Since starting on this journey in 2014 I have competed in over 50 races. Each and every race holds very fond memories and unforgettable moments. Some races mean just a little bit more. In honor of my return to racing in 2023 I wanted to reflect back on some of my most memorable races. Here are my top 10.
10. Davenport YMCA Turkey Trot 5 Mile Run (2015)
This race concluded my 2nd year of racing, however, it was the race day weather conditions that put it on the list. We were in Bettendorf for Thanksgiving and walking this race was a tradition for my mother-in-law. This year, Erin and I decided that we would run the race together. We woke up on Thanksgiving morning to cold and very raining conditions. As we headed to the starting line, Mary decided that she wasn't going to walk in the rain so she patiently waited for Erin and I to finish the race. Another funny memory is that I put her timing chip in my pocket to turn in but forgot about it until I finished, so in the official results it appears that her and I finished in the same time.
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| Dry and happy before the race |
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| Not so dry after the race |
9. Quad Cities Half Marathon (2015)
This was my first half marathon. Following a trend here, my mother-in-law, Mary, drove me down to the race and followed me around the course. She was also there to greet me and celebrate with me at the finish line. I remember being so unsure of myself during this race but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I remember the excitement of seeing the finish line. I also remember how tired my legs were on the walk back to the car. I didn't really know what to expect with this race, but I had hoped that I would be able to finish in under 3 hours and I did just that with a time of 2:57:03. I was so proud of myself.
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| Just getting started |
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| Mary and Abs with the epic signs |
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| Feeling very accomplished |
8. Bluff Creek Sprint Aquabike (2019)
What is an aquabike you ask? It is a multi-sport race, similar to a triathlon, except you just complete the swim and bike portion of the race and not the run. I came into this race so disappointed. I had been having an EPIC year but injured my foot in early August. I was supposed to compete in the Olympic distance triathlon but had to switch to this race due to the injury. Except for the foot injury, I came into the race in pretty good shape but didn't really have high expectations for it.
I ended up racing extremely well with an average of 2:06/100 yards on the swim. I followed the great swim up with an even better bike split. I completed the 15 mile bike course in 44:19 for an average speed over 20 mph. Because the race is going alongside the triathlon, I couldn't really tell who I was competing against out on the course. After finishing, I headed for the results trailer to see my name as the only aquabike finisher so far. When all was said and done, I had remained on top of the list and was the overall winner of the race. Not just a winner in my age group, but across all competitors of all ages in the race. A race that I thought would be forgettable in an epic racing year for me turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of the year. As a bonus, I had several family members there to cheer me on and share in my excitement.
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| My sister's family was there to cheer me on |
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| Very proud parents |
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| My first time winning a race |
7. Drake Road Races Half Marathon (2017)
This race made the list because it was memorable for two very different reasons. This was meant to be a warm up race at the mid-point of a full marathon training cycle. Training had been going well and I came into the race in pretty good shape for an early season race. The forecast called for wind and rain, but the rain held off and the cool temperatures and clouds actually made for pretty good race conditions. The course was certainly hillier than any race I had done before but I ended up handling the course very well. I ended up finishing the race in 2:16:39 which was a new PR by about 3 minutes.
The PR came at a huge price. After the race it was very clear that something was wrong with my foot. I ended up going to the doctor and being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. I ended up pausing my training as I fought through the excruciating pain and did some take-home PT exercises to help. Healing took several weeks and I decided to switch to the half marathon instead of the full marathon for the next race which was a big let down.
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| Half marathon PR, LET'S GO! |
6. Drake Road Races 10k (2023)
This race was just a couple of weeks ago but it made the list for some very good reasons. As I've stated in past blog posts, I have been struggling to get back into training and racing for the last couple of years. This race was a big one on that journey because I trained so well and it translated into one of the best races that I've ever run. It may have been my slowest 10k, but relatively to where I am at with my weight and fitness level I ran even better than anticipated. I officially feel like I'm back.
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| Thrilled with my race! |
5. St. Paddy's Day Half Marathon (2019)
By far my best road race, start to finish, ever. Due to flooding downtown, the race director was forced to alter the route the day before the race. My goal for the race was to set a half marathon PR and that is exactly what I did. It was very cold to start the race so everyone was very bundled up. As the sun got higher in the sky, the temperature became more tolerable. I ran my heart out from the start and gradually moved my way up between pacers on the course. In the end, I finished with a time of 2:08:14 which was more than 8 minutes faster than my previous PR.
