Conceive – Believe – Achieve
Travel
I awoke early Sunday morning to an alert from American Airlines, our flights to Orlando for early Monday morning were just cancelled.
This was not how I expected my Ultraman week to get started. A few panicked moments and a little research had us still taking off at the same time, just landing about 6 hours later, after re-routing the flights through Washington DC. I made peace with that fact we were still going to be arriving before Tuesday, even if the travel day would be over 16 hours now. Our flights out went smoothly, flew with Kelly and Ryan, and when we landed in O’Hare we were able to switch out the flights once again to arrive another 3 hours sooner! Now with a stopover in Charlotte instead of DC, and the layover there was actually quite pleasant, it’s a very nice airport, complete with rocking chairs.
Finally landing in Orlando, just in time to see the sunset from the plane as we taxied to the terminal, I was elated we had made it. Picked up the rental car and off to meet Ryan and my Crew Chief Chad who drove down all of our supplies, bags and my bike, out for dinner then off to check out the rental house!
Race Preparation Days
There’s a lot to get done before an Ultraman. They actually require a bike inspection, an athlete check-in two days before race start and a pre-race briefing brunch the day before we toe the line. Outside of the required tasks, my crew and I also had a lot to get done before the race was officially underway.
Here’s a look at how the pre-race days worked out.
Tuesday: I was happy to get a short ride in on the bike, the first time riding outside in months, felt just fantastic. A little too good, I had a really hard time actually holding back, pushed it a little hard. After the ride, the bike got packed up and we headed down to the bike shop for an inspection. Now, I’ve never had anyone but me work on my bike, so it felt rather like an exam or review on the work I’ve been putting in over the past 4 years. Even so, I was very happy for the assistance. After almost 15,000 miles there were a few things getting worn out that I didn’t realize. After a swapped out bottom bracket and a new cable line run for the front derailleur, and my (backup) new chain installed. My mean machine was riding silky smooth once again.
Next up was procuring some food and race day supplies. It is impossible to travel with all the food you’d need for 6 days for 6 people, and our VRBO was woefully equipped, missing basics like hand soap and even toilet paper. I had a lot of fun walking through WalMart filling up a cart with all kinds of crap, it was a bit like supermarket sweep, and we had fun with an under/over guessing game when we got to the register.
Lastly on Tuesday, I needed to get a package from USPS. The community our VRBO we located in had grouped mailboxes with larger parcel boxes. So, rather than my swim gloves and booties, which I panickily ordered after hearing how cold the lake was going to be, being left by the front door of the house, they were put in a parcel locker, which we didn’t have a key to… nor did the VRBO owner. I got on the phone with the local USPS office and confirmed they could get the carrier to retrieve the box on Wednesday and I could collect on Thursday, which would really cut it close. Or we could attempt to meet the carrier while he was out delivering. So, that’s what we did. Found out from a neighbor which parcel locker our house used, and staked it out. While eating lunch and staring out the window, I finally saw the USPS carrier drive by, we caught up with him and he actually helped us out without even asking any questions. Successful Mission!
Wednesday: Now that we were starting to get acclimated to the Florida weather, I thought it would be good to get another short ride in, to check that the bike work from the day before all checked out. So, I did a short 10 minute ride around the neighborhood, pushing hard on a few short sprints and everything felt great! I also wanted to get in a little run to keep the legs moving and a swim in to check out just how cold this lake was going to be. But first, we had to stop down for athlete check-in.
Since Covid protocols were still in place, the check in’s were all at predetermined times, to keep us spread out throughout the day, not much of a chance to meet any of the other racers. However, it was great to see the staff, get our bibs and little green bracelets, check out the merch store and really make it all feel official!
From there we headed out to the race start location at Victory Pointe in Clermont, and got a little 5 mile shakeout run, including a couple of 200 yard pickups, just to make sure the legs were feeling good. Then met a few of the other athletes down at the beach while Ryan and I changed into wetsuits for a 1k swim.
For the swim, we just did a little out and back twice to a pier, and both times people dressed like it was still winter were asking what the heck we were doing swimming in the frigid waters, and weren’t we afraid of the gators?!? The water really wasn’t all that bad. I had forgotten my new gloves back at the house, as I needed them to be inspected at check-in… oops. But the booties and the thermal cap worked out great, granted this was less than a 10th of the time I would be in the water on Thursday, but I was feeling much better about the swim.
