IM Louisville 2018

I want to start this blog out thanking my beautiful wife Brittney. This year has shown the importance of spouse support. Brittney has supported me every step of the way through 2 Ironman competitions this year. She was flexible when I needed to run long or bike longer. She helped make sure I had all my stuff and take care of Heidi and Savvy's things to make sure we traveled with low stress. Without Brittney's support, I would never have been able to complete this epic challenge.


The past 3 months since Ironman Canada has been kind of crazy. Taking my 2 week break off exercise was SMART! I put up a decent showing at USAT Nationals and then jumped right back into IM training. Chris Tech and I trained together almost every weekend. We push each other. Our cycling is so similar it's almost scary. Our runs are close and we did 2 or 3 long runs, including the 20 miler) together. He always had more energy at the end of the runs than I did. We crushed every workout we could and worked our asses off to be prepared for IM Louisville. Towards the end of this training block, I got super tired. I was exhausted from all the workouts and the stress of the impending race. I enjoy the journey of preparing for an Ironman, but my body didn't love going through the paces again after Canada. The thoughts of "Am I ready to do this again?" "Can I do better than ever before?" started creeping into my mind. I felt like I had prepared, but I was worried I was overly tired.

Finally the long training was over. Time to taper! Time to relax! Except then Sloopy showed she was ready to cross that rainbow bridge. That was emotionally draining when I needed to be chilling out and refilling my bodies energy. Then the weather forecast hit showing rain and cold temps. I'm not sure what I did to mother nature, but she tested me at every major race I did this year. Chattanooga was freaking hot. Whistler gets a heat wave and it was 95 degrees for the marathon. Now I go to Louisville and it's COLD and rainy??? Seriously??!! I pray the forecast is wrong and race day will be gorgeous. No dice! Saturday, day before race day, I went out to cheer on the kids for the Iron Kids race. Heidi and Ollie ran the entire 1 mile race holding hands. I stood there and froze. Chris and I knew the decision of what to wear the next day had to be made. I get cold easy. I was smart enough to pack full finger bike gloves. I had also packed 2 long sleeve sweat wicking shirts. I didn't want to add time to my transition times but I didn't want to freeze on the bike. I decided I would throw my warmer black shirt on before the bike to try and keep warm. If I would've known how cold it was going to get, I would've taken more time and put on longer pants. Saturday was also Chris' birthday. We had a great dinner with the Tech family and then back to the hotel to rest.

I set my alarm for 4:20 am. I slept decent and yet again found myself not really wanting to go fight the elements. I had the same thoughts in Canada. I had the good fortune of checking on 2 people I knew who were fortunate enought to race The World Championship Ironman in Kona, Hawaii the day before.
 Brian Irwin, on the Queen K highway, hit The Pose, in my honor during The World Championship Ironman in Kona, Hawaii!!

I watched the video of Brian Irwin finishing and I was super motivated to go get my finish line! I rolled out of bed and got dressed. Put on warm sweat pants and 2 extra layers on top to stay warm before the race started. Met Chris in the lobby at 5:20. We walked to transition and got bottles ready. Checked tire pressure and met outside transition. Chris didn't seem all that nervous for this being his first Ironman. I think he hides his emotions much better than I do. We stayed under the overpass to stay dry for a while then walked to swim start. My plan was to start a little further up with the faster swimmers and so Chris and I said our "good luck" words of encouragement and then I walked up ahead. The race was scheduled to start at 7:30. About 7:15, I kicked off my shoes and put my wet suit on. Got all ready to go. The energy was buzzing. It was GO time! Except, no, it wasn't. An announcer announced the race would be delayed a half hour because rain made it difficult to see and the swim would bve cut short to a .9 mile swim. The current was so strong in the river that it was deemed unsafe to swim against it. I felt sorry for those who had never completed a 140.6 mile race. That's the distance we all train for. But we have to take the race the race director gives us. I thought this would just make it easier. What I didn't know was how difficult the weather conditions was about to make this task even tougher.

 gotta start out the race in the right mood!

The water was 67.5 degrees. Standing on the dock, the current didn't look that bad. I walked up and jumped in. Ironman #4 had begun. I started swimming out and we were directed out to the right. The buoys marking the swim seemed to be moving all around. I swore one buoy was floating up stream. Looking back, I believe the current was just pushing me past the buoy in a fast manner. The thought occurred to me that I may have forgotten to start my watch! This isn't a big deal, but I love my info. I'm in the middle of the Ohio River, its 43 degrees outside, and I turn on my watch and get it started tracking me.

Made me smile to do something as crazy as that. I should probably stay focused, but I wanted that info. Next thing I know, I'm approaching the stairs to get out of the river. All I knew at that time was my swim was fast. I had no idea it was 15:50 fast. Pros were swimming 12-13 minute swims. I was impressed that the volunteers already had my wetsuit unzipped before I was out of the water.


Strippers yanked that wetsuit off me and I immediately started scanning the crowd for my girls. Every time I saw Brittney, Heidi and Savvy, my eyes light up and my smile energizes me.


I feel incredibly lucky to have them always supporting me.  Sure enough, my girls and Paige and Ollie were on the right side past the pedestrian bridge. Quick hugs and a kiss for Britt before I changed into bike shoes. Out of the tent and got my bike. As I walked up the ramp with my bike

, a loud roar went up. Now I know I'm good looking, and super popular



but this was a louder cheer than I was used to. Just to my left, I spotted an athlete walking up the ramp on BOTH of his PROSTHETICS. That's right, this guy has no legs but he's out of the swim and starting his bike at the same time I was. "Can't much complain about things when that guy is out here doing it also" I thought to myself. So off I go. It's cold. It's rainy. Before 5 miles, my socks are soaked. My legs are cold. Muscles are tight. Then the peeing begins. I had no idea this was the first sign of hypothermia. It was ridiculous how much I peed. I never stopped to pee. I just stood up and in a weird way, enjoyed the only warmth my legs felt. Apparently, when you can't sweat, and the body starts becoming hypothermic, the body releases all the fluid.


