And So It Begins

Ironman training began on December 22. Somehow 13 weeks have already passed and there are only 25 more weeks until Ironman Wisconsin. With 1/3 of my training block behind me, I thought it would be a good time to review the past 13 weeks. 

Overview

My training plan of choice comes from the book "Be Iron Fit" by Don and Melanie Fink. I first used their training program as a trial run at the end of 2018 when preparing for a sprint triathlon. I liked it so much that I followed their Half-Ironman program in 2019 when preparing for the Door County Triathlon and it did an excellent job of preparing me to race. Their book provides 3 separate programs when training for an Ironman: Competitive, Intermediate, and Just Finish. Each program is 30 weeks long and the primary difference is the level of volume that you reach during those 30 weeks. I chose to follow the Competitive program due to my current level of fitness and wanting to include as much volume as possible going into race day. 

I ended the 2025 racing season in excellent shape and without injury. To avoid losing all of that fitness, I decided to bridge the gap with my own training plan. I combined a 12 week half marathon training program from the Boston Athletic Association with my own mix of strength training, cycling, and swim workouts and started 8 weeks early. My goal was to begin building volume on top of the fitness I gained last year while also increasing the early load of the 30 week program to account for starting off in such great shape. I'm officially past the 4 week overlap and my plan seems to have worked extremely well.

For the Iron Fit program, the 30 weeks are broken up into 3 phases: Base Training, Build, and Peak each 10 weeks in length. The Base Training phase calls for an average of 8.5 hours of training per week, but with strength training, my run streak, and adjusting for my 4 week half marathon overlap, mine will be closer to 12 hours per week. Each week includes 3 run workouts, 2 cycling workouts, and 1 brick workout. I add in 2 strength training sessions and 3 additional days of running to keep my run streak going. 

So far, everything has been going very well. My body is slowly adapting as volume increases and I don't think I've missed a single workout. We have had a few bouts of weather that have forced me exclusively inside or to train in some uncomfortable conditions outside but it has not limited me yet. Some recent nice weather has me looking forward to more outdoor rides and even getting into the open water to swim, but we aren't quite there yet.

Races

In 2025 I raced 33 times, so I knew things would be much slower this year. My focus for the year is 100% on Ironman Wisconsin but I do have some races on the calendar to keep me engaged, try out race day strategies, and provide check points on fitness along the way. 

On January 25th I raced the Tri for a Cause indoor triathlon. While it is a very short race, it gave me something to look forward to over the winter and gave me a reason to get into the pool and on the bike early and often. It was my 4th year racing and this years performance blew away all 3 previous years. 

400 yard swim - 9:31 (2:22/100 yards)

7 mile bike - 17:00 (24.7 mph)

2 mile run - 19:40 (9:50/mi)

On March 14th I raced the St. Paddy's Day Half Marathon. This race was the culmination of my 12 week half marathon training program and gave me a chance to work on my race day pacing and fueling strategy. The race went even better than I expected and I was extremely happy with the level of my fitness on race day. I finished with a time of 2:16:47, which is my 3rd fastest half marathon ever and I even followed it up with a 1 hour and 30 minute ride on the bike trainer when I got home. 

Fueling

Race day fueling is a huge component of Ironman racing. Knowing what your body needs on race day and ensuring that it can handle what you consume is so important. In the past I've relied heavily on GU gels and Jelly Belly Sport Beans but I knew there were so many better options out there. I ordered some combo packs of various gummies, gels, and high carb sports drinks to try out during my longer workouts. 

While I still have some work to do with the solids, I have identified the 2 types of gels that I will use on race day. I will be mixing in Carbs Fuel Gels (50g of carbs) and Enervit Carbo Gels (40 grams of carbs) to hit my 80-100g of carb per hour goal on the run. My stomach seems to handle both of these well and they give a noticeable burst of energy. The Cabs Fuel Gels also have options with added caffeine and sodium but I'm still working out how much of those I will need. I have also identified the 2 high carb drink mixes I will use, in combination with gels, on the bike. Science in Sport Beta Fuel and Amacx Turbo Drink both seem to work well for me. 

In addition to the high carb fueling, I will be experimenting with Salt Stick tablets for added sodium. I'm a heavy sweater and dealt with cramps in both of my previous 70.3 races, but I won't be able to reliably experiment with these until we get some warmer weather and the sweat really starts pouring. 