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| About 9 miles into the race |
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| Very proud of myself |
4. IMT Des Moines Marathon Relay (2017)
This was the 2nd time that I put a team together for the relay and the race was 100% fun. For those not familiar with the race format, we put a team of 5 runners together to trade off running the marathon course. We all pile into a car and drive between the transition zones which adds an additional element of fun. On race day, everyone seems to run better than expected and the car is filled with a lot of encouragement and laughs along the way. Erin led us off on the 1st leg and ran lights out. I ran the 2nd leg of the course which is a 6 miles stretch of rolling hills through some Des Moines neighborhoods. Even with the hills, I was able to crush those 6 miles in a time of 58:06. Another fond memory that I had from this race was helping out at an understaffed water station while we waited at one of the transition zones. Our final time was 4:20:02 and everyone ran so well.
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| Helping out at a water station |
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| All ready for another great relay |
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| Proud finishers! |
3. Des Moines Triathlon (2016)
The final 3 races on the list just all seem a little more special than the rest. I still have no clue what possessed me to become interested in triathlon, but once I had my heart set on it there was no turning back. This wasn't even supposed to be my 1st triathlon. In July of 2016 I was supposed to race at the Accel Triathlon but the race was cancelled due to weather as we were at the edge of the lake waiting to start. Originally I had signed up for the sprint distance, but after a couple of months of training I decided to make the jump up to the Olympic distance.
Race day was extra special because several family members came down to cheer me on. I have never been as excited or nervous for a race as I was that day. Everything was new, from swimming and cycling competitively, with a lot of other racers on the course, to learning how transition worked. As soon as I hit the water something in me changed. Everything about this race just felt right. While on course, I caught myself smiling several different times. Looking back, I was clearly such a beginner and made so many mistakes during that first race but it was awesome. I completely fell in love with triathlon and that feeling hasn't left me since.
My family was there as I came out of the water, cheering like crazy. They were there during the 1st lap of the bike course too, and all of them road a shuttle bus to see me as I finished. As I crossed the finish line I raised both arms in triumph. My final time on the course, 3:09:46, a PR that stands even to today.
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| Out of the water and heading to T1 |
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| Pushing hard on the bike |
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| All smiles on the run course |
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| Mission accomplished |
2. Door County 70.3 Triathlon (2019)
This race was all about redemption. The Legend Ad Adstra 70.3 in 2017 did not turn out the way that I had hoped and that course got the best of me. There was no way that was going to happen again. I focused and trained harder for this race than I had ever trained before, and quite possibly harder than I will ever train again. 16 weeks of grueling workouts and training sessions that left me completely exhausted. Every single training session had a purpose and a goal, and even though they didn't always turn out as planned, I was sure to learn something from each one.
My confidence was extremely high as Erin and I arrived in Door County the day before the race, and I carried that confidence through to the next morning. The biggest change had nothing to do with fitness, it was my mental preparation. In 2017 I was surprised when adversity struck during the race and didn't handle it well. This time, I was prepared for it and took everything in stride. The swim flew by, as did the bike. I had a plan in place as I headed out on the run, and when my body started to break down mid-way through the half marathon run, I handled it perfectly. I cut almost an hour off my previous 70.3 time from 2017. As I crossed the finish line, I knew that all of that hard work had been worth it.
The race wasn't the only reason this falls so high in the top 10. Erin and I turned this into a mini vacation for just the 2 of us. With the kids at Grandma and Grandpa Weiler's house, we had the opportunity to tour Door County in the days after the race and just enjoy some time together after completion of such a time-intensive training cycle.
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| Waiting for my swim wave to be called |
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| Crushing the bike course |
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| 70.3 Miles Complete |
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| We both earned this one |
1. Cy-man Sprint Triathlon (2018)
There was never a question in my mind when it came to picking a favorite race. My 2018 racing season provided a lot of adversity. I had gained weight during the off season and it kept going up through the spring and early summer. I was eating horribly and my training was off. It is the only time since 2014 that I was considering quitting racing. To make things worse, at the end of June I managed to injure my back. What happened next is well documented in past blog posts so I won't go into the details here, but led to a major turning point.
As I rehabbed my back and started to lose weight I actually managed to put together a nice stretch of good races. In fact, I raced well enough to win my age group for the Heart of America Triathlon Series. That win gave me a place in the champions wave at the Cy-man. I was so excited by my progress that I scheduled a party to celebrate and invited friends and family out on race day and then back to the house for a cook out afterward. So many friends, coworkers, and family members came out to support me that day and I will forever be grateful. I always race better with supporters there on race day and this race was no different. I ended up having a fantastic race and finished it off with a 5k PR during the run. That's right, I ran a 5k PR after swimming and biking.
After the race, everyone came over to the house and the party continued. It is this race, and this moment in my life that always reminds me that no matter how bad it gets I can always turn things around. I talk a lot about how epic my 2019 racing season was and often 2018 becomes a forgotten season. One thing is true, without the struggles I faced and overcame in 2018 there is no way that 2019 turns out the way it did. Facing and overcoming struggles is what makes me who I am, it drives improvement, and makes me a better person.
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| Ready for the swim to begin |
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