I chalked it up to being extra hydrated. I can tell you that riding a tri bike takes a stable rider. Shivering on a tri bike sucks. The faster I went, the colder I got. I never got any cramps so that was a bonus. But the dark mind tried taking over. "Maybe I'll crash in this rain and have a good reason to not race the rest of this" "This is crazy, lets just stop at the next aid station and.." My perseverance part of my brain was on a full frontal attack. I went back to my WHY. Why do I do this? Why do I train for this? Because I told my KIDS I would do this. Volunteers have come out to support us. If everyone quits, they have no one to cheer for. The ROCKSTAR feeling of the finish line!! Others are going to finish this, do you want to live the rest of your life knowing you quit?? Quitting isn't an option, suck it up buttercup! These thoughts made me continue pedaling.
 looks like the emoji squinting eyes smile guy


I then tried cutting the bike course into pieces. Just get to the loop. Enjoy the fast downhills. Pass some people on the up hills. There's my crash site! Just get through that.
 you didn't think I was taking this seriously did you??


Now let's go see who all is out in LaGrange. First time through LaGrange, there's not that many people out. I can't blame them, it's freaking cold and rainy out here! Ok lets get to Ballard School Rd and get those pesky inclines out of the way. I knew Cincinnati Tri Club Speedo Squad was due in Sligo. I couldn't wait to see them. What a boost of energy they gave me!

Justin, Macke and everyone out there cheered like I was winning! Made me smile so big! Then a few miles away was Colleen and the Rogue/ BIT Cheer squad!
it's just riding a bike..in the cold ass rain! for 112 miles...


I tried hitting my bike pose and they went wild. Ok, just finish this loop and let's do it again! I then remembered I put dry socks in my special needs bag. I was good on taking in my nutrtion and was prepared to switch out bottles. Those dry socks felt so good! The 2 volunteers who helped me there were incredible. I made sure they didn't have to touch my drenched smelly socks. Back on the bike I went. LaGrange had more people out but the rest of the course was eerily quiet. To keep my mind busy, sometimes I sing. Usually its made up songs about my surroundings. Or about pizza. Whatever it takes to forget about my legs. I want to say it was around mile 80, though I wouldn't testify to that because my brain was wrecked with fighting fatigue and hypothermia, I started singing, "The wheels on my bike go round and round, round and round, All through Louisville!" You just sang that as you read it didn't you ;)  Next verse was "The lemurs at the place go Poop Poop Poop, Poop poop poop, poop poop poop all down Heidi's jacket!" Side note, as you may think thats really freaking weird, Brittney and Paige took Heidi, Savvy and Ollie to an Animal Sanctuary where a ring tailed monkey was standing on Heidi's head, and pooped on the back of her jacket. True story. Then it hit me, it wasn't a lemur. It was a ring tailed monkey. So redid that lyric, "the ring tailed monkey...poop poop poop...all down Heidi's back!" I smiled as I knew Heidi would appreciate this when I told her about it. I've said it before, and I'll say it again..Just the thought of my girls' smiles is a big pick me up for me.
 I made it back to Sligo and stopped for a picture with CTC. Everyone told me it was miserable conditions, and I agreed! I was told to keep up the hard work, and that's what I did. Finally made it out of the 2nd loop and started making my way back to transition. Rain kicked up again. Now the wind joined in the fun of beating me up. My body temp was low. I'm almost 100 miles in and I'm not quitting now. I got passed by some others but I was happy I wasn't cramping. I see a sign on River Rd that says "90 miles to nursing!" which was an advertisement for Xavier University in Kentucky. I thought, "I just rode my bike further than that!" Crazy sport I play. I turn right and see the line of people cheering those of us finishing our bike ride. I was thrilled to get off that bike. I was tired though. And cold. I had a plan to get through transition quickly but was nervous about what to wear for the run. Stupid cold weather!! Decided to keep the warm shirt and gloves. Did the best I could and got out of the there.

Running up the ramp
, my legs felt ok. Lots of people cheering me on. The run was altered due to construction downtown. It felt like it took me forever to get where my family was. I heard Savvy yell "DADDY!!" She busts out running towards me then turns around when I almost meet up with her. She ends up getting the best picture from FinisherPix!

I say a quick hello to everyone and thank them for being out there. I asked if Chris was doing well and was assured he was.

 I tell them I can't wait to see them again and continue forward. Not even to mile 2 and what do you know, I have the incredible urge to pee again. I'm not even sure how this is possible at this point. But there's no porta potty in sight and I don't want to stop. Elsa sang "Let It Go." and I did. I couldn't believe I could pee as much as I did. I tried running my 4 minutes and walking 20 seconds which worked for a few miles. Maybe 6? I'm really not sure. I knew this course. I knew what it took to get it done. I played "The Tree Game." "Ok Matt, run to the 2nd tree, then walk 1. Then run 2 more trees....." Louisville is lined with trees along their roads and this worked to keep me moving. I kept looking for Jordan Johnson, Chris and Jascia. We were spaced out pretty well. Jordan looked super strong on the run. I just met him when Chris and I did our Louisville preview ride. On my way back in I finally saw Chris. Seeing my training partner and friend looking strong made me smile. A quick high five and a word of encouragement, we both kept moving forward. I get to mile 12 and see Sam and Mel Morgan. 2 super sweet people who are always encouraging. Quick hugs and a "I'll see you soon!". The way the run was altered, we had to come within a block of the FINISH LINE. Then turn right to start loop 2 of the run. It was almost painful to get that close to the finish line....just to leave it. A volunteer, girl who was 12 or 13, reminded me a lot of Heidi, was wonderful about walking with me while I refilled my Infinit and water in my handheld bottle. I had dry socks in there, but there was no way I was trying to sit down and change socks at this point. I figured my legs would seize up if I sat down. I thanked her for help and marched on.

