Here are couple photos of my third and final ironman of the season. IMAZ is only 15km from our home in Mesa, so racing here is a perfect fit. I don't really get in the mindset of racing here though, since I am still in my day to day work routine. For example, I had to work on Friday for half a day before the race weekend. That, of course, would never happen when we travel to a race venue.
Race day was decent weather, although still much warmer than I prefer. Max temp of the day was 77 deg F. At this time of year, it takes most of the day to reach the high temp, then immediately starts to fall. The sun is just too low to keep the temp up during the evenings. Given my relative lack of fitness, I was pleased with the race. A PR swim by a few seconds, a PR ride by a few seconds and a sub average run. I felt pretty good on the run, but just couldn't eat on the run. Gels just weren't working for me. After 14 miles or so, the lack of calories (all my calories on the run came from Coke) I started to bonk a little and loped in 3:49 for a 10:11 overall. Now it is time to take a rest for while.
Thanksgiving with my family. After a long, hard year, I really enjoyed hanging out here in WV. 
The weather is cooler, and I got a chance to visit with my Aunts, Uncles and some cousins I just don't get to see enough of. Pictured here is my cousin Stacey, her husband Michael and her dad, my Uncle Joe. Standing by the little barn with Eli and Maya--Stacey's children.
Here are couple photos of my third and final ironman of the season. IMAZ is only 15km from our home in Mesa, so racing here is a perfect fit. I don't really get in the mindset of racing here though, since I am still in my day to day work routine. For example, I had to work on Friday for half a day before the race weekend. That, of course, would never happen when we travel to a race venue.
Trix and I raced Silverman this year, but only the half ironman distance. We used it as a tuneup for IM AZ in two weeks. Conditions were very tough (we actually had a 1 hour delay to the start while a thunderstorm blew through). Trix crushed me by 15 minutes and she obliterated the course record by 25 minutes. I raced a smart race, winning my AG by 7 seconds. We REALLY like that race venue and look forward to racing again next year--most likely the full distance though.
Mesa is one of the 27 cities of Phoenix and 15 miles east from Phoenix. Its size is 324,7 km² . Mesa was built by Mormons and has more than 500.000 people. Only Phoenix and Tuscon are bigger in Arizona.
I really fell in love with Thun during my first visit in Feb 2005. Thun is in the Berner Oberland, in the foothills of the Alps. It is a great area for riding, hiking, cross crountry skiing and alpine skiing.
