, in the front and oh yes, ice down the shorts. (I only asked volunteers for down the back, just to be clear). But it’s amazing how the body feels when you have a frozen package. Ironman has also provided cooling towels. Just to wipe off arms and legs with cold towels helped. I used Base Salts almost every mile. Maurten gels every other mile. Drank Mortal every aid station. Cooling strategy worked. Heart rate control worked. Staying positive worked. Then we got to a bridge where the wind was straight at us and felt amazing. What I didn’t know was we were about to enter a neighborhood of amazing people. These were nice houses with beautiful manicured lawns. Mostly shaded street. If it wasn’t every other house, it was every 3rd house had their sprinklers or water hoses out to water the triathletes. On my 2nd loop I had plenty of time to think on this. Why would these people spend the money on their water bill all day? I came to 2 conclusions. 

1. They wanted to help and take care of us. Just the natural human instinct to help your fellow man. 

2. What’s more fun than spraying people with water, who want to be sprayed with water?? As kids we love it. As adults we love it. How often do we get the chance?? Win win situation here. 

On my 2nd loop through, I could not express enough my gratitude to these folks. They definitely saved some races and possibly saved a life by keeping us cool. 

I believe I was around mile 6 when I see Brittney and Megan. 

I know I’m gross so no hug. There’s a pretty good number of spectators at this spot. I holler out, “ Hey everyone! Please tell that beautiful lady in the pink shirt Happy Anniversary! Today is our 23rd wedding anniversary!” I think everyone took me up on it! I love getting the crowd involved! Megan would later tell me there was quite a few women impressed I could remember that while competing in these conditions.  Brittney and Megan moved to another spot and I got to see them again. Again I had strangers congratulations for our anniversary. I told them I was super lucky to have the best wife. Brittney mentioned that Charlie was about a half mile in front of me. I was surprised. 

Charlie has improved his swim way better than I have. Charlie is also a faster runner .  The competitive brain thought, “let’s go catch him!”  The smarter brain said, “Hell no you are NOT putting in a surge before mile 12!”  I wasn’t racing Charlie. I was racing the course and the weather. I was testing my fitness.

The best spectator sign I saw read, “My first sign melted!” Super appropriate and funny!! I keep it moving through the bike path and cross the windy bridge. I’ve gotten a few compliments on my smile. I’m truly having fun! I’m shocked I haven’t crashed or cramped. I look forward to the amazing neighbors. They are still out being awesome. I ask one lady to spray the front of my legs to try and keep them cool. No problem! Then she hits my calves when I pass her! Angel!!😇   Can’t say enough about these wonderful people! 

I’m almost out of the neighborhood and just off to my right I see Charlie walking. He turns around and smiles at me. He admits his glute isn’t working as it should (in a more colorful way) but Charlie doesn’t stop just because a glute is angry. We work together to run a little then walk a little. We make a mark to get to then run just a little farther. We agree if one of us feels better, to just go finish. Charlie pulls ahead and then stops to walk. I walk. There’s a big group of spectators we come upon. On my first loop I tried to get them to get loud. On the 2nd loop I holler out to them, “ Have you been practicing?!” They go into an uproar! Loud cheers!! It’s amazing!! I thank them for their energy! I take off from the energy they’ve given!! 2 left turns and I’m in the finish chute! I walked about 10 steps before entering the chute and jog it in the rest of the way! 

I see Brittney and Megan to my left right before I finish. I get my medal and finishers hat and I just can’t believe how well that went. I crushed 70.3 miles with no wetsuit, wind, hills, heat and humidity with no cramping or psychological issues. Got to the finish line with minimal chafing and no injuries!! SUCCESS!!! Then I got to give a big hug to Charlie who crushed his 70.3!! 

What a great day in a great place!!

The look of a man who gave everything

Brittney and I finished our anniversary at Longhorn Steakhouse. Our server hooked us up with desserts for our anniversary and 70.3 finish!

 

A huge thank you to everyone from volunteers to spectators to Ironman staff for making race day the best day!! Megan came all the way to support Charlie and kept Brittney company during the race. 

Ive told Brittney in person how much I appreciate her and her support in this crazy lifestyle. I’m so thankful you’ve given us this weekend and I’m super proud of the life we’ve created. 