Here is where some may question me and the Ironman rules. Ironman has a rule that an athlete must complete the race using only what the race offers or be self supported. I understand this rule as this keeps the playing field "fair." There have been examples of people using "pacers" on the run to keep their own pace from faltering. People having friends or family carrying nutrition on bikes while they run. As I leave run special needs, I spot my family at the same place they were at when I started the run. I yell at Brittney and get their attention. I'm still not sure how they didn't figure out where athletes turning point was, but I'm glad I yelled at them. Brittney starts to walk with me. WALK. I'm clearly not winning here, not feeling the greatest but still upright. I ask her to open a pack of Stinger chews for me. As soon as I hand them to her, 2 Ironman officials approach me. They explain that Brittney has to stop. I understand what they were saying but I'm really surprised they were enforcing this rule, on me at this point. After a few days passed, I relate this to police work. In police work, we use DISCRETION. I believe Ironman officials should maybe look into this DISCRETION. Just my opinion. I asked for my Stinger chews and Ironman officials explain she can't give them to me. Brittney is visibly upset with them and worried she has gotten me into trouble. I tell her not to worry about it and I'll see her at the finish line. Were the officials doing their job, yes. Is that the rule, No Outside Assistance, Yes. Were there people on bikes further up rolling along cheering on their athletes, YES. Brittney and my family watched one athlete sit down mid way through the run, do a full change of clothes and was fed by his family. Paige said she saw 3 athletes that were treated to warm meals at the turn around by their families. No officials seemed to be around to see these other "offenses."In Ironman Texas 2018, we watched videos of long lines of pelotons of people drafting on their bikes, but no officials penalizing them. So to end this portion, I understand the rules. I understand why they are there. But if you're going to enforce SOME rules, you better have enough officials to enforce ALL the rules on EVERYONE. Or start taking into effect time of the race, what these athletes are going through, fighting hypothermia and still moving forward!, and using DISCRETION as to who is abusing the rules (warm meals, 20 minute pit stops, pelotons of drafting) or minor infractions (a person walking 100-200 ft with an athlete and opening a pack of Stinger chews). Just my opinion. I'm willing to hear others out on this issue. I try to race as "clean" and follow the "rules" as much as possible and I try to protect the integrity of our sport. But there are times where ya gotta say, " C'MON MAN!!"

OK, Moving on... which is exactly what I had to do. I started running past to the next block where Sam Morgan was. I had to laugh when he came out and walked with me for about 50 yards. I told him about Brittney getting stopped. He told me the conditions of the day were extreme and told me to use the frustration towards Ironman as fuel. The next aid station had Blocks Chews. Just like the chews Brittney now I had that I wanted. So chews problem was solved quickly. The tree game kept me in the RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF FORWARD MOTION.
 I look so happy! #fakenews

I had to remind myself to just keep moving forward. I remember hearing a guy at mile 14 say, " 12 miles from retiring from this!" I thought that sounded smart, retiring from this distance. Ironman is crazy difficult! I may retire from this distance soon, but not until after Maryland next year! The dark thoughts will always intrude you let them.
I saw Chris again and that dude just looked strong. He said he was getting a little tired but feeling ok. I tried running. I really tried. But it was more walking. I may not be giving myself enough credit for the running I was able to do, but dang it, I'm competitive! I wanted to run more than I was. My brain and legs just didn't have it. I don't think I had any clue how difficult this really was. The low temps, swimming, then biking 112 miles while fighting hypothermia then trying to run!! After a week, it's finally setting in that it's amazing I was able to complete this with no injury. There were times I felt dizzy. I never told anyone that. I just worked through it. There were stomach tightness issues that I had to stop taking in calories and let my stomach reset itself. I just kept pushing forward. Finally reached the turn around point. I knew now, the next stop was the finish line. I'd see Chris on my way back in. I think I was at mile 22. Big bro hug and told him how proud of him I was. Told him I'd see him when he becomes an Ironman! Mile 25 hits and I suddenly need a porta potty. It's dark, but hiding to pee wasn't cutting it. I had to walk to keep from prairie dogging


Almost a freaking mile until I saw the beautiful


I did what I needed to do,, and smiled the biggest smile.

My gut was fine, my legs weren't cramping, and I knew what was less than a half mile away. The ROCKSTAR Treatment. I got to the big crowd, hugged Sam, Mel, and Justin Bifro. Turned left and smiled. Turned right and saw the promised land! I knew it was my time. I started the motion to pump up the crowd who didn't let me down.

The crowd was LOUD!! The lights were BRIGHT! The red carpet felt so good under my sore feet. I knew my family were to be on the right side of the finish line. I must've gotten 100 high fives from that crowd! I'd hold my hand up to my ear and the crowd would just go nuts! They loved it. I loved it! I kept looking for my family. I kept collecting high fives and soaking in the moment. 38 years, and only 4 times have I accomplished such a feat. Then I see Pat, Chris' mom. She gets a big sweaty hug. I high five a few more people. I see the finish line. Nothing hurt. Everything was AMAZING!

 true face of exhaustion


Then I see them. Heidi gets a kiss, Savvy gets a kiss, Brittney gets a kiss! My parents get hugs! I make the understatement of the day, "That was HARD!" Then I go to where I hear, "Matthew Kennard from Dayton, OHIO!! You're an Ironman!"
That never gets old! Then, even though the lights are blinding me, I see Sean Walsh there to catch me! Sean and I seem to motivate each other to always get better, be stronger, and be positive role models for our kids. I look at Sean dead in his eyes and primal scream the scream of success! We hug! He puts the beautiful medal around my neck!

