Moving on...

So, the race is finally over.
Over. So hard to believe that after six solid months of training, I am a free man again. (For those of you who don't know the full story, you can get a quick recap by reading my race report from Ironman USA.) View some great raceday photos here. (thanks, Grant!)

I first want to thank all the folks that made my athletic journey over the last six months possible, especially my amazing wife, Maura! Training ~25 hours a week was an incredibly difficult enterprise, and I really learned a great deal about what drives me. I really enjoyed documenting the highs - and lows - of training on this blog. And I definitely plan to keep it up...

I also want to thank all the folks who continue to support my dream of qualify for, and racing, in the World Championships in Kona. Your emails and letters of support have only solidified my commitment to realizing my goal... What we believe, we can acheive!

So, What's Next?
Well, there are several potential avenues. I am already signed up for IM USA next year and I am considering Ironman Arizona again...even though that was hard to train for through the winter, I think it really gave me some solid focus and allowed me to make a serious breakthrough in my training. Besides, it means I get to do more training weeks out west!

I am looking forward to some fun racing to close out the fall...looks like I will do the swim relay for a team at the Timberman Half on Aug 22. There is an olympic sprint the next week and then maybe one more in September. The late/Fall winter will have me running some 10ks and maybe a 1/2 marathon in there somewhere...just so I don't pack on too much winter poundage!

Stay tuned for more training mishaps...the more time I have, the more trouble I get into! ;-)

Happy racing!

Patrick