Race Reports
Detailed reports from Ultraman, Ironman, and ultra-distance events: training, equipment, strategy, and the race itself.
I Walked Off Kona at Mile 11. 41 Days Later, I Won Ultraman.
World Champion
It wasn't a comeback. It was a priority call followed by a build followed by an execution. And I won by exactly the amount the plan was designed to produce.
Ironman Arizona 2014
9:11 PR. Chain Broke, Dreams Didn't
My chain snapped in the first minute of the bike. Six and a half minutes later I was back in the race, chasing a field of nine sub-9 contenders for one of four Kona slots. The result was a 29-minute PR.
Ironman South Africa 2014
Sprint Finish on Home Turf
A bucket-list race on home soil, low training volume, and a sprint finish in the final 800 meters to take a podium spot, with my dad screaming 'Take him, Rob!' from the sideline.
Ironman World Championship 2013
First Time in Kona
My first Kona. I left no stone unturned in the preparation: CTL at an all-time high of 163, wind tunnel sessions, metabolic testing, heat prep in ski gear. Then my glute seized in the first minute of the bike.
Ironman Los Cabos 2013
Mexican Revenge. Kona Qualifier
Three months after a gut-wrenching DNF in Cozumel, I returned to Mexico with all my own food, drank only bottled water, and lived like a hermit. The result was my best race ever and a Kona slot.
Ironman Cozumel 2012
DNF. The Race That Changed Everything
I arrived in the best shape of my life. A stomach virus hit 36 hours before the start. Five porta-potty stops during the bike, unable to keep down food or water. The DNF led directly to my Mexican Revenge three months later.
Ironman Switzerland 2011
The First One
My first Ironman. An 11-hour baptism in Lake Zurich with 2,200 athletes, a driving rainstorm on the run, and a finish that left me wanting more.