Over the last two weeks, I have put together some of my favorite photos from swimming and cycling along with their backstories. This week, we move on to the run photos and their corresponding stories.

At the finish line of the 2000 Austin Marathon with my parents.

Finish time of the 2000 Austin Marathon: 4:14:15.

In the fall of 1999 I started my freshman year at Texas A&M University. At the time, I was regularly lifting weights, but not regularly involved in any endurance training. One day I was walking into the Rec Center and I saw a flyer advertising a run group that was going to start training for the Austin Marathon. It was suggested that anyone who wanted to join could do so as long as they were fit enough to run five miles. This was probably on Wednesday or Thursday and the group training was starting on Saturday. So I went out that night around 10:00 p.m. and ran a loop of the lower main campus. I wasn’t sure if it was 5 miles (it’s actually 4.4), but I figured it was close enough.

I met with group that Saturday for the first run (also five miles) and they gave me a training plan that consisted of 18 weeks, each with 4 daily designations of run targets (for ex: 3,5,3,10 would mean you run those distances on four days of the week). The longest run of the week we did as a group, but the other days were meant to be accomplished on your own time. Starting around week two, every single weekend I was running farther than I ever had in my life. I never wore a watch and just ran at a comfortable pace each day. As the weeks went by people naturally formed training partners/groups and I did most of my running with one other person and we were somewhere at the mid-to-back of the training group.

I had somewhat of a unorthodox approach to training. The three designated midweek runs were usually not not done until Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and I was often doing my final midweek run on Friday evening followed by a quick stop at 1-20 bars followed by a long run the next morning. Nevertheless, I remember always doing them. I did not skip sessions.

On race weekend, I traveled with my brother, Jason, to Austin and the night before the race I wanted to carb load so naturally we went to an all-you-can-eat BBQ joint (the famous Salt Lick). The next morning I had fruit loops and a Dr. Pepper and then I headed over to the start on the north side of town. I developed a slightly less cavalier nutrition plan as the years went by, BUT I felt great that day so you never know. As with the training, I did not wear a watch on race day so I just started out the run nice and easy and just cruised along to my first marathon finish in 4:14:15. I didn’t know if that was good or bad or somewhere in between, but it was the farthest I had ever run and something that I was personally very proud of.

After that race, I decided I wanted to keep running. And maybe start riding a bike regularly. And maybe learn how to swim.

Finishing my first triathlon, the Wool Capitol OLY distance race in San Angelo, Texas. I told some background about this race in my last post which you can find HERE.

This photo was taken at the finish line of my first Ironman: Ironman California in May 2001. There is a still a 70.3 in Oceanside, as many of you well know, which is essentially one loop of the two-loop Ironman course (although the run has changed a bit). At the time, there were not as many Ironman races available on the calendar. Ironman Canada had long been in existence in North America, but Ironman Lake Placid, Florida and California had only recently been added. I was still spending my summers working at Camp Longhorn so Ironman California made the most sense logistically, because it fell in the 2-3 week period between my final exams and the start of my summer job.

My preparation was mostly ad hoc and I saw the whole “Ironman thing” mostly as an adventure and likely nothing more than a bucket list sort of thing. For some reason, I had a goal of breaking 13 hours, but I didn’t even understand what that meant. I did manage to squeeze under the 13 hour mark and just barely finished before total darkness had set in. I don’t remember all my splits exactly, but I always remembered my run split: 4:59:58.

This race changed me profoundly. I did not end up seeing it as a bucket list event, but instead, I saw it as something I wanted to try and do well.

This photo was taken on the run during my second Ironman, Ironman Florida 2003. I finished this race in 9:20, more than 3.5 hours faster than my previous Ironman. Obviously a lot happened between the two races, but I won’t cover that here. I originally wrote a two-part article on Xtri.com that was later archived on endurancecorner.com which is now archived on Alan Couzens’ website. If you want to read more about the progression between these two races then I suggest checking out this article.

As for this photo:

Shortly after starting the run in Florida, I noticed someone was running in step with me, but right behind me and not beside me. I don’t remember if I ran up on this person of if they happened to run up on me. At any rate, this person stayed directly behind me until the last 10K of the run. We never spoke except once when he accidentally hit my foot (he apologized). At some point he fell off the pace and I never knew, or saw, who it was until this photo came back after the race some days later.

Additionally, this race occurred during my final semester at Texas A&M. On the first week of classes in September, I got a syllabus for my Entomology class and saw that there was an exam on the Friday before the race (in November). I went to the TA that day and told him that I had this race planned and asked if I could take the exam on a different day. He allowed me one grace day which meant I had to take the exam on Monday after the race. So I finished the race on Saturday, got up the next day and waited until about noon to claim my Kona slot and then got in my car to drive straight back to College Station (about 12 hours) in order to take an exam at 10:00 on Monday morning.