Lastly, I have started taking Creatine daily and mix it with an electrolyte drink after my morning workout. I'm not a huge believer in supplements and won't pretend to be an expert but I've read a lot of recent research that show there are large benefits to endurance athletes. It is hard to be certain, but I do believe that it has had a positive impact on my training and recovery. 

The mental game

13 weeks into training and I'm still very scared when I think about race day. I know that I still have 25 weeks in front of me and several other warm up races but there are a lot of days where the challenge seems insurmountable. When the fear creeps in, I fight it in 2 different ways. I focus harder on the training that is right in front of me by trying to get the most out of my workouts and making sure that I do the things that are within my control. I also remind myself, that no matter what happens on race day, when midnight comes, it will be over either way.

Admittedly, it is the unknowns of race day that bother me the most. I continue to plan ways to reduce the unknowns and to prepare myself for the various scenarios and issues that could arise that day. Being adaptable on that day will be extremely important but the more scenarios that I can put myself in ahead of race day the easier that will be. 

TLDR; I'm scared out of my mind but still moving forward. 

By the numbers

So how much training have I actually done in these 13 weeks?

Running

91 runs

409.02 miles

76 hours 8 minutes 5 seconds

Biking

31 rides

522.81 miles

26 hours 22 minutes 44 seconds

Swimming

20 swims

23.21 miles

18 hours 17 minutes 2 seconds

Strength Training

20 sessions

12 hours 124 minutes 32 seconds

Total

134 hours 9 minutes 8 seconds

Is it enough? Only time will tell, but it is certainly more than I've ever done in 13 weeks before and will only go up from here

Upcoming Plans

• Focus on increasing my mileage on the bike and getting more time outdoors in the saddle
• Continue exploring options for solid nutrition on race day
• Schedule a couple trips up to Madison this summer to ride portions of the Ironman bike course
• Incorporate more elevation on my bike trainer rides
• Evolve my diet to better match and fuel my training
• Get more sleep

Wrap up

These past 13 weeks have gone extremely well and I hope to carry that success into the next 1/3 of my training block. There is still a lot to do but it really feels like the plan is coming together. There may never be a point where I feel ready for this race, but as long as I continue to put in the time my hope is that race day will take care of itself. 

2025 - A Year In Review

After a year full of unexpected mishaps in 2024, I wasn't quite sure what 2025 would bring. I started the year with the goal of completing 22 races to officially reach the 100 race milestone. Beyond that, I really didn't come into the year with any big plans. The idea of racing an Ironman was off the table due to family demands, so I chose to start racing early and often. In a year that I didn't plan ahead more than a month or 2, I ended up completing an epic year of racing. While 2019 may have carried more big moments, I think what I accomplished in 2025 was far more impressive. 

By the Numbers

• 33 races (most in a year, beating out 15 in 2023)
• 1,139.46 miles run (most in a year, beating out 1,049.42 in 2023)
• 2,733.79 miles biked (most in a year, beating out 2,599.11 in 2017)
• 61:23:04 strength training (most in a year, beating out 40:59:03 in 2017)
• 471:53:33 time training and racing
• 10 age group podium finishes
• Best overall sprint triathlon finish (31/100)

Highlights

I am an extremely sentimental person so every race and every year creates a long list of memories, both good and bad, for me. With 33 races and so much time training, it will be hard to pull out the highlights from 2025 but I'm going to try. In no particular order:

Hip Injury

In late February I was building up mileage with the intention of running a 10k and maybe even a half marathon. I started experiencing pain while running in my right hip. Sometimes it was worse than others, but eventually it got bad enough that I was cutting my training runs short. After a trip to the doctor I was diagnosed with hip bursitis. Anti inflammatory medication, at home physical therapy, and significantly reduced mileage during the first 2 weeks of March were the suggested course of treatment. It took about 6 weeks for the pain to fully resolve and be back to 100%. This impacted my early spring race schedule a bit and ultimately was the reason that I stuck to shorter distance races for the year

Annual Good Friday Ride

As has become tradition, I went for a bike ride on Good Friday with Kyle and Adam. This year it was rainy and windy as we set out to log some miles on the Chichaqua Valley Trail. It was on this ride I realized exactly how out of shape I was. It was surprising for someone who was a couple hundred days into a run streak to be struggling so much, but for the first time ever, Kyle and Adam were having to slow down and wait for me. It was miserable and embarrassing, although neither of them complained once. It was this ride that made me reevaluate where I was and it became the turning point of my year. 

