Wolfie Came Home!

Yesterday, Aaron opened the front door and said "There is a package on the front porch!" He picked it up and looked at it. He said "Don't get too excited. It's for Daddy." I asked him where it was from and he said "Eastland, Texas". Well, I knew immediately what it was, but Aaron did not. I opened it a little bit and said "Look in there!" He looked in and squealed "WOLFIE!!!"

Turns out, according to Wolfie (via Aaron), that he had been traveling the US instead of coming straight home! He said he went to both Washington State, and Washington D.C.! I don't care where he has been, he is home now. I have one happy little boy!

Support for a Good Cause!

Since I was a little boy, my Grandma Goforth was always a huge encourager and supporter of my dreams. A few years ago, I began dreaming of doing an Ironman race. Around the same time, my grandmother began her battle with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

On April 15, 2011, I was awarded a lottery slot to the 2011 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, which will take place on October 8. Grandma Goforth was one of the first people I called to share my exciting news with.

On May 27, Grandma lost her battle with ALS. To honor her memory, I have joined the “Blazeman Foundation”, which raises money for ALS awareness and research. I will dedicate my race in Hawaii to my much loved grandmother.

You also can help me honor my grandmother’s memory. You can do this in several ways.

1. Prayers are needed for safe training, travel and racing

2. Tax deductible donations can be made at: www.active.com/donate/teamblazeman/blazemanJGarris

It is with much love that we seek your support as we step out on faith to do this race.

Sincerely,

James, Monica, Aaron and Rylan Garris

The "Iron Nun" and the 1/2 Ironman

At 80 years old, the "Iron Nun" is trying to open up a new age bracket for females in Ironman racing. It would be the 80-84 age division. To do this, she needs to qualify for the Kona race at a half or whole Ironman race.

Unfortunately, Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake was not the place for her to qualify. After a decent swim and bike, the temperature spiked to 107 in the canyon and 111 up top where the racers were. Sister Madonna failed to make the cut-off time for the midpoint of the run. The race officials took her off the course and did not allow her to finish. It was a sad moment for those of us wanting to see her open up that new age division!

Even without finishing the race, the Iron Nun swam 1.2 miles, biked for 56 miles and ran for over 6 miles! That is still quite an accomplishment at 80 years old!

The Grace to Race

I have mentioned before my admiration for the "Iron Nun", Sister Madonna Buder. So, I was thrilled when I learned she would be speaking at the Expo for James's 1/2 Ironman in Texas! We were able to listen to a little bit of her amazing story and then we got to meet her!

We purchased a copy of Sister Madonna's book, "The Grace to Race". She autographed it to our family and then I wanted a picture with her. She said "Can I hold your baby?" and also waved Aaron over for the picture.

After her speech, I met up with her in the hallway. She asked me to pray specifically for her and the race! I was flattered that she, as a nun, asked me to pray for her!

A Few More Degrees...

For all of you in the middle of this heat wave...

Add a few more degrees, go out and swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and then run 13.1 miles. After you do all that, you will know how James felt at the Buffalo Springs Lake race!

Or, you can go out in your yard for a few hours and try to find shade to sit under. Every so often, cheer as loud as you can. After you do that, you will know how Monica felt at the same race!

Have You Seen This Wolf?

Have you seen this wolf? "Wolfie Garris" was last seen at the Holiday Inn Express in Eastland, Texas. Wolfie is a 2 year old gray and white stuffed wolf. He loves to be thrown up in the air and hugged by children. He is a good and faithful companion. Holiday Inn Express claims to have bought him a ticket home, but it has been almost a month and he has yet to arrive. If you have any information regarding Wolfie Garris, please contact us. The substantial reward of Aaron's unending gratitude is being offered upon Wolfie's return. Thank you!

After the Finish Line

Being check out to make sure he was alright after the race.

Excited to be finished!

The finisher t-shirt!

The finisher medal!

The Race-James's Day Part 1

On the day of the Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake race, I woke up around 3:30 am. I got up, shaved and put my coffee on. (They say to stick to your normal routine). I was feeling pretty good, just ready to get started!