Charlie, you always inspire me to work a little harder, run a little faster. No excuses, no complaints, just do the work. I know you will always carry the boats!  

To tie this up, never listen to the keyboard warriors, the Debbie Downers. Let them bitch and moan while you become stronger. Rockford, Illinois showed up and showed out! They should be very proud of their town!! Go see somewhere you’ve never heard of. Visit a Japanese Garden. Eat at the local restaurant. Dare I say, DO EPIC SHIT!

A BONUS STOP on the way home!! Brittney took us to the URANUS FUDGE FACTORY!! When you go, bring your 3rd grade humor with you!! It's on 70 right at Indiana/Ohio border!! You may hear things like, "Thank you for letting me pack your fudge today!" or "There's only one way out of URANUS!" "To sign this credit card screen just your fingers, we use fingers here in URANUS." I giggled the entire time. Don't skip the special way out of Uranus. Amazing place to take a break from a road trip!

IRONDAD out…

2025 Presidential Inauguration

 This is certainly a different kind of blog for me. I have a long bus ride home and this experience was incredible, so why not document it?

May 2024 an email is sent to Dayton PD staff about the opportunity to go to Washington DC to work the Presidential Inauguration in January 2025. To ensure the peaceful transition of power from President to President in the Nation’s Capital takes about a year of planning. On top of using the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security, DC Metro, the military and fire services, DC brings in around 3800 police officers from all around the country. Alaska, Washington, Miami, Texas, California, Rhode Island…I saw cops from all over. Our department does overtime sign ups by seniority. I’ve never had enough seniority to go on a trip like this. Being on my 23rd year, I actually believed I had a shot on this one. We were told up front that we would leave early Saturday morning and take a bus to DC. We would be put up in a hotel for 3 nights. We would have a briefing and paperwork day Sunday. Monday could be a 16 hour day and be prepared to be in the cold. Then we drive home Tuesday. This only happens every 4 years. There’s a decent possibility I retire from police work January 6, 2028 (but who’s counting). So this may be my one and only shot. I showed up to the sign up and got a spot. I was excited about the opportunity but a little anxious of the unknown. What exactly would we be doing? Would I have issues finding gluten free food? Any issues keeping run streak alive?? 

A few months go by and it’s time to go. We get sent our hotel location and rooming list. This gives me time to map out a run to the National Mall! Our hotel was about a mile from the Mt Vernon recreational path. The path goes through Gravelly Point, next to Ronald Reagan Airport, crosses the Potomac  River, and then goes straight to Thomas Jefferson Memorial. From there, there’s a few different paths to go see different Memorials and museums. I had to be smart and flexible due to not knowing a few variables. How long would it take the bus to get us to our hotel? Would our hotel have our rooms ready so I could change into run clothes? Weather in DC in January? How much daylight would I have? My training plan called for 90 minute run. I wanted to adventure out. I made a route that was taking me to Smithsonian Castle, Washington and Lincoln Memorials and then back to hotel for 10.80 miles. This would take longer than 90 minutes but I wanted to see what I could while I was there. 

We met at 0430 and our bus departed Dayton at 0500. We had 2 stops. Total trip time was 9 hours. For a bus full of cops, it was a quiet ride. Snowy and cold as we left. The thought of being a tour bus driver as a retirement gig entered my mind. Get paid to drive the bus, then enjoy the area, get hotel and food paid for then drive back…doesn’t sound bad to me. We get to hotel at 2pm. I’m excited my timing is working out. It’s sunny and in low 40s that day. We get our hotel rooms to find out someone “messed up” and we ended up getting our own rooms. No sharing! That was a great mistake! I change my clothes and out I go! I’m so excited to make this run happen, I forget to grab my headphones. Which was good because I get to take in the sounds and not just the sights. Our hotel was in Crystal City, Virginia. Nice little town, nothing special. I find the bike path with no problem. Heading right towards the airport I keep seeing planes landing and taking off. As I get to Gravelly Point, I get to experience what makes Gravelly Point so cool, planes arrive about every 5 miles and almost land on your head! 