Beer and Bagel Run

My first ever trail run was a Jester Park in April. While I didn't instantly fall in love with trail running, I did like the variation in my schedule and the extra challenge that comes with running on trails. 

Race for Hope 5k

This race was on a Saturday of a 2 race weekend. It was windy and cold but I ran absolutely lights out. I finished with a time of 33:02, which made it my fastest 5k since 2019! It wasn't so much the race itself that made this a highlight, but instead how this race changed the trajectory of my year. I came away from this race with a huge boost in confidence and it was the first time I thought "maybe I should try to beat my 5k PR this year". 

Double Duathlon

I had 2 triathlons on the schedule in May. Admittedly, May is pretty early in Iowa to jump into a lake for open water swimming, but some years it is fine. This year, however, the weather was cold. In mid-May the Des Moines Corporate Games triathlon was switched to a duathlon (run-bike-run) due to cold air temperatures. Surprisingly, this is the first time that has happen and thus marked my first duathlon ever. The following weekend I was set to race Tri Clear Lake and that was switched to a duathlon as well due to the cold water temperatures. It all worked out well for me in the end as I finished on the podium in both races. 

The End of a Great Race

June marked the final running of the Quad Cities Triathlon. This race had become a staple on my schedule and I absolutely loved the course and the community. I am sad to see the race end but I made sure the last one was a memorable one and raced very well. 

Triple Race Weekend

Late in June for the first (and likely last) time ever, I raced 3 times in 1 weekend. To make things extra challenging, the weekend was super hot and humid. On Saturday morning I traveled to Madrid to run the Trestle Hustle 5k. In the afternoon I drove to McFarland Park in Ames to run the Mid Summer Night's Run trail 5k. I didn't race particularly well in either race, but was also trying to conserve some energy. I stayed with a friend in Ames on Saturday night before racing the Ames triathlon on Sunday morning. By the time I got to the run, my legs had so little left and heat was really getting to me but I managed to finish anyways. I think I officially found my limit for races in a weekend. 

My 100th Race

It was my 1st race in 2014, and my 100th race in 2025. The Bix 7 was delayed due to rain and involved running through what felt like a raging river. The unforgiving hills didn't disappoint either but at least it wasn't extremely hot. I didn't race as well as I had hoped, but this race was special for so many reasons. I've never made the Bix a target race, and it won't be in 2026 either, but I think I might go for it to see what I can do on that course not too far down the road. 

My Best Sprint Triathlon Ever

My focus on training in July and August was centered around a autumn 5k PR, but that focus produced gains elsewhere as I found a level of fitness that I had never seen before. With only a moderate focus on the bike, and very little swimming at all I still managed to put together a couple of VERY good triathlons. In early September I headed to Waterloo to race in the Black Hawk County YMCA triathlon. It was my last tri of the year and I really sent it in this race. I absolutely crushed it on the bike with an average of 19.7 mph and the 11th fastest bike split on the course. Putting myself so far up in the field going into the run ended up paying off as I managed to run fast enough to mostly hold my position and finished 31st overall, my best sprint triathlon finish of all time. 

5k PR and Consistency

The biggest highlight of my season was running a 5k PR at the Hillbilly Hike 5k the first weekend of November. I don't think I've ever trained so hard for a goal before and I certainly earned it. I won't go into details because this was well documented in an early blog post, but even sitting here nearly 3 months later I am still very proud of that moment. 

Maybe even more impressive than the PR was maintaining the same level of fitness over the next several weeks as I essentially matched that time again at the Turkey Trails 5k the weekend before Thanksgiving and then even raced well at an easier effort at the Ankeny Turkey Trot a few days later on Thanksgiving. I really ended my 2025 season at a peek level of fitness. 

Wrap Up

It is so exciting to think back on all of the great memories that I made while training and racing in 2025. I'm not sure that I will ever see a year with 33 races again, but it really was fun. I fell in love with shorter races and realized that will likely be the direction that I head in 2027 again. It is fun knowing that the success that I had in 2025 will always rank up there with the success of 2019. It also helped to rebuild my confidence that I haven't peaked yet and there are more great things to come. 

2026 is going to look A LOT different than 2025 and training is well underway for my first full Ironman. Here is to hoping that the success I had in 2025 leads into a very successful 2026. 