I tell him the conditions were horrible, and I fell apart, but he assures me I crushed it.


I take a few pictures with my family

 Proud parents!


 I'm so lucky to have her! This is how big I smile to be finished with an Ironman!

and Brittney tells me Chris is minutes from finishing. I grab my stuff and make way to where I just hugged my parents as I finished. Chris comes running up and hugs his mom. I then get a big high five and hug! Paige and Ollie get greeted by their newly minted Ironman. Paige confirms what I already knew, Chris kicked my butt!! Beat me by 38 minutes!! Bro just smashed his first Ironman race!!

 never mind us, just 2 Ironmen chatting about our race
Brittney and Paige have their own version about this pic


;)

SassMasters Cheer Squad!


Absolutely crazy day. Ironman likes to say this challenge is looked at upon most as impossible. The training we put in on a daily effort can be grueling. People that aren't in the sport that try and comprehend what we do, can't make it in their mind swimming 2.4 miles. Let alone in the Ohio River. I've talked to runners who say that the marathon itself is a long enough race, they can't imagine running a marathon after biking 112 miles. The whole Ironman distance is just crazy. There's a reason you can brag for the rest of your life once you complete one. I hope I've shown my kids that if you want a big goal, you gotta work for it, everyday. And even if you run into obstacles, you keep pushing forward. Never quit. Just keep pushing forward. I saw Judy Stutes absolutely crush this race. and she was injured 6 weeks prior. So many people fought through hypothermia, a shortened swim, rain, bike crashes and were successful. On the flip side, of the people who actually started the race, somewhere between 15 and 20% of Did Not Finish. Thats a high number. People don't just sign up for an Ironman just for the fun of it. This was almost as difficult as Ironman Canada. I rank Canada as a harder race because the temps were cooking me and the leg cramps I had to fight through. Some athletes work better in heat, some work better in cold (Chris!) but we all have to make decisions. Decisions before, during and after the race that affects us. I'm including screenshots from Facebook posts from others as why they didn't finish. I think it paints a better picture of what people were experiencing. Maybe the thought, "well Matt, you finished the race, it couldn't have been THAT BAD??" crossed your mind. Read through these posts. But before that...

Thank you!!! Thank you to my wonderful children for being there for Daddy! Your smiling faces give me energy beyond belief! I want to always make you proud!

Thank you to my parents for being there! I also want to make you proud and having you there at the Finish Line was awesome!
 hugging my Dad

Thank you to CTC/Rogue/Team RWB triathlon club members! Y'all rock. Y'all motivate me to work harder, to get stronger. Cheer like the crazed monsters you are. Can't thank you enough.

Tom Cooper, thanks for the pre-race prayer. The calm and peace you bring my mind when it wants to start going haywire is just so much appreciated. Were 4 for 4!

Sean Walsh, dude, your pre-race messages are just so encouraging and  gets me hyped up. Being there to catch me at the Finish Line is just so awesome. What a great role model you are for your kids!

Paige and Ollie Tech- We've practically became family and you ladies are always in great moods and cheering like wild. Paige has a no fear attitude and crushes races all while supporting her husband in his crazy efforts. Your support is greatly appreciated and I look forward to our future adventures!

Last but certainly not least, Chris "The Bike" Tech. I am seriously impressed with your efforts to learn to swim and be prepared in a 1 year time span for an Ironman. Your duathlon experience set you up nicely, but you came into triathlon like a wrecking ball. The long bike rides, the long runs. Rabbit Hash, Louisville preview ride in the rain, UDF at 5am. "what do you mean another 9 mile run?" Bro, we worked our tails off. You kept me honest, pushed me when I slowed down. Encouraged me when I tired. Made me laugh when you NUKED! I'm super proud of your success and glad I was a part of it. Can't wait to see what we do in Maryland! Congrats to you Ironman!



Gotta say thanks to Ashlynn Lucas for setting up my training plan and coaching me to be prepared. All of my main races in 2018, Chattanooga 70.3, Canada and Louisville had horrible weather conditions. Either freaking hot, or cold and rainy. Your training plan got me to the fitness I needed to get to the finish line. and get there with no injury. I appreciate you as well!
https://www.befiercelifestylefitness.com


Well, I think thats good enough for now. Ironman Louisville 2018 will always be remembered as the hypothermia Ironman. Lots learned. Crazy experience. I'm super blessed. I couldn't get everything in here, Brian Forrester I'm glad you're ok. To those who didn't finish, dust your self off and get back to training. There's always another race in the future. I'm enjoying the break from training. My body earned it!

IM Canada!

Wow, where to start?? Around August 2017, Kevin Sturm says he's racing IM Canada in 2018. I vaguely remember Whistler as mentioned in the Winter Olympics, but I couldn't tell you what year that was held. I stood a better chance finding Whistler on a map using a dart blindfolded instead of pointing to it. I did a little research and found Whistler was on the west coast of Canada. Easiest to explain like this, go to Seattle Washington, then go north for 3 hours. Close enough. My thought was that is too far away, too expensive for a family, and I'm probably not ready for a race like that. I read one athlete's comment from the bike course as, " Whistler's bike course is so hard, I was ready to sell my bike because I never wanted to ride it again after that course." I had been improving on the bike, but that didn't sound great. Then I saw pictures of the race course...

