I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO EXCITED OR SO PROUD! Ironman Arizona was one of the neastest events I've seen. The pictures don't begin to do it justice because they don't even start to portray the intensity of the day or the life of training that led up to the day. The guys raced alongside Olympians & absolutely proved their endurance & their strength. It was AMAZING; I don't know what else to say. I cried when it started; I cried when it ended; I've cried rewatching the finish line video. A day that we won't forget...
Russ finished the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike & 26.2 mile run in 13 hours, 1 min, 25 seconds. Our friend, Brad, is an Ironman, too! If the distances don't seem scary enough, know that it was almost 100 degrees with 20+ mph winds...brutal...almost 25% of the athletes didn't finish. You can imagine how out-of-control I got with my camera being alone with it ALL day. So, here's a sampling of the pictures...they go in order of the day (swim -> bike -> run) but since there were loops on the course, I got to see the guys multiple times. Crazy that it starts & ends in the dark! (Some of the pictures may seem like Where's Waldo?...Russ is wearing gray/red.)
Heading into the transition area pre-dawn. Still iron-virgins (for real, that's the phrase).
Russ getting his bike stuff ready.
Russ & Brad
sunrise!
Russ & Brad (with the yellow on their arms) just before the swim start.
The guys are in the bottom right corner.
Canon blast starting Ironman Arizona! Obviously, you can't pick out Russ or Brad, but they started just behind that yellow buoy.
Mass swim start. You can't even begin to imagine how this looked from the bridge.
Just out of the swim in 1 hr, 20 min! Yea! (Amazing that they were able to stay together.)
Ashley Harsh
Russ on the bike...
Brad on the bike.
Russ transitioning to the run...
Russ on the marathon course...
Brad running.
Russ--almost to the finish line!
The big screen display of him busting through the finish line ribbon!
1st hug of my Ironman!
Hustled away to the medic tent for some fluids...
Brad almost to the finish line!
Ironman Arizona finishers!
The big screen display of him busting through the finish line ribbon!1st hug of my Ironman!Hustled away to the medic tent for some fluids... Brad almost to the finish line! Ironman Arizona finishers!
10 comments:
That is so unbelievable! I have chills just reading about it...I can't imagine being there watching it happen! WAY TO GO RUSS...or maybe I should say, WAY TO GO IRONMAN!!!!!
Oh my gosh, we followed russ like a hawk on Sunday! how awesome, what an acomplishment. man, makes our dinky sprint triathlons look silly! way to go russ, unbelievable.
Annie & Chris
Oh, I've been waiting for this post! I am BEYOND impressed with your hubby. I am definitely getting his autograph on 4/26! It is sweet to think about how proud you were of him this weekend and how he felt the same way about you on match day. What an amazing couple of weeks this has been for you two!
WOW!! Russ, I am so proud of you! What a big accomplishment. Thanks for the pictures, Sara - I can tell that you both are so proud of each other.
Melissa
IRONMAN IN THE HOUSE!! We stalked the race on Sunday! Joe's friend was #359 so we liked to imagine him and Russel close together! I can't even imagine what the experience was like! You are one lucky lady to have such a STUD of a husband (although you are quite the studette!)
WOW! WOW! WOW! i am in awe.
Oh.my.goodness. Amazing! Tell Russell that we are in awe of him. What a cool experience!
OMG! that AMAZING! congrats to russell! :)
Wow. That picture in the water is amazing. You must be so proud of your Ironman!
Congrats! The Ironman Race is so much more intense than I ever would have imagined. I am amazed they did so well on their first Ironman Race, I know they both trained really hard. I can only imagine.
Post a Comment