Congratulations Are In Order

It was a weekend of racing and remembrance.  The three major racing events were Ironman St. George, Ironman Busselton 70.3 and Ironman Australia.

Congratulations to Perth-based lawyer, John Cooke for completing Ironman Busselton 70.3 just weeks after his cycling accident. Rest assured, he did it with no incident, and is almost recovered.

Photo-credit: Tobias Frenz (Apparently, there are 2,000 fresh water crocodiles).

Congratulations to multiple-Ironman winner, Tobias Frenz for completing the 20km Lake Argyle swim in Australia. He completed it in a fast time of 6:30. 117 solo and team-swimmers competed in the 10km and 20km swim, in one of the most beautiful lakes in Australia.

Congratulations to Teo Ser Luck and Winston Koh for completing Ironman Australia/Port MacQuarie yesterday. Also, a big shout out to my buddies from Down Under: Paul McGlynn (10:58, 50-54 years), Soonchul Shin (11:16, 45-49 years, second Ironman finish) and ‘tc’ Campbell (60-64 years, almost-20 IM finishes, and with a persistent knee condition) for their finishes. The ride was hilly, thus making it tougher for some to earn a PB. There were some impressive wetsuit-assisted swim times.

It is the Spirit of Ironman that matters: To endure and stay the course, and knowing when to quit when it gets too risky. To train and be at the start-line matters as much as crossing the line. The many private moments spent training, defining, refining, and thinking about the race comprise the journey are the vested interests of each competitor/participant. It can be lonely and arduous at times, however these are treasured.

Yesterday, 100 cyclists showed up for the Memorial Ride of ‘Monty’ Maughan (father of Ironman finisher, Bernard) who passed away from a bike accident. He was training for the national Masters race. He was loved by the community and will be missed.