Rockford 70.3

 This may have been my last IM race. Still not sure, but I don't know what next year will look like and I don't want to commit to another one right now. Yesterday's race was a tough one!  Thankfully Diana and Mik drove out to watch and caught part of the bike and the run. I was so out of it at the end of the run, I past right by the turn off to the finish. Mik saved me by running me down a few block into an extra lap.  I had to run back against traffic, but finished!  It was in the upper 90s with a heat index of 110 degrees!  I'm toast today. 

 Followed my coach, Liz's advice and swam in the middle of the river, hugging the buoys. This paid off: good swim time, 35 min! Somehow still won my age group too. Difficult but kind of  a fun day (I guess)! Will I miss this if this was the last one?  I think so.   

Missing Better W. Ludlow and Stuart

 

Betty and Stuart, thank you for being amazing parents and showing us how to care about other people, how to support friends and family, and how to always look for the best in people! 

I miss you both every day!  Love, Chris 

Duathlon Nationals, 2025

 Another Duathlon National Championship!  Won my age group for a 5th time.  Such a fun and exciting weekend in Omaha.  Yes, the location is pretty boring, but the racing was difficult and fun.  The best part was hanging with Jim and Paul at our shabby cottage.  The decor was like something out of "Psycho" from the 60s with a giant flower mural you couldn't avoid.  Then on the first night, the garbage disposal backed up and erupted into the sink.  Really nasty!  But we all laughed about the whole thing and had fun.  

Here I am meeting Mark Allen, one of my all-time heroes from the 1980s. Mark won 6 IM World Championships in the early 80s.  And turns out he is a good speaker and a very nice, humble guy.  So cool!  Jim, Paul and I celebrating at the bottom. I think the guy next to me might be vomiting!  Yay!