It's been nine months since we met our five Get Out Ironman triathletes in January. Each has faced his or her own obstacles, and each has reached new heights in physical fitness and endurance. Their bodies are denser, packed with muscle, but their minds are trained on September 28-the official race day of Ironman Chattanooga.
Are they ready?
Alexis Willis
In January, Alexis told us she was starting from ground zero. She'd never done a triathlon before, so this was completely new to her, she said. When training really got rolling, she says she was surprised. "I thought that I could do the same workout as everybody else. I thought it was like a cookie-cutter work out. But it's different for every single person. That surprised me," says Alexis.
Plus, training is really hard. Like, overwhelmingly hard. "I got a little discouraged at one point, wondering what I had gotten myself into," she admits. "I thought, 'Am I really qualified to be an Ironman?'" But she quickly gets back on track, saying, "Even when I've had those moments someone will call me, telling me I'm an inspiration."
As a single mom, one of the toughest aspects of training has been balancing it with family life and work, she says. Her daughter misses her, and so do her friends. "That's been a delicate balance," says Alexis. "I have a new respect for professional athletes."
When asked what the greatest thing to come out of Ironman training is, she's undecided. She loves the opportunity to inspire other men and women in Chattanooga, and she's overjoyed at the shape her body is in today. But she adds, "We'll see. I think the answer will change once I finish. The greatest thing will be finishing."
What's next?
She wants to race Ironman again in the future, but first she's planning lots of rest and hopefully some much-needed relaxation with her daughter Riley in Disney World.
Dan Henry
Sitting just a few cubicles away from Dan means we've heard it all, from beginning to end. He and his wife Crystal have been training for the race together, and Dan's had a lot of ups and a lot of downs, physically that is. "I didn't expect the injury setbacks. I didn't think I would be injured. I just thought if I went easy and did everything by the book that it would all work out. But surprise, surprise-little things happen," laughs Dan. "I have learned a lot more about my body and about what is required to make it."
During the training season, Dan's been couched with a busted knee, and now he's having trouble with his foot. The running portion of the training has been the real culprit, he says. "All my friends I have been training with, they all have issues and they're from running," he explains, conceding, "As much as running sucks, for some reason it is slightly addictive."
So what happens if he's completed the swim, the bike and half of the run on race day, and his foot goes out again? "That's the question. You have to decide. I'm going to start it and I would love to finish. If I get to the point during the run where I know I am injuring myself, I'm not going to be hardheaded ... and have something that could be lasting damage that would take years to remedy. On race day, I'll endure a little pain but if I get to the point where I'm doing longterm damage, I'm going to quit." He plans to go easier at the beginning of the run, saving his strength to make it to the finish line if the foot injury does flair up.
The suspense is killing us. But we believe in you, Dan!
What's next?
Getting back to doing things outside for fun, like mountain biking, cyclocross and just taking the canoe out for a weekend.
Jason Greer
When we met Jason back in January, he was a mere Ironman hopeful with big dreams of raising awareness for Emily's Power for the Cure and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of East Tennessee. A newbie to the world of triathlon, he was apprehensive of open water swimming, unsure on a bicycle in traffic.
"I'm totally rocking them now," Jason says happily, nine months later. "I'm definitely comfortable in the arrow position on my bike. The traffic still scares me some, but most people are really nice and will give you enough road. The river swim, I'm totally good with that now. Once I got in I couldn't believe I was so worried about this. I was totally at ease. I don't have those fears anymore.
"I've really never trained for anything for a whole year, let alone stuck with it," he continues. "Of course, I have a lot of motivation, too. It definitely wasn't something I was going to quit on." The motivation he's talking about is his son Tristin, diagnosed nearly five years ago with cancer. Throughout training, Jason's been putting in shifts as a full-time city of Chattanooga firefighter and traveling back and forth to Michigan for Tristin's treatment.
He just took such a trip in August in the midst of some of his most pivotal training. "Last month was really hard. I was really scared because Tristin was having a lot of pain," Jason says. "But now he feels OK, not on any pain meds. We're on this new trial; they are really hopeful that this will be good. It's really like a roller coaster. You have a lot of ups and a lot of downs. Last month was definitely a down, but now we're going back up, thankfully."
Even through all this, we can confidently say Jason wins the award for best attitude. Never, not once, has he ever complained about his rigorous schedule. In fact, when we've pushed him to tell us what the worst thing about training is, he comes up empty. But that's why we love him and are cheering him on as he enters the Tennessee River on race day.
What's next?
7 Bridges Marathon in October and more Ironman events in years to come!
Dana MacCorquodale
Even from the very beginning of the training season, Dana has been in it to win it. She doesn't just have dreams of finishing Ironman Chattanooga, she means to excel. She plans to be at the starting line of the World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
"Kona is like magic to me. Kona at Ironman time is like the happiest place on earth. The energy on the island is unlike anything in this world," she explains. "In Kona I would be happy just to finish. But Chattanooga I've got to try to do it fast. Most people just do it, they don't race it. I'm going to race it."
