As a dad, what would you do if doctors told you that your son Rick was a vegetable and that he should be institutionalized? If you’re Dick Hoyt, you ignore the experts and prove everyone wrong. They started with Dick pushing Ricky at short running events but quickly moved up to the marathon. The Boston…
I love racing. There is nothing better in the whole wide world. Some people I know get stressed out just thinking about race morning. But for me, if it’s a Saturday or Sunday and there are no numbers scrawled on my legs and arms, I get the shakes. Here is why racing is a heck…
Their first meeting came after the 1972 Olympics. At those games in Munich, America’s young gun, Steve Prefontaine, took fourth place in the Olympic 5000 meters while New Zealand’s Rod Dixon took home a bronze in the 1500. For the man called Pre, finishing off the podium was a bitter disappointment. Check that. The guy…
Scott Brown and Chris Fuller fit the profile for Muddy Buddies perfectly. After all, the Muddy Buddy is for folks looking for a good time running and cycling with a little bit of pizzazz added to the equation in the form of mud pits, wall climbs and an inflatable or two to get over,…
The year was 1980. There were 108 of us signed up for the third running of an event called The Ironman Triathlon on the island of Oahu. In both 1978 and 1979, 15 adventurers had signed up for the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run to see if they had…
For February 18th, the anniversary of the first Ironman in 1978, we take a look back at the beginning of an event that started on the island of Oahu, and has since grown into a global phenomenon. Clockwise: A scene from the bike course of the original Ironman on Oahu. The founders: John and Judy Collins,…
The room is 90 square feet and, when he works out, he simulates the toughest race day conditions by pumping up the temperature to 100 degrees and the humidity to 100% . He trains by riding his bike on a CompuTrainer and running on a treadmill. With the right software, he can simulate the…
One of the things I love the most about the Ironman Triathlon World Championship are the stories of perseverance and determination that unfold in the lava fields each year. This year at the awards banquet on Sunday October 9th, I shared these three stories that illustrate the Anything is Possible spirit of the Ironman. BJ Christenson is…
When I looked to write a piece about the 1984 Olympic Road Race where Davis was the favorite, I interviewed both Davis and fellow American Alexi Grewal, who ended up winning the Gold that day. It’s rare when you interview two athletes about the same race and end up with both athletes remembering the details…
Hunter Kemper: Fuel for the Fire Editor’s Note: I wrote this piece on Hunter Kemper in 2012, right after his memorable race in San Diego. Hunter went on to finish 14th in London at his 4th Olympics. It is early January 2011. Three-time U.S. Olympic triathlete Hunter Kemper should be training or helping his wife,…