Like any other race, I was trying to go through all of my "pre-race" stuff. I ate a "Clif Bar" and started trying to get hydrated. I kissed Aaron and Rylan good-bye (they were staying with my mom), loaded up the bike, and headed out to the race site.

When we arrived at the race site, I checked the tires, chains, water holders, water bottles, etc. for my bike. There were no lights for the 1/2 mile walk down the hill into the canyon, so I used the flashlight on my i-phone to light the path. I then got the numbers on my bike and helmet, check everything in the transition area, made sure I knew where my bike rack was, and talked to a couple of people who had run this race before.

After that, I went and found Monica, got her to put some sunscreen on me, put on my wet-suit, and went out to do my warm-up swim. While out there, I saw Sister Madonna Buder doing her warm-up swim, too. By this point in time, I just wanted to get going! I stood on the beach and watched the pros take off. Then, it was my turn!

Home "Gym"

James riding on his older bike.

James like to train at home when he can. He has started setting his bike up on his trainer on the front porch. Today's ride is 3 1/2 hours long (he has already done a 2 mile swim). Aaron likes to sit out there and talk with him while he rides. The other night it was really nice outside, so Aaron and I had a "picnic" on the porch for dinner!

How Long Until the Race?

81 Days until Kona!

Crossing the Finish Line!

We're going to Kona, Baby!!!

The Race-Monica's Day Part 1

In many ways, my race days are vastly different from James's. But, in some ways, they are the same. Here is a brief summary of my Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake experience.

After not sleeping very much, I finally gave up and got out of the bed at 3:30 (I think!). I got dressed, checked my bag one more time, then started to help James. This race had temporary tattoos for the race numbers. This was a first for us. At most of the races, someone just marks them on with a black marker. But, Since I am an expert temporary tattoo applier (just ask Aaron!), I applied them for James. After repeatedly asking him if he had everything, we got in the car to leave.

We rode out to the canyon, where I complained about having to pay $6 to get in to see my husband race! We parked and being the good little "Triathlon Sherpa" that I am, I helped carry the race stuff down to the transition area. The wind was blowing quite steadily and dust was flying. I wear contacts, so this was a blind walk down into the canyon (my eyes hurt so bad!)

James went to set up his bike and I went to set up "camp". I found myself a nice little spot, as close to the action as I could get. I ended up sitting with some tall blond gals from Dallas (who seriously made Paris Hilton look like a dog!) and tucked in for the race. The Dallas gals were there to support their husbands who were both trying to win their age group to get a Kona slot.

Right before the race started, I wandered down to the water to cheer James on. I know he cannot hear me in all the madness, but he likes to know that I am there. Soon, the first buzzer rang, and the professionals were off!

After a few more waves, James's group was up! I cheered for a while, then headed back up to my spot with the Dallas gals.

The swim is the fastest part of the race, and James finished it faster than he thought he would. He came out of the water with a 35 minute time! I cheered, tried to see him in the transition area, cheered some more as he headed up the STEEP, steep hill on the bike, then settled in with a book!

The Race Begins!

There he goes! Out to do a little 13.1 mile jog!

Because of the extreme heat, the start times for the race had all been moved up. Despite starting a couple of minutes late, James's wave "dark green hats" hit the water about 6:40 am! He did his swim in 35 minutes, 30 seconds. He was flying! Then, he started out on the bike. He was looking good and smiling, but I was not quick enough to get a picture. After a bike time of 3 hours, 32 minutes and 53 seconds, it was out to the run course. He was still smiling at this time, but then the heat hit!

The Race!

After "racking" his bike, James came over to say hi to his second biggest fan (his biggest fan was still in bed asleep at the hotel!)

Testing out the water for the swim!

All ready for the 1/2 Ironman!

After much anticipation and training, the morning of the Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake race finally arrived! It was a nice morning in the canyon. The water temperature was cool enough that wet-suits were allowed for the race (even with a high of 107!) Some people even had on light jackets down in the canyon!