Mom also flew in on Wednesday, so in the evening, I left the crew, who were having beers in the sun, to pick mom up from the airport. I was really happy she was able to come join in on the fun. While she couldn’t be part of the actual crew on race days, it was really nice to have the extra help with cooking and cleaning and ensuring the nightly changeover’s went smoothly for the crew. Plus, she was able to get down to the race start/finish lines and see me at different spots throughout the courses each day, which was a major emotional boost.
Thursday: Our last crew member was due in today, Jake was flying in just after the morning’s athlete pre-race brunch and rules presentation. This was a great opportunity to get introduced to the event staff and all of the other racers. We had a very detailed walkthrough of the rules, and the 3 strikes you’re out policy. If you have 3 penalties, over the course of 3 days, incurred by yourself or your crew, your race is over.
After brunch we headed out to the race start site for one last swim in the lake, this time with my new gloves. I was the only crazy person swimming Thursday, even though a number of other athletes were walking by, I guess they knew something I didn’t…
Back at the house, it was time to get all of the gear organized. Ensuring hundreds of items are where they’re supposed to be and nothing is forgotten is quite a logistical feat, but I had complete faith in my crew to know exactly where everything would be. We had a great spaghetti dinner prepared by UltraMom and I headed off to bed about 8pm with the intentions of getting as much sleep and rest as possible before the 4:30a alarm was to go off. Meanwhile the crew got to decorating the van to surprise me in the morning!
Day 1 | 6.2 Mile Swim and 90 Mile Bike Ride
I did not sleep well going into day one, the anticipation was palpable.
As I laid in bed, before the alarm went off, I could hear the crew preparing breakfast and all of the food for the coolers for the day. My mind was still at this point, no longer racing as it had all of the night before. Constantly going through the swim, the transition and the bike course. While I was calm, it was a calm filled with the appreciation for what the day would bring.
Kel made up my usual breakfast of 2 eggs over easy and a bagel with peanut butter, along with only a 1/2 cup of coffee. While the rest of the crew went through last minute preparations.
Just before hitting the water I had one more big surprise. My dad was on his way to the race start, but I heard he was having trouble finding the park. About 40 seconds before hitting the water I heard his voice yelling out for me, this was an incredible moment, and I was just so thankful he was there. My mom really understands this stuff, not so much for my dad, so it makes it even more meaningful to see him so excited for the start of this crazy adventure.
At 7am an airhorn blasted and 38 of my fellow competitors and I took to the waters of Lake Minneola to join our kayak escorts, starting our 10k swim. For all the anticipation of the moment, it’s oddly serene. I walked, not ran into the water, letting the cold water slowly take me. When waist deep, I transitioned to an easy front crawl, and tried to get my breathing down, ignoring, to the best of my ability, the nervousness of all those around me. This would be the longest swim I’ve ever done, in the coldest water I’ve ever swam in.
With the breathing coming under control, I set out attempting to just be in the middle of the pack of swimmers. We couldn’t see where we were going, that’s what the escorts were there for. But while everyone is bunched up, it’s almost impossible to locate and swim to your kayaker, so I continued to just push on in the middle. After about 600 – 800 yards, the pack started to separate out, and I finally spotted Chad in his red kayak with the Valentine’s Unicorn.
For me the swim went almost exactly as planned, and if you know triathlon, that almost never happens. I was able to keep from cramping in the cold waters, which is usually an issue for me. While staying right on pace and right on line, thanks to a fantastic escort from my kayaker. Getting off line means having to swim a longer distance, so a good navigator is essential, especially in a swim so long that I can’t see the next buoy.
Swimming with a kayak next to you is a rather odd experience. Usually in a triathlon swim you need to ‘sight,’ looking up to see where the next buoy is, which takes a bit of a toll on your neck muscles. With a kayak escort though, when you breath to their side, you just need to ensure they’re not getting closer or further away from you. But strangely it doesn’t feel like you’re moving in a straight line. I always felt as though I was drifting to the right, or into the kayak.