My parents had driven over to Florida to support me over the weekend and before I drove back they offered me any food I wanted to take for the drive. I grabbed a number of things including a big Planters tin of cashews. I ended up placing it behind the driver’s side seat and just sort of snacked on them the whole way. However, 12 hours of snacking means I ate about 10,000 calories of cashews. I woke up the next morning (short nap really) completely swollen and incredibly sore. I had to commute on my bike to class and I remember it being one of the more painful rides I’ve ever been on.

Ironman Hawai’i 2004. Photo Credit: Sherry Daerr

This photo was taken on Palani Drive in Kona during the 2004 Ironman World Championship. This was the one, and only, time I raced there as an age grouper. Around mile 3 of the run, another age grouper (my AG) named Jose Jeuland came running up beside me and passed me. I wasn’t actually sure where I was in the AG, but based on how he was running I figured that he would either 1) win the AG or 2) blow up. He slowly pulled away, but once he was about 30 meters or so up the road I started to match the pace and I kept him in sight all the way back through town, all the way out the Queen K, all through the Energy Lab, and then back onto the Queen K. Around mile 21-22 I pulled along side him and we ran shoulder to shoulder until mile 24 when he put on an attack just before the Palani descent. I couldn’t cover the move, but I held the gap and tried to bridge on the downhill, but ultimately he beat me by less than ten seconds.

There was actually someone else up the road so we ended up being 2nd and 3rd in the AG.

Even though Jose got the better of me that day, I grew a lot as an athlete during that marathon because I took a chance on myself. I trusted both my instinct and my preparation which was a big step forward for me.

Ironman Florida 2005. Photo Credit: Sherry Daerr

This photo was taken at my last age group race: Ironman Florida 2005. I had two goals that race: to break nine hours and to break three hours on the marathon. I managed to do the first one (8:57), but not the second (3:05). It would take me two more years to finally dip under the 3-hour mark at IMFL 2007 (2:59:51).

I have no idea what edition the current Triathlete’s Training Bible (by Joe Friel) is on, but if you happen to have the 3rd Edition, you can read my race plan for this event on pages 168-170 in that book. Following my race in Hawai’i (the year before) I started working with Joe Friel as my coach. Up to that point, I had always been self-coached. In reading the race plan in his book, it’s clear to see how big of an impact he had on me by taking a much more professional and methodical approach to training and racing. My time with Joe warrants a much longer discussion, but his coaching, mentorship and friendship were instrumental in my further growth as an athlete.

Here are my notes in Training Peaks that I wrote after the race with the manual (no Garmin) run splits:

disregard the max HR of 187 on the file. That never happened. PT went out for last 20-25 miles, but it was strong riding, probably 220-240.

HR avgs for the Swim + T1 61:11 175 avg, 190 max

bike avgs on the PT

HR avg and splits on run:

mile 1 6:43 157 mile 2+3 13:36 160 mile 4 6:58 159 mile 5 6:50 160 mile 6 6:56 158 mile 7 6:40 161 mile 8 7:49 157 (one minute in toilet) mile 9 6:47 161 mile 10+11 13:24 161 mile 12 6:55 162 mile 13 6:45 162 mile 14 7:11 163 mile 15 6:59 161 mile 16 7:10 160 mile 17 7:23 158 mile 18 7:12 159 mile 19 7:21 158 mile 20 7:10 158 mile 21 7:18 157 mile 22 7:23 157 mile 23 7:35 157 mile 24 7:08 157 mile 25 7:26 158 mile 26.2 8:28 159 headwind out, tailwind back on each loop. The late slowness reflects fatigue as well as slow-moving aid stations because of crowds. I was making sure I got a good amount of cola down before picking it up again.

Ironman Canada (Penticton) 2008. Photo Credit: Sherry Daerr

This photo was taken at Ironman Canada in 2008 (Penticton, BC). This is probably around mile 3-4 of the run while I was still in town. If you look at my right hand, you’ll see a handful of gels. I always liked to take in a bunch of calories right at the start of the marathon, which was usually a gel at each aid station for the first 3 miles; essentially ~300 calories inside the first 20 minutes. Then I would usually shift to spreading out calories via gels, sports drink, cola, etc.

However, in this race I felt like I was on razor’s edge coming out of transition and after taking in those three gels I just didn’t feel like I had pulled myself out of potentially bonking. So I made a decision to keep taking in a gel every aid station until I felt like my energy levels stabilized. I realized I might be running the risk of getting sick to my stomach, but bonking wasn’t a great alternative either. I ended up taking in a gel for eight straight aid stations, so close to 800 calories inside the first hour of the run.

And it worked! I ended up breaking into the top 5 for the first time in a professional race and set a new run PR of 2:55:41.