The Night Before the 70.3

The night before any race is always filled with nerves, but this race had us all extremely nervous. There was a lot more riding on this than any previous race. With the winning of the lottery slot to Kona, there came a clause...to hold the slot, James had to complete a whole or half Ironman this summer. We knew he could do it...James had completed a 1/2 Ironman before, in Galveston, last year. But, this kind of pressure makes the race a lot less fun!

So, the night before the race, we headed out for an early dinner at the Olive Garden. Although we got there before 5:30, a lot of other racers had the same idea and we had to wait for a while. After dinner, we went back to the hotel, where James proceeded to check his tri bag several times to make sure he had everything he needed for the race!

James was in bed by 8:30 and I was in bed by 9:00. He seemed to sleep, but I just lay there on the bed praying. I prayed that everyone would race safe, that James would finish the race in time and I prayed for Sister Madonna Buder, the "Iron Nun", because she had asked me to! (A post on my meeting her will come later!) Then, I prayed it all again, and again, and again!

I don't know how long I prayed, but I eventually fell into a restless sleep. Finally, about 3:30 am, I just gave up and got up. James was awake by then and we started to get ready to go. It had been a long night!

1 Day Until Buffalo Springs!

This is the view of the swim course from the top of the canyon! It is beautiful to look down upon!

Aaron and James jumped right into the water!

Rylan doing a little "meditation" to calm his spirit.

On the Saturday before the big race on Sunday, we went and scouted out the race site. We drove the bike and run course and then hiked down into the canyon to check out the swim course. The bigger boys went swimming, but the water was a little cold for Rylan. So, Rylan and I stayed on the sand and watched.

The Week Ahead...

As the Ironman training heats up, this is what James is looking at for this coming week...

9,500 meters of swimming

5 1/2 hours of biking

4 hours of running

2 hours of weights

This is in addition to his regular work schedule. No one can say that training for an Ironman does not take dedication!

Packet Pick Up!

Aaron playing "angry birds" while waiting in line to get his daddy's race packet.

Our little monkey could not take the excitement anymore!

Because of extremely high temperatures, the race officials were very concerned about the athletes. They were all weighed prior to the race. If, at the end of the race, they had lost a certain % of their weight, then they were sent to the hospital.

After browsing the race expo for a while, we were finally able to check James in for the race and pick up his athlete packet. By this point in time, we were very tired and starting to get nervous about the big race!

Race Expo

Upon arriving in Lubbock, the first place we went was to the race expo. We all love to go to the expo and see all the products and try all the free samples. Aaron immediately made a new friend, Camilo, who is 7, and whose mom is James's coach for Kona. They had a great time hanging out together the entire weekend.

Frontier Texas

Aaron enjoying Frontier Texas!

All we could think of was how rough the trip would have been in a stagecoach! No A/C, no radio, no DVD player! And we thought the trip was long in the car!

Rylan and the longhorn!

Who knew that the journey to Hawaii went through "Frontier Texas"?! Ours did! We learned all about the early history of western Texas, from the Indians, to the white settlers, to the slaves! While learning about the frontier was exciting, by this point we were ready to get to Lubbock and the 1/2 Ironman race that was our reason for the trip.

The Trip Continues...

Ironman is not for the weak of heart! The "Iron Family" has to all work together. Our trip to Buffalo Springs Lake continued through Texas. We saw the "cattle drive" in Fort Worth. It was really cool! Definitely not something we would see at home!

Racing for Grandma Goforth

Today's workout was a 1.5 mile swim and a three and a half HOUR bike ride!

Why?

To race in Kona to remember James's Grandma Goforth who will be watching the race from Heaven!

93 days to go!

Eating Alligator!

Trying alligator for the very first time!

Rylan wanted to try it, too!

James enjoyed the alligator!

Aaron did not like it!

Pick Pocket

This deer kept trying to get into our pockets and purse!

Fire Trucks

No matter where our family goes, fire trucks seem to follow. This one appeared at our hotel at 8:30 am because a man had collapsed in the casino!