The other big reasons the kayakers are out there with you is for safety and nutrition. Swimming for over 3 hours takes a lot out of you, and those calories and the water needs to be replaced. About ever 20-30 minutes Chad would hold up my water bottle, signaling me it was time for some nutrition. I’d come over to the kayak and hang on while taking a few long drinks and eating a snickers or pop-tart or stroopwafel. As long as the kayak isn’t advancing, the swimmer can hold onto it, to eat or recovery or pee or whatever. This was also a good opportunity to kick my legs a bit, further helping to prevent cramping and to get a little blood flow going.
There really isn’t too much to distract you while out there swimming. The water is black, the sky blindingly bright, and things on shore are too far away to really make out, plus I was dealing with leaking goggles the entire swim, so I had lake water sloshing around my eyeballs, making it rather difficult to see and leaving a lasting mark on the race. So, you have a lot of time with your thoughts. Thankfully though, Chad was in communications with the rest of the crew. So every time we would stop, they could hear me through his headset, assuring them how I was doing. Because this swim is so long, those on shore can’t see us for the majority of it either.
Even though the waters were cold, they were calm, and as the sun continued to climb, the air temperature did as well. Additionally, being in an all black wetsuit really helps to keep a little warmer when it is sunny.
While about 500 yards from shore, I added a kick to the swim to start to loosen up for the oncoming 90 mile bike ride. Got out of the water and crossed that swim finish line just under 3 hours 40 minutes.
Ultraman Florida Swim 10k Swim – 3:38:21
Strava Swim Details
Transition was all about getting warmed up and food in my belly. There wasn’t a rush like at Ironman to hussle through the race’s only transition. The goal here was to make sure I was prepared to get going on the bike, and that I wouldn’t be rushing off, pushing too hard at the start and then ending up with cramps or running out of calories. The crew took wonderful care of me, they had a great spot setup in the sun and prepared everything I would need.
This ride still started off with cold muscles, but they continued to warm quickly with the sun and the effort of riding. The course was on open roads and near town the traffic was quite heavy, but riding with caution and a borrowed Garmin Varia rear radar I felt safe. I’ll be buying one of these devices, it’s a tail light that alerts my bike computer when cars are coming up behind me, including how fast they’re coming and how many there are, a really great tool.
My neck and shoulders built a lot of fatigue throughout this ride, mostly because of the swim, but I also haven’t ridden outside since fall and the bumps in the road aren’t something you can simulate on a trainer. For the most part though, the roads were in great shape and I was really happy to be outside riding.
The country roads were quite beautiful and this day one ride course was pretty flat, making for a speedy 90 miles. I really enjoyed meeting some fellow competitors and their crews along the way, there was a lot of leap frogging with other crews and with other riders, and always words of encouragement shared upon these meetings.
My crew was fantastic, and for an event like this, there isn’t much downtime at all. It’s a continuous cycle of preparing for the rider to arrive, taking care of the bike mechanically and refreshing the water and nutrition on board. While a new layer of sunscreen is applied and solid foods are taken in by the athlete. Communications about how I would be feeling at the moment and tracking how much I’m eating and drinking, and even peeing (including color), it’s not a glamorous job. Then after I’d set off, they’d re-pack the van and set off to leap frog ahead of me, traveling between 10-20 miles before meeting up with me again, starting the cycle over. Along the way they still found time to help other athletes and crews, take care of their own nutrition and have a little fun.
About 30 miles in I was still feeling pretty good, talking with other racers where possible and then even met my Mom and a couple of my Aunts at an intersection. Since I wasn’t worried about time, it was nice to stop by them, say hi, thank them for coming out and get some hugs before continuing. It was a really nice little break and a great morale boost, for the darker times were lurking just around the corner.
As the miles continued to tick by, my shoulders got tighter and tighter, working up my neck and causing a horrific headache. My eyes were still feeling pretty terrible from all the lake water, which just added to the throbbing pain all around my head. We started using topical pain relief when I’d see the crew, but I wanted to refrain from taking any pills until the ride was done. When you’re pushing your body this long, they become an additional stress on your liver and kidneys, something to be avoided if possible.