Challenge Wanaka 2009. Photo Credit: Sherry Daerr

This photo was taken at the start of the marathon at Challenge Wanaka in 2009. When I look back on all my races, this is probably the race where I feel like I raced the hardest. I had a 60+ second deficit starting the bike that took me 120K to bridge up to (Chris McDonald leading). From 120K to 160K Chris and I broke away and put time into the rest of the field. I then bonked hard, lost 90 seconds (saved by coke at the final aid station), and bounced back trying to chase Chris on the run. The aid stations were spread out every 3-4K at this race and I was so caught up in the chase that I bonked AGAIN at about 32K into the run and could barely jog the final 10K. I also lost two spots because of that, falling from 2nd to 4th.

There were only so many races where I felt like the tank was absolutely, without-a-doubt empty and this one topped them all.

Jumping forward one year, this time to Challenge Wanaka in 2010. The photo on the left shows me on a training run four weeks out from the race (on Christmas day). The photo on the right is at the start of the second lap of the marathon (snapped by my sister-in-law, Molly Daerr). One the main lessons I learned from the year before was to look after myself (nutrition, hydration, etc.) more effectively on race day. I had a better nutrition built around the spread out aid stations and combined with good training, I managed to break 2:50 on the marathon for the first time and finished 2nd overall, my first professional podium.

While this race was technically in 2010 (January), it felt like the close of the 2009 season which had not gone well. I had been struggling for various reasons, while also under performing in races, and this felt like a major break through at the time.

I also got really sunburned. Training in Boulder in the winter did not prepare me for the New Zealand sunshine.

Ironman Florida 2011. Photo Credit: Sherry Daerr

This photo was taken by my Aunt Sherry at Ironman Florida in 2011. This is one my favorite photos from all the years of racing. To me, it perfectly captures how Brooke and I always worked as a team on the race course. Brooke not only supported me through all the training and preparation that went into each race, but she helped relay me information in real time. She provided me with race splits and other insights that I would have no way of knowing while racing. And particularly on days when I was struggling, her presence would help me work through my darkest inner demons.

I finished Ironman Florida in 3rd that day, running a new PR of 2:48:34. Ronnie Schildknecht, of Switzerland, won the race, becoming the first triathlete to break eight hours at a North American Ironman.

Ironman Texas 2012. Photo Credit: Corey Oliver

These two photo were taken about one second apart at Ironman Texas in 2012 by Corey Oliver. I had come off the bike in 7th or 8th place and had gradually moved up on the run over the first two loops (of three on the run course). Around mile 20 I moved into 3rd place and assumed that was probably going to be it for the day, but as I came upon mile 23 or so I got a split to 2nd place of ~1:40. Normally this would seem like an impossible gap to go across that late in the race, but I knew the gap had been around eight minutes at the end of loop two so I did my best to keep the pressure on. With about 800 meters to go, I moved into 2nd place. Because of the close proximity to the finish line, I went as hard as I could go so that there wouldn’t be a chance of a sprint finish. I ended up holding onto second place and ran a new marathon PR (by one second) in 90+ degree heat.

The next morning, the blisters on the bottoms of my feet were so bad that I couldn’t get down the stairs (was sleeping on the second floor) and I had to sit down to slide down to the first floor.

This photo was taken by Corey Oliver at Ironman Texas in 2014, running over Lake Woodlands (near the beginning of the run loop, done 3x). This had to have been on loop two or three because my hat is turned around. I don’t normally run with my hat backwards, but the wind at the far end of the course was gusting so strongly that I flipped my hat around so that it wouldn’t blow away.

This day was a struggle. I wasn’t racing poorly, but it just felt like the entire day was taking every ounce of focus and energy I had to stay on course and it just wouldn’t ever let up. I’m not saying racing is ever particularly easy, but some days just seem like they are pushing back at you more than others. As I approached the end of lap two I saw a bunch of members of my family and I went and high-fived my nephew, Mason, who was only 3 years old at the time. That moment, while only brief, snapped me out of the funk I was in and I finally felt the push start to soften. I regained focus and started to work my way back into the race and in the final mile of the marathon I moved into 3rd place, taking the final podium spot on the day.

It’s amazing what the sight and sound from those who care about you can do to your mental attitude.

This photo was taken by Nick Morales at Ironman Boulder in 2014. In 2013, Boulder experienced a catastrophic flood and huge portions of the Boulder Creek, and its infrastructure, had extensive damage. As a result of that, the run course in 2014 diverted off the path for a period of time and featured a hill that paralleled the Foothills Parkway that we had to run up and over four times during the marathon. This shot has me descending the north side of the hill.