The Making of a 5k PR

After completing the Race for Hope 5k on May 17, I set a goal of setting a new 5k PR before the end of the year. I completed that race in 33:02 (3.17 miles at 10:26/mi) which showed a huge improvement for the season but was a long ways from the 27:50 that I would need for a new PR.

Reviewing My Previous 5k PR

27:51 was the 5k time to beat. That was the time that I ran in the Kickoff 5k in Kansas City on February 3, 2019. It was an amazing start to what turned out to be an incredible 2019 racing season and often gets overshadowed by all of my other accomplishments that year. 

I was in really great shape in 2019 but was training for longer races when I ran the Kickoff 5k. The race was a bit of anomaly that year as looking through my list of fastest 5k times, prior to 2025, most of them come from 2016 and 2017. It was also the only time that I recorded a sub-9:00/mi pace for a 5k. 

Creating a Plan

In my 12 years of racing, this is the first time that I've really focused on the 5k. I've historically used some pretty simple training plans from Hal Higdon but I knew that my goal was very ambitious and that would require a new way of training. While I set the goal in May, I was already in the middle of a triathlon training block that took me through the end of June. I used that time to research and plan a schedule of target races. With 8-ish week training blocks and not wanting to attempt a PR too late in the year to avoid unpredictable winter weather, I identified the Turkey Trails 5k in late November.

With a target race identified, I did some research and settled on using the Boston Athletic Association 5k Level 3 training plan. The 8 week training plan is a time-based training plan built around a goal pace. Each week followed a similar pattern:

• Monday - Rest day (I'm in the middle of a run streak, so just added an easy run here)
• Tuesday - Workout with 5k pace intervals
• Wednesday - Easy run
• Thursday - Tempo run followed by hard strides
• Friday - Easy run
• Saturday - Workout with longer 10k pace or half marathon pace intervals
• Sunday - Long run

Looking at the race calendar, I identified 2 additional races to use as a benchmark for my progress. The first one was the Summer Sizzler 5k on August 16th. Working backwards, that meant my first training block would start on June 23rd. The 2nd race was the Spooky Sprint 5k on October 4th. That gave me 8 weeks to train for the first race, 7 weeks for the 2nd, and then 7 more weeks until my target race.

Training Block #1

My first time through the training plan I didn't really know what to expect. I wanted to set reasonable goals along the way to ensure that I was progressing but also building confidence. My goal for the Summer Sizzler 5k was to break 30 minutes, meaning I would need to average at least 9:39/mi. I added all of my workouts to Garmin Connect with the following target paces:

• 9:40/mi 5k pace
• 10:05/mi 10k pace
• 10:30/mi half marathon pace

From the very start, the program was extremely challenging. During the first 3 weeks I struggled to hit any of my interval paces, and when I did it was on the high end of the 15 second buffer that I built in. On July 13th I ran the Cubbie Bear 5k in 32:17 (10:17/mi pace), my fastest of the season. That built some confidence that the plan was working and the workouts got better after that. The following weekend, at the DSM Corporate Games 5k, I ran 31:05 (10:00/mi pace) another confidence builder. 

During the last few weeks heading into the Summer Sizzler, I had really noticed how great I felt on my Saturday workouts with the longer 10k or half marathon pace intervals. I was going into the Summer Sizzler with a lot of confidence and feeling great, until I managed to tweak my lower back working at the cabin the day before the race.

Luckily my back felt fine during the race, and I ended up 30:18. Just over my goal of sub-30:00 but the course was a little long so I actually averaged 9:37/mi which was better than my goal pace and another huge season's best. 

Training Block #2

After a successful first training block, I was ready to get started again and keep getting better. With 7 weeks until my next target race, the Spooky Sprint 5k, I started with the 2nd week of the training plan. This time around I knew what to expect with the plan, which also meant I knew which workouts to dread and which to look forward to. With a focus on continuing to improve, I set the following target paces for this training block:

• 9:15/mi 5k pace
• 9:40/mi 10k pace
• 10:05/mi half marathon pace

The hardest workouts of the training block are the Tuesday workout on both weeks 3 and 4. The workout includes 3 x (4 x 2:00) @ 5k pace. The work is absolutely brutal, but the best part of doing it 2 weeks in a row is that it provides and opportunity to see progress. The first time I completed the workout I managed to hit my target window on 5 of 12 intervals with just 1 below my 9:15/mi target pace. Just a week later, I was able to hit 10 of 12 with 6 below my 9:15/mi target. 