Coming into the 60 mile mark I was happy to see my mom and aunts once again, joined now by my dad, step mom and their friends. Made for a huge morale boost before setting off on the last stretch back towards Victory Pointe and the day one finish line.
By the time we had 15 miles to go, I told my crew I’d just meet them at the finish line, these next few miles I wouldn’t need anything and the roads were extremely busy, making it hard to stop. I saw them leapfrog me and continue on, knowing I’d see them soon. Turning onto a busy highway and heading back into town, I hit something hard in the road causing a malfunction in my front derailleur and a rear puncture flat 
So I sent off a quick text to my crew and set about fixing the flat. I was almost done by the time the next crew rolled through and offered me assistance, then another stopped and in no time flat they had me on the way again. Love how supportive this race is! The other crews even called Chad to let them know what happened.
After the mechanical was sorted, I was on my way, and saw my crew again, coming back to help, so I told them once again, I’ll see you at the finish. I made the last busy intersection without issue and was cruising in when out of a passing car a full water bottle struck me in the leg! At first I was confused, how did my water bottle get ejected and hit me in that spot?!? But no, it was just a punk in a car. As they sped off the F-150 following them stepped on the gas and gave chase, they soon both disappeared down the road. About a mile later I saw the truck on the opposite side of the road, the guy driving yelled to me that he reported the car to the police, instant karma strikes again!
All said and done, this was a wonderful ride. I took time with my crew at stops, I met family on the course along the way and stopped to thank them for coming out. I wasn’t rushed and I enjoyed the ride. It was a surreal sense of accomplishment crossing that day one finish line.
Ultraman Florida Ride Day 1 – 91.75 Miles
Strava Ride Details
After crossing the line I was really happy to see family there waiting. It means so much to me that they’d take the time to come down and support myself and the rest of the athletes. I walked down to the beach to soak my legs in the lake, inviting my dad to check out the water temps. I’m pretty sure he thought I was crazier after feeling the cold for himself. Sitting in the lake may have been a bad idea though, as I started to cramp in my left quad. At least day one was done before that happened. A fantastic massage then it was back to the house, to clean up, grab dinner and get to bed.
Day 2 | 171.4 Mile Bike Ride
After another sleepless night, my spirits were up for the start of day 2. The morning began much like day one, a little coffee, my eggs and bagel with peanut butter. Ultra mom made a great breakfast for everyone, the crew had the van all packed up and off we went to the starting line. The morning was brisk and clear. The temps were in the mid 50’s and the forecast for the day looked great, partly cloudy, very little wind and high seventies.
Starting off at sunrise the first half of the course is through some decent rolling hills with around 4,000 feet of elevation, while the second half is really quite flat with only about 1,500 feet. In contrast from day one, the vast majority of this route would be on quiet country roads.
My day started off quite well, since all the riders start at the same time on day 2 it was really nice getting to talk with them and feel like you’re more a part of a race. They even allow for drafting the first 7 miles, so little groups would form up. As things started to get a little hilly the packs started to brake up. I enjoyed the hills as they reminded me a lot of riding at home. It was quite a welcomed change from day one’s long flat stretches. Getting to change gears and coast down hills was a lot of fun.
However not everything was going well, my nutrition plan didn’t seem to work out. On day one I had a lot of tailwind, and my system was not liking it two days in a row. I wasn’t taking in nearly enough, so by mile 40 I was already starting to bonk out. I was nauseous, which had me not eating or drinking anything, which just made matters worse. At one stop with the crew, I got off the bike, sat down by the van in a daze. Without realizing it, I had become non-verbal. I remember Chad saying “talk to me Rob, where are you at?”. I hadn’t even noticed I wasn’t talking, just sitting there. It’s amazing how quickly that bonk state can sneak up on you.
The crew were quick to react and get me back on track. At our next stop they sat me down and made me eat. Parking in a parking lot this time, away from the noise of the road, and further away from the other riders passing me, they had a table setup in the shade with a sandwich, chips and some soda. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was exactly what I needed. I really did struggle to get that food down.
Amazingly though, within only about 5 miles I was once again smiling and starting to feel energy pouring back into my legs. I credit this ride completely to my crew, without them, my downward spiral would have continued, most likely derailing the entire day.