 Alta Lakewhere swim takes place

I was jealous! Whistler looked beautiful. Then Katie and Kalen said they were going. They did the leg work on hotel info. Found good race info. Encouraged me to join them. The pressure was on! I presented the idea to Brittney to do a family "race-cation." Make our family vacation destination Whistler, BC and oh by the way, I'll be doing an Ironman while we're there. Fully prepared for her to shoot that down, she jumped right on board to go. Said she wanted to see more of this big world and knows how much I like racing, let's do it!

I registered for the race before she changed her mind! We don't drop $700 to lose the money. Now, how the heck do I take the 4 of us across the continent with my bike and tri stuff?? Passports? We don't have passports!! Transportation, hotel, gluten free options?? Things for kids to do? This was a serious undertaking. Brittney's parents were told where we were going and explained Whistler was a bucket list place they'd always wanted to go. They asked if we minded to join us? We were happy to be the catalyst that would ultimately get them to such an amazing place. The time was ticking by. There was rumor that the bike course would be changed due to one city not being happy their traffic was affected on race day. The rumor was true. The new bike course was released. It was a 3 loop course to get the 112 miles in. 

This is the elevation chart

Do you see the flat part? NOPE!! There isn't a flat part! How does a guy in OHIO train on the bike for hills like this in Winter and Spring?? Race is end of July. I didn't have all summer to prepare. Chris Tech got me all set up on my new bike trainer using a computer and 50 inch TV. We then pushed each other to see who could do the most trainer miles to prepare for Whistler's hills. Thank goodness we did that! Consistent training = race day success. So after months of training, travel planning, getting passports, and gathering all the intel I could get...I found myself in Whistler. Tri Bike Transport arrived with my bike. Due to life's surprises and health issues, the original 3 teammates who encouraged me to join them, were not coming. But 3 other teammates, Jamie, Brenda, and Chris had signed up to do the 70.3 race. The ironman and half-ironman are raced on the same day. I was blessed to make it to Whistler healthy and feeling strong with great teammates and friends who understand how difficult this sport is. Brittney says I did a good job not showing my nerves. Chris will tell you he had to deal with me freaking out about 20 times from a week out until the day before the race. So much went into just getting here, dealing with life, work, schedules, family, and all I wanted was to get this race going. I didn't really know if I had biked enough hills. Coach Ashlynn said I was prepared. She has been coaching me and making my workout schedule for the past 3 months. 140.6 miles is a long way. There was a water temp scare making people believe the swim would not be wetsuit legal. I can swim the 2.4 miles without a suit, but I swim it much faster with the wetsuit. Then the heat wave struck. Race day was looking like high in the 90's. Completely not like Whistler weather. Restaurants there don't have air conditioning because it generally doesn't get hot. Except when I come there to race Ironman. Not what I needed. I don't run my best in hot temps. Are you ready? Are you excited? Common questions for an athlete going into his big race. The truth was, I was SCARED. Scared of failure. Scared I'd fail to conquer the hills. Scared the heat would make me cramp so bad I couldn't keep moving. But out loud, I'd say, Im nervous but excited. I'm pretty good at masking my nerves. Then came the day before the race. We went to the IronKids race where Team Sass Masters crushed their race. 

Then Chris and I went to drop off gear bags and check in our bikes.

The row to the left is the PRO bikes. The 3rd row on the end closest is Vengeance! I had a sweet spot!

Back to the hotel where I put my feet up and started watching motivational videos on YouTube. I found a video of the IronCowboy where he talked of "putting on his uniform" and how his hat and sunglasses "transforms him" into the Iron Cowboy. He spoke of his WHY. What drove him? One simple answer was, "Because I told my kids I would." These 2 points struck me hard. I looked at my race kit. I only wear that kit for big races. I realized when I put on my race kit, I am transformed into Iron Dad. That may sound awfully cheesy to others, but it unlocked the confidence I'd been needing. The fact I told my kids we came all this way was to race Ironman was a driving force that the race officials were going to have to drag me off that course. QUITTING was NOT an option. Come hell or high water, I was going to finish this race. We had a team lunch at the Spaghetti Factory at 2 then we went to grab some pizza around 6:30 with the Tech family. I had my game face on and confidence boiling through my veins. I was ready. I was prepared. It was time to go to work. I slept as good as could be expected. Alarm was set for 3:10. I put on my race kit and felt psyched up. IT was RACE DAY!

Brenda, Jamie, and Chris were waiting on me outside. We walked to T2 and dropped off what we needed. No nutrition can be left in bags over night because it attracts bears. Then a quick bus ride over to Rainbow Park. Bikes were checked and bottles loaded. Then a "hypothetical" incident happened. There were 2 porta potties close to where my bike was racked. There were signs that said PRO's ONLY. The age grouper porta potties were on the other side of transition. HYPOTHETICALLY, If I used the PRO ONLY porta potty....Does that make me a PRO??

The athletes waiting for me to exit looked like they were in great shape! ;)

I found Jamie, Brenda, and Chris. We talked as we prepared the wetsuits, water was 72 on race day. Then I shook hands and wished them well on their races. I went and lined up for the swim. 

Thats me, right there in the black wetsuit and green cap!

The PRO men started (there was no pro women for this race).

The countdown went off and we filtered into the water.