During this training block I competed in the Hero Hustle Sprint Triathlon and the Black Hawk County YMCA Sprint Triathlon. In both races I performed extremely well, especially on the run where I averaged 10:21/mi and 10:05/mi. 2 week before the Spooky Sprint, I raced in the John Deere DSM Area Employee 5k. I opted to NOT skip any training and intentionally go into the race on tired legs. I moved my Saturday workout to Friday morning and completed a 25 mile bike ride that afternoon. Even on tired legs, I raced extremely well finishing the 3.14 mile course in 29:17 (9:19/mi average). Another huge confidence builder and the 3rd fastest 5k of my adult life. 

The last 2 weeks of the training block went pretty well and I put in solid efforts. Confidence was high going into the Spooky Sprint 5k but I knew that it would be a challenge. Unlike the John Deere 5k, which was entirely flat, this race course was more rolling. When race morning arrived, I wasn't feeling it. I had a gut feeling that it just wasn't my day, but I had put in the work and was going to give it everything that I had. I was a little ahead of pace at mile 1, but things fell apart when I hit the hill and I wasn't able to recover. I finished the 3.18 mile course in 29:55, a 9:24/mi average and was a bit disappointed. 

Training Block #3

I would be lying if I told you that my performance at the Spooky Sprint wasn't a little demoralizing. Everyone has bad days and everyone has bad races, but that one stung, especially after showing consistent progress several races in a row. I started sandbagging a little going into my 3rd training block. I even went as far as to have conversations with Adam about not hitting my goal. I mean, I progressed so much throughout the year, there would be some sort of moral victory in there right?

I again had 7 weeks until my next target race, the Turkey Trails 5k on November 23 and again I started with week 2 of the same BAA 5k training program. This time around, I set the following target paces:

• 8:50/mi 5k pace
• 9:15/mi 10k pace
• 9:40/ mi half marathon pace

Just looking at those numbers seems absolutely insane. The target 10k pace was faster than the goal I had just missed and the half marathon pace matched my target 5k pace from Training Block 1. I was convinced there was absolutely no way that I could do this. The goal was too ambitious, and I was running out of time. Even with all the negative thoughts, I took the most important step and I began. 

I worked really hard, but the first couple of weeks made it seem impossible. In the first workout I was only able to hit my pace, and the very high end of it, on a single interval and I vented my frustrations on Garmin Connect. I was quickly reminded why it is so important to have a good support network. 

After a couple more less-than-stellar workouts, I decided to take a different approach. Instead of focusing on the target paces I wasn't hitting, I started comparing them to the same workout from the previous training cycle. It quickly became apparent that even though I was struggling, I was still progressing and getting faster. On the hard workout that I described in the last section, I actually improved A LOT over the previous training block

This new lens was just what I needed to keep going. I continued to put in the work and a couple weeks into the training block I had a bit of a breakthrough and really started to stack up some great workouts. I raced the IMT Des Moines Marathon 5k on October 19 with no intentions of running hard. I treated it like a training run and ran 3.17 miles in 30:11, a 9:31/mi pace. All 3 workouts the following week were absolutely amazing capped off with 3 x 9:00 @ half marathon pace on Saturday. I absolutely nailed all 3 intervals and my legs felt amazing. 

My next race was on November 1st in Carlisle at the Hillbilly Hike 5k. My tempo run on October 30th was possibly the best training run that I've had all year. I averaged a 10:00/mi pace for 40 minutes and it felt REALLY good. As I wrapped up that run, a fleeting thought ran through my head that maybe, just maybe, I could PR at the race on Saturday. 

Hillbilly Hike 5k

It was a rainy and windy morning when I hoped in the truck to head for Carlisle. My truck was loaded down with hunting gear as I was heading to the cabin for a hunting trip following the race. My friend, Adam, was running the half marathon but it is a point to point race and he was already on a bus to Indianola and his start line by the time I arrived. I parked at the high school and made my way to packet pickup before going back to the truck. There was some light rain and I chose to stay warm in the truck as long as I could. At about 7:30, an hour before race time, I headed to the Carlisle HS track for my mile warm up. My legs were feeling really good. I took off my warm up gear, changed into my New Balance super shoes, and headed for the start line. 