It’s loud and you get to see the belly of the plane up close!  Very cool experience. First time through, I didn’t hang out. I wanted to get to the big sights. The trail had a few icy and snow covered spots. There was a small bridge I slid on and just walked gingerly across. There were lots of people out. Runners, walkers, cyclists and dog walkers.  Fun environment. Then the path jumps up on the big bridge of the Potomac River. The rec path is safe with a barrier between path and traffic. The water had frozen patches.

The planes kept flying over. As soon as I cross the bridge, I’m at Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

. I take a few minutes to look and take required tourist pics. I’m absolutely stoked. To wake up at home and be running in DC later that day…blessed! Then I follow my route on my watch to Washington Memorial. You can see Washington Memorial from miles away. To get to run right up to it was so cool. 

Except for the security fencing that was up which blocked my route. I knew that was a possibility and would have to reroute. I did my best to run where I could and thought I found my way back to my route. What I didn’t realize was I should’ve went towards the Castle instead I went the opposite direction towards another big memorial. I was about 4.5 miles into my run. And I’m floating. So many people! Huge monuments. My adventure heart was full! I get to this huge memorial and there’s media, different protest groups, religious groups, Black Panther groups, children, adults, cops all together. I found it quite comical to run in between groups yelling and arguing at each other and no one seemed to care I was there. I was just 1 guy not bothering anyone. I finally take out my phone to figure out where the heck I had taken myself to. 

I laughed at myself when I realized I was at the Lincoln Memorial! It’s so big, you gotta look around and climb stairs to actually see Lincoln! 

On the stairs were a group of cops who I believe were DC Park Police. You could tell they see this craziness everyday. They were working but not bothering anyone. Letting everyone enjoy their First Amendment rights. There were a ton of people at the Lincoln Memorial. It was like 4-4:30pm. Lots of people. I took my pics, and left. Ran down the opposite side of the Reflecting Pool and saw so many political signs. Many had been trashed. Some lying in the grass. Only had 1 homeless guy ask me for “food cards.” Ran all the way up to Washington Memorial and took more pics. You can see the US Capital from there. 

I’m over 5 miles into my run and know I gotta start heading back. Used my cell phone GPS to ensure I was headed in right direction. I pass by Bureau of Engraving and Printing. 

Proof I was there pic 

Was hoping they were giving out free prints but I didn’t get one. Headed right back to Jefferson memorial and used the airplanes as a reference point. Back over the icy path to Gravelly Point. Now I’m 8.5 miles into my run. Lactic acid is setting in. Sun is going down. I know I’m roughly a mile and a half out from hotel. I take the time to video a plane approach and land. Looks like it’s coming right at you. Very cool. The moment catches me and I get choked up. Thankful for the opportunity and proud of the planning and willingness to go adventure. As I finished my run, a group of coworkers were walking to a restaurant. I’m 99% sure I was the only one who busted out a run in our group, and I’m perfectly ok with that. It was amazing. The hotel we stayed at had gluten free pizza and pasta. I hadn’t eaten lunch so I got both. Saturday was a win!

Sunday we were told to be on the DC bus at 0700. We were taken to the Gaylord National Convention Center. All 3800+ cops were brought there to get our credentials and be sworn in as US Marshals for the day. Marshal, Officer, Sheriff, Constable..you name the law enforcement moniker, I saw it. Hallways filled with cops.

 It was like Disney World, without the cool ride at the end. Patch and challenge coin trading was everywhere. And what would a cop convention be without donuts? So many donuts were consumed this weekend. Not one gluten free donut to be found, so others enjoyed the one I would’ve had. I’m a planner. I like to see things run efficiently. Having thousands of cops standing around for 2-3 hours not doing anything isn’t efficient to me. On the grand scale, I get it. Bring everyone in, do the paperwork, corral all the cops, swear them in have the briefing and go. But I dislike having everyone show up at same time when you could filter in and reduce standing around. That’s just my opinion, I’m sure this was a small detail in a huge project, but whoever coordinated it gets a C grade from me. I have no doubt the US Marshals and Secret Service are eagerly awaiting my feedback on the cop swearing in ceremony (not). We did get a DC Metro patch and a goody bag of little snacks. 

We also got a video from President elect Trump thanking all law enforcement for being there and our commitment to safety! 