Once back on track, things continued to go well, I rode hard and found a great flow. We covered a lot of the same country roads from the day before, and once we were out of the hills, it did get a bit monotonous. I was continuing to leap frog other athletes and crews much the same way as day one, as we seemed to have a very different strategy, where I would stop and get off the bike every 45-60 minutes while they’d continue to ride through. So even though I was riding faster, the stops would see them pass me again. I think I would do it the same way over again though, taking time to ensure I was getting enough food and water in, and having some time to stretch out, I think really helped for day 3.
By mile 120 I was now actually feeling the best I had felt yet during this entire race! My headache and shoulder aches were dissipating, my legs felt strong and I was in a great mood. While my eyes did still hurt, we started switching back and forth between my visor and sun glasses, which seemed to help. Additionally changing from tailwind to Gatorade with more solid foods seemed to make the largest impact.
During this stretch, about mile 93 there is a railroad crossing, where the rider ahead of me ended up crashing. I stopped to make sure he was doing alright, which thankfully he was. My crew ended up witnessing a motorcycle crash out there as well, which again, thankfully everyone was ok, just some minor injuries. But these events are a good reminder to keep focused on the ride. I had a point where that focus did slip and I fell off the shoulder of the road, but thankfully I was able to keep my balance, and got back on the asphalt, it could have been much worse.
Fatigue eventually caught back up with me, the flats offered very few opportunities to vary up the cadence or coast for awhile, it was quite like riding on a trainer. I started using any little decline at all as an opportunity to stop pedaling, get low and just coast for a bit. Then the roads got really rough before we once again reached the busy highway type roads on the way back into town. There was about 4 miles of this rough road, and my shoulders, neck and head pain came back with a vengeance. But the miles were ticking off, the end was near and most importantly, this time I had no troubles with the bike nor any of the drivers.
With a ride time of 10 hours and 40 minutes I was very excited to hit the finish line and get my butt off the saddle! The bike portion of the race was done!
I cannot express how happy I was to be finished with that bike ride! No more traffic or mechanical issues to worry about, I could depend on my own two feet and my incredible crew to carry me to the final finish line.
Ultraman Florida Ride Day 2 – 171.35 Miles
Strava Ride Details
Happy to once again see family at the finish line! After another fantastic massage, the crew had everything packed up, so it was back to the house for some dinner a van reset and hopefully some sleep.
Day 3 | 52.4 Mile Run
Feeling great and ready to get started! Finally a decent nights sleep. I think having the swim and the bike portions completed really removed a lot of the race anxiety for me. At this point, the race was my legs vs. the clock and I was prepared, confident, and excited for the test
Sunday Funday Runday! This last day of Ultraman starts an hour earlier, at 6am, so it was an early 4am wake up call. Got some great breakfast in, same as every other day, while the crew got the van all prepped. It was now a lot easier to keep organized without all the bike and swim gear.
The day started with some drizzling rain in the mid 60s, and the forecast was for the rain to clear up early morning, but still not get too hot out so pretty perfect for running. Once down to Victory Pointe and all checked in for the morning, there was a bit of a reflection period for all the athletes and crews, a celebration of sorts for what has all been accomplished so far and what is still yet to come, one of the many small things that truly make this race so special, and builds the Ohana.
Then one more huge surprise, my Dad and Step Mom were at the starting line with their friends! We talked on the phone the night before, and they were supposed to be back on the East side of the State, but had changed all of their plans for the Super Bowl and stayed an extra night to see how this race finished up!
Day 3 allows for pacers to join the athlete, after the first 5 miles, which was just an out and back by the lake. These first few miles flew by, chatting with the other runners, it was another rare moment when we’d all be bunched up, and felt more like a race.
Jake joined me first, and we had a great time. The pacers are there to carry nutrition and water bottles, as well as a source of company and conversation. We also need to abide by traffic laws, so on busy stoplight intersections, the pacer will run ahead to hit the cross-walk button.
The majority of this double marathon course is over blacktop and concrete, but there are 2 ‘clay’ sections, totaling about 14 miles which are truly special. These sections are harder to run, more exposed to the elements and completely iconic to this race!