I believe this shot was taken on the second loop, which would put it near the 20-mile mark. For 90% of this race, I was in 2nd place and it was only around mile 17-18 when I took the lead. My entire career had been spent chasing the leaders, so to be the leader was uncharted territory for me. The final 10K of the run was almost the more stressful part of the day because I didn’t want to do something to screw it all up. Fortunately, I held onto the lead and won the inaugural Ironman Boulder.

One of the great perks after winning the race was getting free pie from the Walnut Cafe.

This shot was taken from Ironman Texas in 2016. That year, the bike course had to be changed from its original course after being denied access to Pct 2 of Montgomery County. A new course was created in the final six weeks and then a massive storm damaged a portion of that course forcing the new course to be shortened to 94 miles in the final two weeks.

Not only that, the day before the race, the water in the canal (final ~800 meters of the swim course) was deemed unfit to swim in forcing a change to the swim course. Might not have been a big deal except that the entire transition then had to moved as a result.

NOT ONLY THAT, but for anyone racing 10+ hours that day, a torrential thunderstorm came in, blew away the finish line and actually forced competitors to take shelter where they were and the race was paused for about an hour before resuming.

Hats off to the operational teams and race directors at Ironman Texas that weekend (and the weeks leading into it) because they had to put out more fires than they probably thought possible.

Back to this photo, before the race I got this small Garmin watch that had a foot step counting feature on it. I had only had the watch a few days so I hadn’t really messed around with it much, but apparently the default setting was set to go off every 10,000 steps to tell me “Goal Achieved!” As I was running, the watch would buzz the same way for both run splits and this goal setting so I don’t know which alert I’m actually checking in this shot.

Ironman Texas was the North American Championship that year and the field was absolutely stacked. It was easily the deepest field I have ever raced against that was not the World Championship. Going into the final loop of the run that day I was in 14th place and managed to move up 8 spots (one per mile) and finish 6th overall. Even though the placing wasn’t as high as some of my other IMTX’s, I was proud to have finished so highly in such a world-class field.

This photo was taken at Ironman Cozumel in 2017. I was always loved racing Ironman Cozumel and I kept coming back because I felt like it was a race that I could do well at, but it always kicked my ass.

In 2010, my first attempt: I got very ill (not from racing, but something I ate or drank) and had to drop out of the race after just one loop of the run (of three).

In 2013, I got sick on race week and didn’t think I would be able to start. I actually almost passed out walking to the ferry in Playa Del Carmen two days before the race. I managed to recover enough to start and finished 6th overall, but it was rough.

In 2015, I pulled out of the race after one loop of the bike. It was my 4th Ironman in 20 weeks and I was just completely fried.

in 2017, my front bottle cage broke off and I accidentally broke off my rear cage (read about it more in this post) and then I got very ill on the run, losing a ton of ground in the final run loop and finishing in 8th place.

In 2018, I finally put together a decent race. I didn’t race quite up to my hopes, but I finished in 4th place after a very uneventful day with no drama.

I think in 2020, had Ironman Cozumel kept a pro field, I probably would have gone out there one last time. I was usually good at taking a hint, but there was something about this race that always drew me back no matter what had happened in the past.

Marathon Squared in Conroe, Texas, 2020. Photo Credit: Scott Flathouse.

This photo was taken at the final race of my career, Marathon Squared in Conroe, Texas (you can read more about it in this post). Lisa Roberts, running next to me, is a close friend who also retired from triathlon at the end of 2020. She is an athlete that I have admired and respected for many years and this photo shows us out running for one last time.

A great friend and athlete to share the final steps with.

some additional photos….

Wool Capitol Triathlon. San Angelo, Texas 2000.

Ironman Hawai’i 2010. Photo Credit: Sherry Daerr

Jackie Hering and I running in Morrison, Colorado at Melissa Mantauk’s Training Camp. 2012.

Ironman Texas 2012. Photo Credit: Sherry Daerr

Ironman Wisconsin 2012. Photo Credit: Scott Varwig

Ironman Texas 2013. Photo Credit: Sherry Daerr

Ironman Boulder 2014. Photo Credit: Larry Rosa

Ironman Hawai’i 2014. Photo Credit: Larry Rosa.

Endurance Corner Tucson Camp 2015. Photo Credit: Sherry Daerr

Switzerland Trail. Boulder, Colorado 2015. Photo Credit: Rob Mohr.

Gold Hill, Colorado 2017. Photo Credit: Brooke Daerr

Photo Shoot for ON Running outside Houston, Texas 2018.

Boulder, Colorado 2018. Photo Credit: Brooke Daerr

Cozumel. Pre-race. 2018. Photo Credit: Brooke Daerr

Boulder, Colorado 2019. Photo Credit: Brooke Daerr.

I’m not racing here. Doing some pace work for Jeff Fejfar at Ultraman Florida in 2020.