Once we were sworn in and got our briefing from the Mayor of DC, DC Metro Chief of Police, Secret Service big wig, and DC Metro planner, we were dismissed. I don’t like complaining but I try to be transparent and honest. You have 3800+ cops all released to a hundred buses going to multiple hotels. There is one or 2 ways out. This may seem harsh, but it was a TOTAL CLUSTERFUCK. No one knew which bus was going where. Some bus drivers didn’t speak English. Busses were lined up for a mile. They couldn’t move until the first bus left but no one knew who was riding it. Grade F for who planned (if you call it that).  Someone in our group brokered a deal to get the first bus driver to make 2 stops. The 4 officers who were on the bus got joined by 20 Dayton Police officers and away we went. We then walked to Ted’s Montana Grill where I enjoyed a 16oz Bison bone in ribeye. It was delicious! After our early dinner, we chilled out at hotel and lights out early for our long day. 

We had to be on the DC bus at 4am. My alarm went off at 3:10am. The Inauguration was moved indoors due to freezing temperatures. We were all bundled up. Some more than others.  In a real sign of the times, 2 officers had socks that had their temperatures adjusted by an app on their phone! Socks! I know I’m getting older but socks adjusted by cell phone app is wild to me, and yet it’s probably not even new. Two last minute items I had grabbed was long John pants and a face/head covering I o my wear for super cold runs. These were absolutely essential to my well being. When we exited the bus at 0420, we walked to our spot. Seeing the US Capitol before sunrise was cool. 

What we didn’t know was that the Secret Service HADNT “swept” the area yet and they weren’t too happy we were there already. I chalk this one up to lack of communication between huge agencies in a huge event. Our DC Metro liaison found us and led us to the National Museum of Natural History for breakfast. Location gets an A+. 

F’ing Jellyfish 

Food gets a C. Breakfast sandwich and potatoes from a catering place. I scraped the sausage and egg to get all the bread off. Had about 10-15 minutes to look around and take required tourist pics. Then we walked back to our little spot on Pennsylvania Ave. we had to guard the gate …where no one was allowed. 

 This was our little slice of …nothing.

The Secret Service cars and K9s were parked there. The general public who had to go through metal detectors were half a block away. On the opposite side of Pennsylvania Ave, there were some people. The big crowds were back at 6th Street. There was a Johns Hopkins building across the street that was used as our “warming center”. They had snacks and hand warmers and restrooms for us. Lots of chairs. People working the center tried their best to help us out. We would take a shift being outside, pacing or blocking the gate from no one, and trying our best to stay warm and then use warming center. A squirrel who is clearly used to getting fed by humans climbed up at least 2 people’s legs trying to get food. This squirrel was very popular as it provided entertainment. There was a good and bad part to our “spot”. The good thing was we had no worry about people jumping our fence because there was no people. The bad thing was there was nothing to watch or do. Standing in full uniform, minus a radio and taser (metros orders), in freezing cold weather gets old fast. Yes, we were told it would be a long day, we knew it was going to be cold, but it wears on you.

Side note…but is awesome. I realize my awesome may be different because of what I do everyday. We were specifically told that if a person jumps the fence and breaks the line of cops, to try and stop the motorcade, to let them go, DO NOT chase them! It is the Secret Service’s policy to just hit the person with the car and keep motorcade rolling. That’s awesome. Don’t be an idiot and you don’t get ran over. Pretty easy. 