The course was a rectangle that I had to swim twice. Water was crystal clear. Felt amazing. It was almost difficult to keep face in water because I wanted to enjoy the scenery!! I smiled throughout most of the swim because I was simply blessed to be there and experiencing a mountain swim. It's easy to exercise when your thoughts are positive and not on tiring muscles! There was some bumping, I caught a heal to right cheek at one point, but the swim went great. There wasn't a current to push me like in Chattanooga or Louisville, but I crushed the swim in 1:14. I thought I'd be between 1:20-1:25. This was a great start to my day!!
I then grabbed my bike bag and went into the tent. Got my shoes and helmet on and went outside. My stomach grumbled a little and I stopped in a porta potty. Apparently that was just nerves, I thought. Nothing happened. Oh well, wasted a minute there. Ran around to get my bike. Ran past it, whoops. The mind can get foggy after a 2.4 mile swim. Grabbed my bike off the rack and my stomach said, umm you better get back to that porta potty. Put the bike back and visited the PRO Only porta potty again. OK, gut is empty now, LETS RIDE!!

Time to find out how prepared I was. I'd seen the elevation chart. I thought I knew what was coming. We had driven the course, we had ridden 15 miles of the course. With a strong swim under my belt, I was feeling great. The loop started with a small hill but turned right onto the highway pretty quickly. My thought was to take the first loop easy. No pushing fast pace, no crushing pedals. 112 miles is a long ride. About 12 miles in, I hit the first aid station. I take my Gatorade bottle from Martin, my zipline guide!! He yelled, GO MATT! All the volunteers throughout race day were awesome!!



As we headed down the highway, I learned quickly there were some places I didn't need to pedal. I was flying down hill. No need to burn extra calories here. Then we turn onto Callahan Rd. Lots of talk about the vaunted Callahan Rd climb. 10% grades at times here. It was wild to be crawling up this long steep mountain while on the other side of the road, cyclists were FLYING!!! The sounds of bikes flying is pretty cool! There was an Asian guy halfway up Callahan who had Salt N Peppas PUSH IT on repeat on his boombox and he was holding up a sign that said Push IT!! He would cheer all of us on to continue "Pushing it" up the hill! A little longer up the hill, I got to turn around. The half iron went all the way to the top. I turned around and started heading downhill. It is to be noted that prior to this race I have never had my bike over 40.2mph. When I started blasting down Callahan, I was on my brakes. OMG was this fast. I had white knuckles and was talking myself down to stay calm, keep breathing. Bikes were passing me and yet I was flying. Holy smokes, this was FUN!! Left hand turn to go up the highway.

There were 2 speeds on this course, really fast and pretty slow. No long flat stretches to be comfortable on. So I cranked. I got up that highway and rolled back through town. Lots of spectators out on the highway! Great cheering sections! Roads were in great shape, a few bad places were marked well. Then left turn on Alta Lake Rd. Alta started off fast then you start climbing. It curves right, then left, then back and forth as you climb more. There is one spot that is majestic. The view is simply incredible. Snow capped mountains, trees, just amazing. I got to the turn around point and realized loop 1 was done. Although I was still careful coming back down that winding hill, I allowed myself to enjoy some free speed. The wind felt great! Road was plenty wide and athletes were being safe. Right turn back to the highway. See Martin again, but he's waving a flag now. Still hollered out for me! Down the highway and back to Callahan. That guy is still PUSHing IT! I stopped at an aid station on Callahan to pee and refill bottles. Then the turn around. Guy right in front of me crashes! I think he took the turn around too tight. I slowed my turn to avoid him and continued on. I'm guessing his pride was hurt more than his body. Now that I knew what to expect going down Callahan, I opened it up. I was all out getting it! My garmin says I hit 46.2 mph during the race. It was wild. I stayed safe, but had fun with the free speed. Crawled back up highway, and back to Alta Lake Rd. The sun was out in force now and I was feeling the heat. I tried staying hydrated. My Infinit plan was working well. I knew the 70.3 athletes were out on the course but I hadn't seen anyone I knew. I was working my way up a hill on Alta Lake Rd when I hear a female voice say, "Matthew Kennard!" behind me. I was focused on the road and trying to keep a high cadence when I heard my name. I yelled out, who is that? "Its Brenda!" That made sense since she was the only female I knew racing today. I wasn't able to turn around and see her. I said, Hey Brenda!" "Yea Matt" came the reply, "I'm proud of you!" I said. "I'm proud of you too buddy!" She made me smile as I was trying to get over this hill. I was again reminded how lucky I was to have teammates, friends, out there with me! Then the thought hit me, loop 2 is done. I'm crushing this! Back to the highway. A cloud covered the sun!! For all of 2 minutes. I asked the good lord if he could bring that cloud back. Apparently he was busy tending to others who had crashed at that time. That was the last cloud I'd see for hours. Now I was baking. I stopped at bike special needs and refilled a bottle with Infinit and got more sunscreen sprayed on me. Volunteers were amazing, did I already mention that? Off I went. Back to Callahan. No more Push It guy. Extra heat to help slow my pace. 80 miles of cycling on my legs, and this is starting to suck. That turn around point must've been moved back because it took forever to get there. I was one happy guy when I turned around at the cone knowing I didn't have to go back there again! Flew down Callahan and crawled up the highway. That sun was full force. Draining me of fluids.

Here is where I make a bad mistake, instead of recognizing my fluids level and heat, I take one water bottle and keep going through an aid station. Knowing what I know now, I should've stopped and re-filled all my bottles. Live and learn friends, live and learn! Back to Alta Lake Rd for one more hard climb, in the heat, and running out of fluids. This is when my left shin expresses its displeasure with today's activities. Cramps are an athletes worst enemy. I think I'll stand and stretch it out. My quads voice their displeasure and tell me to stay seated. Hot sun, big steep hill, cramp warnings, and I hear, "Bear! Bear!" right behind me. My brain is so fried it takes me a minute to process what I heard. The lady who yelled it out rolls up next to me and asks if I saw the bear? The whole trip all I wanted to see was a bear, and apparently it was 10-20 ft away from me. But NO, I did NOT see the bear. Total fail. Somehow someway, I make it up Alta Lake Rd, then back down. I go into the last portion and finally head toward the bike finish portion. I didn't look at how long this took as I was scared how long it took me. Later I would find out it was almost 7 hour bike ride. 112 miles and over 8,000 ft of elevation. Some people, including PRO Matt Russell, reported they had over 9k elevation for the course. Whatever the elevation was, it was TOUGH! The heat made it worse. In a sick way, it was really FUN! Flying down hill and embracing the suck to climb in that scenery was amazing!
Rolling into T2, I was ready to get off my bike. I knew I needed fluids. I knew my legs were tired.