The 5k was a simple out and back on the Summerset bike trail. I did some strides on the bike trail and retied my shoes. Thankfully the rain had stopped, but the wind was cold and I was eager to start. With good intentions, I did something that I normally don't do and lined up near the front. I planned to run fast and didn't want to risk getting stuck behind walkers on the narrow bike path. 

I came off the line very fast. I knew that to have a chance, I would have to run a fast first mile and then do whatever I could to hold that pace the whole time. Again, this is very different from my normal race strategy of going out conservatively and pushing for negative splits. It sounds silly, but a 5k race is short that having a first mile be just 10-15 seconds slow could be very hard to make up later. I felt really good during the first mile and could tell that I was running fast. 

I came through mile 1 in 8:45, well ahead of the 8:57 I needed and even faster than I expected. I held on through the turn around and tried my best to not lose too much time or momentum on the 180 degree turn. I came through mile 2 in 8:56, slower but still ahead of pace. The last mile was brutal as my breathing was heavy and my legs were burning. I focused on keeping my cadence high and my eyes looking down the trail. The nice part of a flat out-and-back course is the ability to see the finish line from a long ways out. I hit mile 3 in 8:55 and gave it everything I had left as I watched the clock tick closer and closer to 27:50. The remaining 0.14 miles (the course was a little long) I covered at an 8:10/mi pace. My average pace for the race was 8:50/mi even, exactly matching my target 5k pace for the last training block!

My official time was 27:46, a new PR by 5 seconds and 3 weeks ahead of schedule! According to Garmin, since the course was a few hundredths long, my 5k time was 27:29. To say I was overjoyed is an understatement. The feeling that I experienced in those moments after crossing the finish line are indescribable. 

That rainy day in Carlisle was more than a 5k PR, it is one of the first times that I actually inspired myself. Something that began as a dream 6 months earlier. A goal that, at times, seemed impossible, had just been reached. The hard work, consistency, and dedication paid off in a big way. I ran the same race last year on November 2nd in 38:25. That means I cut 10:39 off my time from last year. 

Wrap Up

So what's next? I'm finishing up my current training block and have 3 races left this year, all 5ks. I did give myself permission to skip a couple workouts in the last week while deer hunting. It gave both my body and mind a well deserved break. After this training block ends, I will be taking a month off structured training, from Thanksgiving week through Christmas week. After that I will be embarking on a journey to tackle my next big goal, a full Ironman in September 2026. A goal that seems impossible now, but if there is one thing I've learned on this journey it is that with the right amount of work and dedication, I can make things that seem impossible possible. 

October 2025 Race Recaps

I cannot believe that we are entering the final week of October. This month marked the end of a training block and the start of my final block for the year. I raced 2 times this month, but largely the month was focused on training hard. 

Spooky Sprint 5k

This race was the culmination of a 7 week training block. My goal was to average 9:15/mi marking another step on my road to a new 5k PR. Adam picked me up and we headed to Big Creek plenty early to get our packets and warm up. I started the race really well and came through mile 1 in 9:12. I slowed down a bit heading up the hill on mile 2 and just couldn't pick it back up after that. After hitting the turn around and coming back down the hill my mile 2 split was 9:23. A little off pace and I wanted to be hopeful that I could get that time back in mile 3 but I knew that my legs didn't have it. Mile 3 was a disappointing 9:37 and I finished the race (3.18 miles according to my watch) in 29:55. I was disappointed as it just wasn't my day. 

To put things in perspective, this tied for my 4th fastest 5k since I began racing in 2014. I may not have hit my goal, but I continue to progress and get faster. I ran this same course for the Time to Paddy 5k in March and finished that one in a time of 39:03, meaning that I cut 9:08 off my 5k time in the last 7 months. I didn't have a lot of take aways but I really felt like I just wasn't able to recover after the mile 2 hill so maybe I need to include some more hills in my training.

IMT Des Moines Marathon Local 5 5k

It is always a good time racing at the IMT Des Moines Marathon, no matter what race I'm doing (and I've done them all). This year, I chose to race the 5k as I continue to focus on reducing my 5k time. The timing for this race was not ideal for me as it was week 2 of my 7 week training block, so I didn't expect much going in. 

