Ten Years of Blogging

Well, this is the 10th anniversary of my blog, "Diary of a Sandbagging Triathlete", and also the end of this blog and era! Once I officially retire, I will switch over to a new way of documenting adventure travel on some other, more accessible platform.

It's time to look back on these 10 years and beyond, even before the age of the internet. I've been racing since 1984, when I did my first ever race: the Boston Marathon in 3:20-something. I'll never know the exact finish time because I ran as a "back-of-the-pack" athlete and wasn't officially in the race. But that's ok. It was still a pivotal moment and launched a racing career that has taken me to today, and hopefully beyond!

Here is how it looks in the rearview mirror:

5 full Ironman Triathlon finishes, including twice at the IM World Championship in Kona in 1998 and 2008. My best was IM Wisconsin in 2007, where I went 10:30:52 to take 5th in my age group (see photo to right) and qualify for Kona the next year.

6 Duathlon National Championship Wins: 2019 (Greenville, SC), '22 and '23 (Irving, TX), '24 and '25 (Omaha, NE), and 2026 (New Haven, MI). In 2023, I was named USA Triathlon's "Grand Master Duathlete of the Year"!

Best showing at Triathlon National Championship was 3rd place in 2024, and I have another 6 top-10 National Championship finishes over the last 40 years.

Best overall race finishes include overall wins at the Twin Lakes Triathlon in the early 90s, Batavia Duathlon (2015), HolidayMan Duathlon (2015), Naperville Duathlon (2019 and 2022), and several 10Ks (most notable: Lemont 10K in the 1990s and the Indian Run in Pasadena, CA in the 1980s with friends Ray, Donna, and Rose Anne).

Over 30 marathon finishes with 21 Chicago Marathon finishes (2025, 23, 22, 21, 20, 2019, 18, 17, 16, 11, 10, 06, 05, 04, 03, 01, 2000, 1999, 97, 96, and 1994). My best Chi marathon was 2:53:48 in 2005, but my fastest marathon overall was the Los Angles Marathon back in 1980-something when I ran 2:51:50 something.  Other marathon higlights include the Twin Cities Marathon this year becuase I ran with my daughter, Mik, and the Boston Marathjon in 2024 and meetiong my brother at the finish line! 

 In betwee all of this, I managed one ultramarathon (Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim in 2020 with Rich), several adventure races (Chicago Urbanathlon, Bog-Dog Adventrure race with Juju) and over 30 Indoor Tris, usually with Juju and Diana (back 20 years ago she raced!).                                        

I have had a good run!  I am so greateful that I've been able to keep this up all these years and I thank my amazing supportive family!  I've missed so many Saturday and Sunday mornings, hanging out and watching Primier League with Rebecca Lowe and sipping coffee so that I could get in the training!  

Thankfully, they usually saved me pancakes or fruit and they also put up with my "post-workout" exhaustion (lying on the couch for about 2 hours before I can engage in anything constructive)! Big thinks FAM!  XXXOOO

I want to also thank the Pasadena Triathlon Club from the 1980s with Eric Hebner, our President, and all of the members who really got me into this sport. They were a really fun bunch and provided inspiring camaraderie. I'm so pround to have been the Pasadena Tri Club "Triathlete of the Year" in 1990! Thanks especially to Mike Wilson, Victor DeSilva, and Bill Wright for your friendship and competition. So sorry we've all lost touch! 

Lastly, I want to thank my mom, Better W. Ludlow. Her battle with polio and later with post-polio syndrome has been a continual spurce of inspiration! Running, biking and swimming have always seemed like a privilage, rather than a chore, given her difficulty walking. Whats more, she never gave up and literally faught her whole life to maintain her family and friends, and persue her intersts like birding!  I miss you every day, Mom, and I thank you for instilling in Erin, Kim and I the ability to do hard things and to persevere!  

Chris