The miles slid right on by, I kept up with nutrition quite well and continued to try and remain loose through stretching at the stop lights and using the massage gun at my van stops. Pro tip though, when you’re on day 3 of a massive race, only 12 miles into a 52 mile run, do not attempt to jump as high as you can for a picture! And when the photographer says he didn’t get the shot, don’t jump again!!
Ryan swapped in to run with me right as we got to one of the most beautiful parts of the run. There’s a section that runs right next to Lake Minneola, with incredible houses. It reminds me a lot of the Northwoods of Wisconsin, just with much better weather and Spanish Moss in the trees.
From there, the course wound through Clermont south towards the larger clay roads section. This was one of 2 much more urban sections, with a large number of traffic lights. Which, actually allowed for runners to bunch up a bit once again. We had a good time chatting with some of the other folks, and pretty much without me noticing we had already hit the marathon mark, this run was just flying by.
Then it was out to the clay roads once again. I was starting to feel the weight of the race pretty heavy at this point. It wasn’t outwardly showing quite yet, and I was still have a ton of fun, but exhaustion was sneaking up quickly!
While the crew took turns running and walking with me, even Kelly joined in on the clay roads for a walk together. I know they also had a really fun time out there as well, so much so they won the crew competition! This year the theme was ‘heart hands’. So the race directors were looking for the best crew picture with heart hands. I present to you the 2022 UMFL Crew Contest Winning submission!
Before I knew it we were closing in on 40 miles, and that’s where the previous 2 days activities really started to catch up with me. The last half marathon became much more difficult, at this point, the strategy became one foot in front of the other, just keeping relentless forward progress. While out running with Chad, the crew noticed I was starting to fade, so they made an emergency pit stop at McDonalds for some french-fries. Absolutely heavenly at this point! Salt and fat, exactly what my body was craving.
This deep into the run my muscles were starting to fail, cramps felt all but inevitable. I’d been taking base salts, drinking Gatorade all day and eating up bananas, but that all only helps so much. But oddly enough, after a certain point, my legs didn’t really feel like cramping anymore, almost as if they’d given up on warning me about the fatigue. “Shut up legs!” finally seemed to work.
We wound our way through the second urban stretch and I was quite happy to see my family along the route once again. A welcomed sight and a great moral boost at the perfect time. Continuing on, I was focused on just one thing, keeping the forward progress going. Every stop was painful, continuing to move was slightly less painful. I wasn’t thinking about miles left to go, or how far I’d come already, just that I needed to continue to move.
We pressed on, closing in the finish line I was able to find a few smiles yet when seeing the crew. Their joy was infectious, clearly they knew just how close to complete this journey was! Just after seeing the van for the last time, Chad and I were running through a quiet neighborhood when a Bald Eagle flew down and landed right next to us, such an incredible moment! And so oddly familiar, as the same thing actually happened the previous September as we were running my birthday 40 mile celebration run.
With the final stretch laid out before us. I struggled to focus just on moving forward, the weight of the journey coming down on me. I’ve had troubles with cramping at the ends of races over the past few years, and I was determined this wasn’t going to be one. So I pushed those thoughts of the finish as far out of my head I could. Nevertheless, it was surreal. I concentrated on the smells, the sounds, the specific little sights. I wanted to hold on to this moment forever.
We came in together. A family forged by a shared accomplishment. While I may have been the athlete this time, I know this finish line meant a lot to everyone. They all had a huge part in making this happen, not just the 3 days of racing, but the months and years of preparations to get to the starting line.
What an incredible race experience! Building bonds with my crew that will last a lifetime. And making new friends amongst the other racers and crew. These are the times we carry with us for a lifetime.
So incredibly happy to be able to share this finish line with Kelly. Her first time out crewing and she did wonderfully, helping to keep me right on track, and not letting anything interfere with my race days. With my Mom, who’s been an inspiration of strength throughout my life, and the source of where these long distance journeys stem. With Kregg and Cindy as well as Don and Gail, who really seemed to get swept up into the spirit of what ‘this’ is. With Chad, who’s paved the way with his accomplishments and is always willing to give that extra little push to ensure you fulfill your own potential. With Jake, who’s been the most positive, motivating, caring and funny person I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. With Ryan, who’s been a consistent training partner, a great friend, and who wears his oversized heart on his sleeve (and who may be the reason I’m back at UMFL in ’23 crewing?).