Abigail and her friend signed up to volunteer at the race and would be handing out medals for 4 hours. I had 2 friends racing the half marathon and decided that I would take them down with me and just stick around until they were done. We got downtown about 40 minutes before the race and parked on the street about 7 blocks from the start line. After getting the girls checked in, I went to line up in the starting coral. The 5k was scheduled to start at 8:15, right after the full and half marathon but they ended up holding us until 8:45, which was a bit frustrating. I had done my warm up at home and it was very windy and cold while waiting. 

I came off the start line much faster than I normally do but quickly settled into a steady pace. I started near the front so I didn't have to weave around many people, which was very nice. Even with that advantage I came through mile 1 in a very disappointing 9:33. The 2nd mile included capital hill and even though I felt good with how I handled it, that split was 9:54. I pushed a little harder on the last mile going 9:16 but with a course that was a little long I wasn't able to keep it under 30 minutes. My official time was 30:11. 

After the race I hung around cheering on the other athletes, including Adam and another friend, Jake. I also saw a ton of other people that I know. Even though the race was a bit disappointing for me, I still enjoyed myself. 

Wrap Up

Even though my results in October were a little disappointing, I still feel like I'm heading in the right direction. In September I logged 124.15 miles running, 2nd most of all time and this month I'm on track to run even more. This is my 3rd consecutive training block using the Boston Athletic Association 5k program and I have so much confidence in it after all of the success I've seen this year. I'm not sure if I will reach my goal of setting a new 5k PR this year but I'm committed to doing everything that I can to give it my best effort. 

September 2025 Race Recaps + Bonus 2026 Preview

September brought a lot of changes to life as school is in full swing for both girls and Erin. With school comes more activities for both kids which in turn limits the time I have to commit to training. Abigail needs to be at school at 6:45am for marching band. To give myself enough time to fit in training before work, I've been getting up between 4:30-4:45am each day. Losing those 15-30 minutes of sleep has been having an impact and I'm still working to adjust. Both girls are in several evening activities as well, Abigail is helping with the fall musical and has off season strength training after school a couple of days. Bridget has joined Mock Trial, with 2 evening practices, and still has her youth chorus practice each Monday. Both girls have class at church on Wednesday evenings. I've gotten really good at fitting quick workouts around their activities but it has limited my ability to get to the pool or outside on the bike. 

Even with the busy schedules, I was able to race 3 times in September and it is clear that my fitness continues to improve. I feel that my success demonstrates 2 things really well:

1. The time is there if you look for it, even when life gets really busy
2. Being consistent over a long period of time will eventually lead to results if you are patient

Black Hawk County YMCA Triathlon

On September 6th I competed in a sprint triathlon at George Wyth State Park in Waterloo. The race consisted of a 500 meter swim, 16.5 mile bike, and 5k run. While not exactly the same, the route was very similar to the Accel Triathlon that I raced there in 2017. I came into the race with a lot of confidence after racing well at the Hero Hustle Triathlon 2 weeks prior. 

I arrived on Friday afternoon to pick up my packet and have dinner with my parents. They were camping for the weekend but I stayed at their house and got a great night of sleep. It was already light out as I headed for the park. It was a late start time of 9:00am and I was one of the first into transition. It was a cool morning with temperatures starting below 50 degrees and a WNW wind around 10mph. I took my time getting transition ready and did some walking to keep warm before the race. With unseasonably cold temperatures leading up to the race and the cold air on race morning, I opted to wear my wetsuit for the first time this year. It felt like I waited around for an eternity, but finally we were lined up, the national anthem played, and the race started with a time trial start. 

Even with the time trial start, they got everyone into the water very quickly, which was much appreciated due to the cold. I didn't really have a goal for the swim, but I swam hard from the start. I quickly remembered how restrictive my wetsuit is across my chest so I had to work hard to slow my breathing. I made it out of the water and into transition in 13:51 (57/100). I was very please with my 2:16 time in T1, especially with having to get out of my wetsuit.

For the first time this year, I decided to race with my QR PR3 time trial bike. I've spent a lot of time with the bike this year on the trainer in the basement so I was very confident as I headed out on the bike course. Once on the bike, I absolutely flew through the bike course. The course ended up being a little short, at just over 16 miles but it was very flat and even the wind didn't seem to slow me down. I finished the bike course in 49:02, a 19.7mph average which ties for my fastest pace ever on the bike during a triathlon. That time was also the 11th fastest of everyone racing that day. 

