10/08/2026
“That’s the hardest thing that I’ve ever done” I said to my wife and son.
“But you did your first Ironman-distance race in July!?!?” they replied.
“I know … and this was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done ….”
It was Sept 13th and I had just completed the 2026 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Nice, France.
13 yrs ago I did not know how to swim - like zero. Today, I swam in the Mediterranean Sea … and it was enjoyable! And I am glad because the bike and run were brutal!
An hour’s climb up one side of the Col de Vence in the Maritime-Alps. We don’t have mountains like that in Ohio.
Then, an hour of ‘white knuckle’ fun on the descent. In France they’re not big on guardrails or road repair so it was sketchy to say the least. I nearly crashed twice going 30+ mph over unexpected speedbumps!!!
Death gripping your handlebars makes fueling and hydration a challenge. This can haunt you on a run that was 90F - in the form of debilitating hamstring cramps!
But ... it's a World Championship ... it's supposed to be hard!
This was the pinnacle - the Olympics – of triathlon ... I earned the opportunity to race with the Best of the Best … and I finished the race.
Throughout this epic summer of my first Ironman distance race to raise money for cancer research and this Ironman 70.3 World Championship, my ‘race’ verse has been Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God goes with you wherever you go.” I will keep it now as my life verse.
I could not have done it without the guidance of my coach, Bob Duncan, and the love and support of my wife, Eileen Girdwood.
Eileen saw every 4 am workout before work and every 7pm workout before bed. She saw the effort, the sweat, the food, … the laundry!!! And she stuck with me. She encouraged me during the ‘dark’ days when my body was broken but workouts still called; when the bed called but work still had to be done.
2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
God is good!!