I was very concerned with my left shin which was pissed. The 95 degree heat was unrelenting. So now I gotta run a marathon??? I heard Chris yell at me. I heard my girls! They were all waiting to see me. I picked up my run gear bag and walked over to them. I was in NO HURRY to start my marathon. I knew this was turning into a slog fest. I needed their energy. I saw Chris' finisher's medal! In the last 8 months he went from a guy scared of the deep end of a swimming pool, to a half-ironman finisher!! Simply impressive feat! I gave Brittney a quick kiss and got some high fives. Then the Tootie Tah. Savvy and Heidi learned this super silly dance in preschool. Savvy had woken up Thursday before race day and was doing Tootie Tah. You gotta use your imagination here... thumbs up, elbows out, knees end, butt out, tongue out, eyes closed and spin.



I got most of it correct. Everyone was cracking up. I'm a goof ball at heart. I appreciate anyone who stands out in the heat to cheer me on and if I can provide 1 minute of laughter, I will do so. I explained I had to go because I had a marathon to run and off I went. A guy waiting on another athlete, who was close to my cheer group, told Heidi, "You have a really cool Dad!" Unbeknownst to me, Brittney watched 4 athletes come into T2 and QUIT. No hesitation, no thought process, just quit. One guy had his family cheering him to get his run shoes on and he simply told them NO and removed his timing chip and handed it to a race official. The heat and hills defeated them. I had seen others crashed on the course. I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to cover 26.2 miles....into the changing tent I went. Right foot was ok, taped it up and shoe on. Left foot was a different story. My left quad wanted to cramp if i tried putting foot on right knee. HMMMM?? I couldn't reach my foot to put shoe on. This isn't good. AHA, open shoe up as best as possible. Stood up and insert foot in shoe! Success!! I put my shoe on!! (When you are cheering putting your shoe on, life might not be great at that moment.)  I got it tied, and out I went. More sunscreen sprayed all over me.

Begin marathon walking. Yea!! Thats what I'll do, I'll walk this marathon. Great idea! Left shin says oh no you won't!!! Left shin starts to cramp. If it hurts to walk and hurts to run, might as well run. So I start to run. Shin feels much better! Sweet!! Tiredness and heat say slow down there big guy, take a walk. So I walk again. Shin flares, run! Mile 1 is done, only 25.2 miles to go! This will take a while, but I think I can do this. I keep moving. I think of all my motivation. I think of my kids. I had seen a post the day before that said, "You never know who you are inspiring." I think of my teammates. I think of Paige and Ollie Tech. I think of my "warriors", Julie and the Gargasz family, Rachel Blackburn, Pam Pennington, Jill Caldwell, people who have or are currently battling serious health issues like warriors. I have a guy come around a corner and thank me for representing Team RWB and supporting our nation's veterans! The thought, if our military guys can be away from their families, miss the births of their children, I can suck this up and fight through. The run course starts through a shaded path in beautiful trees.



Then you leave the shade and go out into the path in the wide open by Lost Lake and Green Lake.
























It felt like forever to get to the turn around cone. The sun was scorching hot. My legs hated me. My brain was scared a huge debilitating cramp was coming. I used Base Salt to try and quell the cramps. I had ice dumped down my back, ice melting in my hat over my head. Cold water poured over my arms. ANYTHING I could do to keep body temp down. It was a fight. My legs were so tired at this point I have to use a mental trick that Stephanie Little loves to use. Counting strides. Sounds easy enough. It worked for me. By mile 4 of the run, I had to count to 20 walking strides and then count running strides. First was 20 walk, 20 run. Then 20 walk, 30 run. Now I challenged myself! walk 20 run 50! walk 20 run 50 twice. Oh yea! I'm smiling again. This sucks, but it's kinda fun. That little voice in my head says, "Hey , were moving forward. Keep it up!" If I walked more than 20-24 steps, the left shin would cramp. If I ran more than 50-100 strides, the calves and quads wanted to cramp. So I counted. Finally I knew I was coming close to the turn around point. I was pretty sure my family and teammates would be there somewhere. I started repeating my Muhammad Ali mantra. I use his speech from the George Foreman fight, "I have wrestled with an alligator, tussled with a whale! handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail!" When I saw Jamie it made me smile!




Then Chris!


Paige high fives me! I see my beautiful wife and Savvy! My father in law is there cheering me on! I holler out Ali's words! I mask my pain. I SMILE. I flex the bicep that makes all the girls swoon!! (work with me here, my brain was fried ;) )
I push forward. 13 miles to go.  Back through the trees. I stop at special needs and get my Hot Shot. Horrible spicy tasting stuff that helps quell the cramps! More salt, more water. Continue the fight. I get to pass my cheering section again. They all rock for being out there for me. Brittney tells everyone she will be right back and walks a little bit with me. I ask if everyone else finished their races and she confirms Chris, Brenda, and Jamie crushed the 70.3 with no injuries! That makes me extra happy! Then a group of people with squirt guns were trying to help athletes cool down. Brittney took this pic:

That felt great! Super cold! Brittney said the next time she sees me will be at the finish line! Wishes me good luck and off I go.