Unclipping at the turn around

As I arrived back at transition, for a split second, something didn't seem right as there was less than 20 bikes back in transition before me. I had passed 42 people on the bike course, of course there wouldn't be many bikes yet, they were all behind me still. I quickly racked my bike, changed my shoes, and headed out on the bike course. I got through T2 in 1:10, a very solid time. As I headed out on the run course, I prepared myself to be passed back by a lot of those racers that I had passed on the bike, but the miles started passing and it never happened. I was only passed by a few people and was keeping a very consistent pace throughout the entire run. I finished the run in 31:25 (10:08/mi).

I placed 31/100 overall, one of my best triathlon finishes ever and one of my best all around performances ever. What an amazing way to close out my 2025 multisport season. 

John Deere Des Moines Area Employee 5k

September 20 brought another opportunity to race a 5k on my journey to a new 5k PR. This was my 3rd year racing in this United Way fundraiser held at John Deere Des Moines Works in Ankeny. I caught a ride with Adam on race morning and we got there plenty early to pick up our packets and get warmed up. After an easy 1 mile warm up, I put on my carbon plated race shoes and did some strides. After cheering on the kids races, it was our time to run. 

My legs were feeling  a bit tired after coming off a great, but full, week of training. With 2 weeks remaining in my current training block, this wasn't a target race but I was still planning to run hard. I pushed from the start and never let up. The race took us through one of the factory buildings before looping around the entire campus and returning back to where we started. I came through mile 1 in 9:17 and mile 2 in 9:18. I was trying to hang on to an older gentleman in front of me but both of us slowed down a bit on mile 3 as I came through in 9:31. I kicked hard for the finish and ran the 3.14 mile course in 29:17 (9:19/mi). and was extremely happy with that performance. This was my 3rd fastest 5k since I started racing back in 2014. My goal for the Spooky Sprint 5k on October 4 is 9:15/mi, and that seems very attainable at this point. 

I really like the photo above. It is unquestionable that my fitness has been improving, but I struggle a lot with self image and I feel that this photo has captured my slimmed down appearance well. 

Iowa Trail Run Series - Jester Park 5k

This morning I raced my 3rd trail race of the year. This time I was back at Jester Park, and although the course was not identical to the Beer & Bagel Trail Run course, it overlapped quite a bit. It was nice to go into a race with 0 expectations and just focus on having fun and running hard. 

I picked up Adam around 7:30 and we headed to the park for packet pickup and to warm up. Temperatures were forecast to climb into the 80s, but at race time it was sunny and pleasant in the upper 50s. Due to the natural of having to run on narrow trails, they start us in waves of ~20 people. I went in the 4th wave and quickly fell to the back before slowly moving up and passing people. The first mile included a fairly steep switchback hill. After the hill, the course took us in and out of the woods with both rolling hills and flat sections. I did well keeping my legs driving forward on the up hill sections and impressed myself a bit with how well I ran the more technical down hill sections. 

I finished the race in 29:40, which seems extremely impressive, but the course was a little short. In reality, I averaged 10:27/mi for the 2.84 mile course which may be less impressive than originally presented but is head and shoulders better than the 13:12/mi pace that I managed for the Beer & Bagel Run back in April. 

Looking Ahead

Currently I have 2 races on the calendar in October. The Spooky Sprint 5k on October 4 and the IMT Des Moines Marathon 5k on October 19. With the remainder of the season, I will be shifting 100% of my focus towards accomplishing my goal to set a new 5k PR. I've been racing well and training even better throughout the last month and I'm excited to see what I can do. 

2026 Preview

I officially announced earlier this month my big plans for 2026 when I shared with the world my intentions to race my first full Ironman Triathlon in Madison, WI on September 13, 2026. My official 30 week training block will begin in February 2026, but preparations are starting already as I plan out my offseason focus. I will share my full 2026 schedule in a future post, there are a few high level details that I'm prepared to share now. 

As part of the preparation for the Ironman race I have a series of other triathlons already circled on the calendar. 

• Kansas City Triathlon - May 17
• Omaha Ironman 70.3 - June 7
• Door County Triathlon - July 12
• Ironman Wisconsin - September 13

I'm also looking to add 1 more Olympic distance triathlon to my schedule but will make the decision on when race dates are announced. I am also pondering some late season ideas to leverage the fitness I gain from Ironman training in some other races. More to come!