Ultraman Florida Run Day 3 – 52.4 Miles
Strava Run Details
As the rest of the runners continued to make it through the finish line, the crowd continued to grow. I had my massage, got some food and finally had a couple of beers! While the clock continued to tick towards that 12 hour cutoff we celebrated everyone who made it in. I just love this last picture from the race course, with all of the finishers, their crews and supporters and the event staff.
While congratulating Simone on her amazing finish, coming in with just 90 seconds to spare, she looked me in the eyes and simply said, “Why do you do this?!? This is REALLY HARD!” – While I’ll certainly never forget that moment, I don’t think she could have said it any better.
The Awards Banquet
Ultraman has one more very special day, the post race banquet brunch. Where all of the athletes are given a chance to speak about whatever they’d like, be it how the race went, or how their crew is amazing or their story leading up to this race. It really is a special time, after you’ve gotten to know some of the fellow competitors and their crews, it’s great to hear a little more about their journey.
My nerves grew as it got closer to my turn to talk. I had a list of things I wanted to talk about, but as soon as I got on that stage, turned and faced the room, all coherent thought was gone. All of the emotional weight of training for and finally being here to complete this journey came crashing down on me. About all I could do was to express my gratefulness to be amongst so many incredible people, and for my good fortune to be able to complete such an event.
So let me add my thank you’s here and now.
Huge thank you to my wife Kelly, without whom none of this is possible, she’s been my rock through all the years of training, all the long hours and sacrifices to make this day a reality. To my mom, who’s been my biggest supporter, who came down to Florida to be the crew mom and made nightly change overs smooth, fed us and cleaned up after us, she’s always been an inspiration of strength to me. To Dad and Cindy who came for a day and stayed for three, it was so great to see you guys cheering on not only myself but all the competitors with Don and Gail, it was a wonderful surprise to see you guys so many times. To my aunts Chris and Valerie, who made a long drive to see the bike ride and finish on day one, it means a lot to me that you made the trip to support me. To the rest of my crew, Chad Esker, Jake Daul and Ryan Maahs . Along with Kelly, you all kept me going through the lowest times during the race, but also through all the countless hours of training. They were there through the early morning swims, the long cold runs outside and even joining me during an indoor Ironman distance training day. To all my fellow WATTS crew and WausaUltra family from home, constantly pushing the limits during swims and runs. Pushing themselves through amazing races and being a constant source of inspiration. And of course to all the family and friends following along in this group. I wish you could have all been here in person, but believe me that the love and support you showed over the past 3 days of racing and the support leading to this moment have been felt and appreciated.
The Kokua Award
The bike course on both day 1 and 2 go through some very busy highways and intersections, which can be quite stressful for both the athletes and the crews as none of the roads are closed to traffic. On day 2 while still stopped after crewing me, a group of motorcycles went through an intersection and one ended up crashing into another rider. From what I recall, he skidded out on some sand and slid into the foot pegs of the next bike. My crew being very nearby saw and heard the whole thing. Chad immediately ran over with the van’s limited medical kit to offer was assistance he could, getting the rider patched up while that guy’s friends called for an ambulance.
If you know Chad Esker you know this is exactly what he would do in any situation, offering help where needed. And while he’s being called out here, my entire crew was there and helping and would never hesitate in a situation like this. The motorcyclist made it to the ER and got patched up, he even sent Chad some pictures of the stiches after it was all cleaned up.
So that’s what happened, but how does that relate to winning an award?
Ultraman has three principles; Aloha, welcoming. Ohana, family. And Kokua, help.
This year Chad received the Kokua award for the help he provided not to his athlete, another crew or another athlete, but to someone completely unrelated to the race who needed help.
I hope this helps to capture just a little piece of why I think this race is so special and why it became a dream of mine to complete. Over the course of a week you live with your crew, putting your entire life in their hands for 3 days racing. You are able to make friends with other athletes and crews along the way, while everyone is there to embody the principles of Aloha, Ohana, and Kokua.
Rob Hoehn 
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