 I continue the struggle of counting strides. I then talk to Lucian. Lucian is doing his first IM today. 28 years old, no wife or kids, but one day he sees himself a family man. We go back and forth in front of the other only to get passed again soon. We talk small talk. Try and joke around. Admire the scenery. I count strides. Lucian goes to turn around at the 70.3 cone. He suddenly realizes his mistake, (his brain was fried, I give him a pass) he continues on toward our cone. Takes forever to get there! I'm so happy I don't have to see that cone again, I tell it! Back we go. Lucian starts to pull away. I start slowing down. Dang Hot Shot wore off. A turtle laughs at me as he passes me. (that may not have happened, or did it???) Either way, I keep moving forward. I'm happy with my progress and start really thinking that I will finish this. Thats when I encounter athlete X. I don't know his name but he was shorter than me and looked like he was in good shape. When I caught up to him, I asked how he was doing? He gave me a death stare. As a cop, I've seen bad looks in people's eyes. This guy was in trouble. He said, "Well, about 5 minutes ago, I seriously considered walking out into traffic and ending it." "This all sucks and I'm about done." He follows up. I think, "Holy shit! Get away from him and his negative energy quick Matt!"  I tell him to try and keep his head up and off I go. Really ugly places the mind can take you if you let it! Closing in on mile 23, or just after..my watch dies. Better the watch dying than me! But now a new problem arises. Were racing in Canada. All the mileage markers are in kilometers. So the next sign I see says KM 39. I think I've got 42 total KM of the marathon so 3K to go! But I don't know how long a KM IS!!! Guess I should've figured that out before now!  Just keep moving forward Matt. I'm still smiling. Everything hurt but I knew what was coming. A female racer who would smile back at me at turn arounds finally caught me. She said, "Hey, It's Mr. Friendly!" Brain fried ears, I had to ask, "Whats that you say?" She replied, You've been so friendly all day! Always smiling and encouraging everyone else. Thanks for doing that!" I thank her for smiling back and tell her to keep up her strong pace. She goes on, my heart is warmed. Which is odd, because everything was overheated...I finally hit the last kilometer, however long that is...people are hard core cheering. If they aren't, I yell, "I can't hear you and I need you!" Boisterous noise ensues! Then I hit the part where we run through the village. SO many high fives and cheers!!! Last left turn. I see the Subaru arch and the FINISH LINE just past it. I have done it. I have survived the bike elevation, dehydration, a marathon in 95 degree heat. I grew up wishing to experience ROCK STAR feeling of people cheering me. I have found my dream. It just takes 140.4 miles to get there. Walking doesn't hurt anymore. Matter of fact, everything seems to feel electric. People on both sides of the gates cheering like mad.

If I raise my arms in success, they cheer LOUDER!! Everyone wants to high five me. I'm the STAR! I'm looking for my family. I first see Chris! He gets a big high five and a hug. Paige gets a high five (she didn't want a hug from me, trust me)  I ask where my wife is? Right next to them! Brittney has this look that shows how PROUD she is that her goof ball husband and father to her children has once again beaten the odds and crushed IRONMAN CANADA. I give her a sweet kiss! I tell my daughters I LOVE THEM! I then high five Brenda and her husband JR. Jamie gets a high five! I hear my name and Dayton,OH. I heard the words," YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"


  So happy to be done!

Lots of lessons learned here. Most importantly, when I set a goal, don't get in my way. I can take obstacles. I don't quit. After I finished, Brittney said she saw an athlete with the AED pads being applied. The next day, IM announced a 15.9% Did Not Finish rate. Your average person doesn't sign up for an IM. These are people who work hard and prepare who didn't make it. Mentally, physically, emotionally, didn't make it. I did it. I conquered it. I've EARNED the title of 3 time International Ironman!! Not bad for a 270 pound lazy dude nine years ago. I can't put everything in here, but I think I got the high points. I'll end this with this: If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you. Take on something that SCARES you. Then ask yourself, How do you want to feel the next day after the event, right Sean???


Thank you!!! First and most importantly to Brittney. You are my rock, my beautiful wife and biggest supporter. Your flexibility and support is amazing and I can't thank you enough.

Thank you to my kids!!! Heidi and Savvy amaze me every day with their smarts, personalities and sense of humor. Fearless minds and yet so caring of others. I hope I set a great example to always persevere.  Life can be tough, keep moving forward! Never Quit!

Thank you to Chris Tech!! From setting up my computer, bike stuff, to pushing me, competing with me every step of the way and being a great example of another working father and husband who makes the time to tri, and for his family! I can't wait to race with you in Louisville!!!

Thank you to Kevin Sturm! I still blame you for starting this mess ;) but it was EPIC!!! If you hadn't started this, I would have never jumped in. Running in Roanoke with you helped show that I can keep going, even when the course is against us! I look forward to seeing you crush Chatty!!

Thank you to Coach Ashlynn!! Your training plan pushed me. Made me WORK!! Got me prepared for an event I never knew would be so difficult. But you had me prepared! Thank you!!

Thank you to Brenda, JR, and Jamie!! Having you guys out there was inspirational and made everything fun! The pre-race laughs were great! I look forward to more races with you soon!

To Paige and Ollie Tech, You ladies are super fun to vacation with! Thanks for the support out there and I look forward to more time spent together-- KT Connection!!

TO Rogue Tri --Thanks for the well wishes and cheering from a far! Seeing everyones consistent efforts motivates me to continue getting better at this sport!


Oh, by the way, if this seems like a challenge you want to take on, or an adventure you'd like to take, you'll find me at IM Mont Tremblant in Quebec next August!