Coming soon...

Stay tuned! Awesome pictures and posts of our Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake adventures are coming soon!

Kona Here We Come!

To hold his lottery slot, James was required to finish a half or a whole Ironman race (within the race time limits) before the end of August. James finished the "Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake" and has secured his spot to Kona! Kona here we come!!!

The "Iron Nun"

I was thrilled when James told me that Sister Madonna Buder is going to be honored at Buffalo Springs Lake. Also known as the "Iron Nun", this amazing 80 year old nun ran her first Ironman race at the age of 55! A priest had encouraged her to start running to "harmonize her mind, body and soul". She ran her best Ironman time at the age of 62, when she finished in a remarkable 13 hours and 16 minutes!

I have watched her race many times on television. In one interview, she talks about another swimmer crowding her and how she was tempted to reach over and snap his goggles! This woman rocks!

In 2009, Sister Madonna Buder became the oldest woman to ever complete an Ironman. She was 79 years old. She has competed in over 40 Ironman triathlons. She has also written a book entitled: "The Grace to Race".

I hope I get a chance to meet her at Buffalo Springs!

Bring on the Buffalo!

Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake is just over a week away! The excitement and nerves are mounting in the Garris house! James has trained hard and is looking good for the race! BRING ON THE BUFFALO!!!

Christmas Came Early!

What could be in the mystery package?

James is excited to open the box!

It is a new bike!

James is excited about his bike and can't wait to assemble it and try it out!

Aaron is really thrilled about the new bike! Can't you tell?

For the Ironman in Kona, James felt like he needed a new bike. Don't get us wrong, the old one has been great, but this race is taking James' triathlon dreams to a whole new level. So, he was able to get a great deal on a "Kuota Kalibur" race bike. This type of bike currently holds the Ironman bike course record of 4:18:23 (average of 26 mph). It was ridden by Norman Stadler. Will James have the same kind of success when he rides it in Hawaii in October? Stay tuned to see!

Encouraging Words

James posted this on facebook this morning..."If anybody got the number of the "bus" that ran me over this morning during my workout, please let me know. I guess you can't feel like a rock star every workout! 116 days to go!"

My favorite response was "The bus number was 140.6! Keep chugging dude!"

140.6 is the distance of the Ironman. I thought those were some great inspiring words!

117 Days!

Only 117 more days until the race in Kona!!!

The workout for today was a 3 hour bike ride on the trainer, and a 30 minute run on the treadmill. James watched the 2009 and 2010 Ford Ironman World Championships for inspiration!

Mission Man Triathlon

By July of 2008, Brad had returned from his mission overseas. So, the guys raced the "Mission Man Triathlon", along with their friend, Josh.

The race started with a swim around the lake!

And they're off!

Next, came the bike ride!

Followed by the run!

Brad and James after the race.

Running for Brad

From the first race in Tanglewood, our friend, Brad, has been a wonderful race buddy! In January of 2008, Brad was deployed overseas with his Air Force Reserve unit. Since he was unable to make the first race of the season, James and his friends chose to honor him by racing "with him" in a different way. They had t-shirts printed up with a picture of Brad on the front and a deployment star on the back. That way, he could race with them, even while so far away!

Training!

The support crew turning on the fan to keep Daddy cool!

80 minutes on the trainer is a long time, but James kept on smiling!

Rylan coached from his bouncer! Go Daddy Go!

Sunday's workout was interval training. James had to do 8 rotations of 10 minutes running on the treadmill followed by 10 minutes of riding on the bike. He used the trainer which makes his tri bike into a stationary bike. The intervals are to help him get used to transitioning from one thing to another. He had his coaching staff and support team right there with him the entire time!

James Joins Team Blazeman!

To honor his late beloved grandmother, James has joined "Team Blazeman" to raise money for the war on ALS. He values your support and every little bit counts! You can make a tax deductible donation at www.active.com/donate/teamblazeman/blazemanJGarris This is his own personal fundraising page. Please search your heart and help him be a soldier in this "war".

We will keep you posted on the battle!

We Love You, Grandma!

Aaron and Grandma playing "Gator Golf"

James, Grandma and Rylan at Rylan's first Christmas

Rylan being loved on by Grandma!

Grandma Goforth was always a big supporter of James and all his dreams. While we miss her like crazy, we know she will be up there in Heaven cheering for him as he crosses the finish line in Kona!

All I Want for Christmas...

When I asked James what he wanted for Christmas last year, he said the only thing he really wanted was "a donation made to the Blazeman Foundation for ALS". We had watched Jon "Blazeman" Blais' story numerous times when the 2005 Ironman World Championship aired on TV. I cry every time I watch it. Little did we know, as James made his Christmas request, that ALS would soon make a huge impact on our own lives!

James's grandmother had not been doing well for the past few years. A wrong diagnosis of a stroke, had the family's attention focused on that. In the end, it turned out that she, in fact, had not had a stroke. She had been suffering from "ALS" or "Lou Gehrig's Disease". Grandma Goforth passed away on May 27, 2011. Four years to the day of the death of Jon Blais.

Jon "Blazeman" Blais

In Ironman circles, the name Jon "Blazeman" Blais is well known. He never won the Ironman, but he won the hearts of people around the world. If you ever watch the 2005 Ironman, (we catch the reruns on "Universal Sports"), you will know why.

In 2005, Jon Blais was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. In October of 2005, he became the first person with ALS to complete an Ironman. He did so at the biggest Ironman of them all, Ironman Hawaii!

As "The Blazeman" finished the race in 16 hours, 28 minutes and 56 seconds, he "log-rolled" over the finish line. If you watch an Ironman race today, you will see many people do the same as they remember him and hope to raise awareness about ALS.

Sadly, Blais passed away on May 27, 2007. But, his spirit lives on through the Blazeman Foundation, that he started, as it raises money for the "war on ALS".

Missing Our Blog!

We have been away from our blog for a little while, due to the death of James's beloved Grandma Goforth. But, we are back now, so look for new posts coming soon!