The sun had risen and a few people were out. I want to say it was around 10am when we were told to take and hold a spot that the Presidential motorcade was moving and coming our way. I later read that it was President Biden and President elect Trump riding together to the Capital. We were told to face away and watch the crowd as this was “game time”…we had no crowd to watch. I also didn’t think Secret Service wanted anything pointed at motorcade. I didn’t test that the first motorcade pass. I watched as about 30 motorcycles, then Black SUVs, then 3 “Beast” Limousines then more SUVs and more cars drove by. It’s a cool experience to be on the inside of the line, standing guard on Pennsylvania Ave while the leaders of the free world drive by. Once the motorcade passes, we’re back to chilling. We heard one loud mental guy hollering nonsense. I think the Secret Service disappeared him. Lunch was rumored to be Chick Fil A. That rumor was false. Deli turkey or chicken sandwich was brought in by catering company. Not great. Towards about 1-2pm, I’m about bored to tears. And COLD. Instead of heading into warning center, I go looking at the crowds that have gathered for when newly sworn in President Trump drives by. I find a nice family from Illinois. Riley is a 6th grader who has visited with his parents. They had to drive through Dayton to get to DC. I got to talk with them and hear what they’ve seen the past few days. This was a great way for me to kill time, feed my social side and they got to kill time talking to a cop working a Presidential detail. I then went across Pennsylvania Ave, making sure no vehicles were going to run me over, and talked with a family from Arizona. They had brought their 3 kids to see DC and hoped to see the motorcade. I enjoyed talking with the kids and found out the Dad worked for Homeland Security. I truly enjoyed the interaction with the crowd. On my way back, I saw a guy about 22 told wearing a Notre Dame jacket. I asked him what he thought the score would be of the National Championship game that night. “38-34 Notre Dame” he said. I asked him why he thought ND would win. “I just hate Ohio State and their fans! I don’t even like the color red!”  To be fair, there are other Daytons. Ohio doesn’t have the only Dayton. And we’re in DC, no where close to Columbus. So I was loving this. I asked what he didn’t like about Ohio State fans. “They are all annoying!” He was with 2 females about his age. They were rolling their eyes and not sharing his passion for ND. They were wearing lacrosse shirts so I asked them about playing lacrosse. Then some President talk happened. Then I dropped the bomb I was from Dayton OHIO and this kids face dropped. I was cracking up. I told him I wasn’t sorry for annoying him so bad. Then I gave the crowd a big O H! One lady replied “I O.” But it wasnt very passionate. I thanked her for trying. She was from North Carolina. The crowd interaction was one of the best parts of the day. 

I heard the canons go off when President Trump was sworn in. I met the head Secret Service agent in the Dayton office. He was assigned to the White House but wanted to come and say hi to Dayton PD. Then we were told to be ready for the motorcade. We were ready. We waited. We waited some more. Almost an hour goes by before we hear some guy may or may not have gotten through a metal detector with a gun. That guy was dealt with, I joked the Secret Service disappeared him also. Then finally a ton of police motorcycles line Pennsylvania Ave. a few minutes later, more police motorcycles carrying American flags arrive and the motorcade is approaching.  I’m still guarding a fence with no people around so I took a video of the first few cars and the limos. 2nd time through was even better with all the police motorcycles lining Pennsylvania Ave. 

After motorcade went by, we all agreed none of us would’ve been standing out in the cold for hours just to see some cars drive by. You can see the videos online of motorcades. You had no idea which of the 3 limos the president was in. You do you, but I’m not standing out there just to watch cars drive by. 

The crowd dispersed. There was no asking them to leave, they were freezing and ready to go. Some law enforcement officers left. We were told we had to wait to see if the president was coming back to the Capital. We go inside the warming center to be told they are shutting down and we gotta get out. We’ve been in uniform for 14 hours and fighting to stay warm. You could see pain and discomfort had set in. Tired and frustrated cops. Most of our group wanted to get back to watch our beloved Ohio State Buckeyes become NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! 

Our liaison took forever to finally tell us we were dismissed. We were thrilled to leave. Until what do you know, we can’t find our bus. We think we know the number that was on the bus but we’re not sure. We get to play find your bus again. Not great. Not organized. Tired grumpy cold cops are not who you want to see when they don’t know how they are getting home.

We do, eventually find our bus. My feet and legs are sore. They are so happy to then go run a mile to keep run streak alive. Half a mile away from hotel and right back. Then I have pizza and chicken Alfredo for dinner in my room watching my Buckeyes win!!

To sum it up, it was a great trip. Really cool experience that I would do again if given the opportunity. Only time will tell. What I didn’t expect was this trip to put DC on the list for Brittney and I to return to. I was in DC in 8th grade (I think) and know I didn’t appreciate it then. There’s so much to see and do that we would have a blast with now. If anyone can turn the heat back on in Ohio, before we get back, that’d be great. I hear it’s extremely cold there. 

Our pile of used hand warmers. We were pulling them out of gloves, hats, pants. I had thrown away 4 before we left.