Jesse the IRONMAN

Jesse completed the St. George Ironman May 7, 2011. YEAH BABY! Our friends Joelle and Matt Taylor were on hand (again) to photograph some amazing moments in the race. So from the beginning, here's Jesse getting ready for the swim:







He completed the 2.4 mile swim in 1 hour 16 minutes and then transitioned to bike:
About 8:30 in the morning I went up the road from our house and watched him come down Telegraph and turn up Washington Parkway. He knew I was going to try to catch him there so he was watching for me and yelled my name when he saw me. I about dropped the camera while I was jumping up and down screaming for him. He seemed fresh and full of energy, but the long day was just beginning! I didn't get a very good picture but luckily Matt and Joelle got some great ones of him on his bike:
You can see the sweat dripping off his face! It was a hot day!
I went out to Kayenta to watch him on the 2nd loop of his bike course and he looked really hot and tired but happy. He said that second loop is what really tried his determination... it was so hot and after hours on the bike he was tired, but he kept going.

He finished the 112 mile bike in 6 hours 54 minutes and transitioned to the run. I went home to rest and nurse the baby so I could be rested to cheer him on at the finish line. Isn't that wierd?! I went home to rest while he was just starting a marathon! Geez!

Luckily we had so many friends following him around I would get texts periodically from people who saw him. Everyone that saw him said he looked great and he was happy and smiling. I can't believe that after hours and hours of grueling endurance he still had energy to wave and smile! CRAZY!

I went downtown to watch him flip around to do his 2nd running loop. I knew mentally it would be hard for him to be so close to the finish line and have to turn around and do 13 more miles. Sure enough, he said as he was running down diagonal street he was just hoping I would be there to cheer him on... he said if he needed a boost the whole race, it was then. I'm so glad I was there when he needed me :) Cooper and Lillian helped him cheer him on to finish the last 13 miles.

Our friends Jimmy and Jen Lindell were volunteering at the finish line after running their own aid station all day and let me come back behind the security tape to "catch" Jesse at the finish line. Matt and Joelle got back there by default because they have big official looking cameras :)

Jesse was tired, and hammered... but surprisingly strong still :)
His 26.2 mile run took him 5 hours 51 minutes for a total time of 14 hours 19 minutes! Can you believe that in 1 year, Jesse went from Ironman volunteer who had never ran more than a few miles, never biked, never swam... to an Ironman FINISHER?!!!



Jesse made these shirts for our whole family... even a onesie that was waay to big for Lillian:


Afterward he just wanted to change his clothes and go get something to eat... and talk, of course :) He still had energy to give us all a blow by blow account of the day and analyze his strategies. He thinks he did so well on a day when so many dropped out because he kept his nutrition and hydration up religiously the whole race.

P.S. You would think he spent the next few days being too sore to move... but this guy got up the next morning and made me breakfast for mothers day... now THAT is a REAL IRONMAN!