So luck would have it that our super-driven Dana would have the most setbacks injury-wise than anyone else. From an infected knee after surgery to a nasty bike crash, she's had it rough. But Dana's even tougher than she was before, and she's still going strong. "I've had to cram six-months-worth of training into three months. I'm getting stronger and faster every time I train. My body fat is super low-12 percent. I feel really, really good," she says. "I think that people are going to underestimate me because of my injuries and my crash ... but I'm just really excited."
It's been a long road, but our money's on you Dana! Don't forget to send a postcard from Hawaii once you get there.
What's next?
The plan is to make it to the Ironman World Championship in Kailu-Kona, Hawaii.
Scott Wilhoit
As our resident veteran Ironman, Scott knew exactly what he was getting into when he signed on for Ironman Chattanooga. For the past five years, he has been consecutively training for five races, including the race here in September.
This season's been much like others, he says, with the exception of a troublesome calf injury last spring and the fact that his typical training turf is the actual race course. "It's been really good because I've been able to train here on the exact course we've been racing on," says Scott. "I've done it so much I know it very well, every turn." The biggest challenge for athletes coming from Ironman Florida is going to be the hilly terrain, he adds.
Being our only veteran, he says he's found a new niche in training others. "I like mentoring and helping people," explains Scott. "It's been really nice to be able to host other athletes coming in from out of town. I've had people as far as Michigan come stay with me, and I was able to take them out and show them the course. It's been cool to be able to mentor them."
As for his own race, Scott says, "I feel really good right now. Everything seems to be in place where it should be."
What's next?
A break. After coming off some intense training seasons, Scott plans to spend next year scaling back to really recover and enjoy some smaller events.
Ironman Guide 2014
Thousands of visitors will be pouring into Chattanooga come September 25. What with the biggest race this city's ever seen occurring that weekend, it goes without saying things are going to be busy. Spectators, volunteers and athletes-here's what you need to know come race day.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, September 25 at Ross's Landing, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Athlete Check-in
Official IRONMAN Store
IRONMAN Bike Store and
Tech Service Center
Race Information Booth
IRONMAN Village
VIP Check-in
Athlete Briefing (at 2 p.m.)
Friday, September 26
at Ross's Landing from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Athlete Check-in
Official IRONMAN Store
IRONMAN Bike Store and
Tech Service Center
Race Information Booth
IRONMAN Village
VIP Check-in
Athlete Briefing (at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.)
Athlete Panel at 12 p.m.
IRONKIDS Chattanooga Fun Run Registration (ends at 4 p.m.)
Welcome Banquet at the Chattanooga Convention Center at 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 27 at Ross's Landing
IRONKIDS Chattanooga Fun Run at 9 a.m. (registration starts at 8 a.m.)
Official IRONMAN Store from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
IRONMAN Village from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
IRONMAN Bike Store and Tech Service Center
VIP Check-in from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mandatory Athlete Bike and Gear Check-in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Practice swim from 1-3 p.m. Race Day
Sunday, September 28 at Ross's Landing
Transition area open/Body marking from 4:30-6:30 a.m.
Pro start at 7:30 a.m.
Age Group Swim Start at 7:40 a.m.
IRONMAN Village from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Race Information Booth/Lost & Found from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Official IRONMAN Store from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Mandatory Bike and Gear Checkout from 6:15 p.m. to midnight
Finisher Party from 10 p.m. to midnight
Race officially ends at midnight
Monday, September 29 at Ross's Landing
Athlete Celebration Day from 8-10 a.m.
Award Ceremony at 9:30 a.m.
2015 IRONMAN World Championship Slot Allocation at 11 a.m.
Volunteer Appreciation Party from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center
IRONMAN VILLAGE
The Ironman Village will be open and active every day during the Ironman Chattanooga festivities. The Village is a hub of booths showcasing official Ironman merchandise, exhibitors, shops and other services and products. Be sure to check it out while your loved one is sweating it out on the course.
TRACK YOUR ATHLETE
Ironman is a potentially 17-hour race. As it's nearly impossible to follow your favorite athlete for that extended amount of time, Ironman provides a way to track their progress from afar. Spectators can visit ironman.com and select "Live Coverage" at the top of the page. Then, click on "Athlete Tracker" and search by bib number or last name. Or, buy the IronMobile app for 99 cents. It's a smartphone friendly program that allows users to save their favorite athletes and track their progress.
SPECTATING SPACE
Spectators can watch the swim start at the Riverwalk Park at Curtain Pole Road. Since there is no swim-start parking, a shuttle will be available to take athletes and spectators from the Ross's Landing area to the site. Spectators can also be shuttled to Chickamauga to watch the cycling leg of the race, and the athletes can be viewed anywhere along the running course. Our tip: Get a look at the swimmers from a bird's eye view by standing on either the Walnut Street Bridge or even the Veterans Bridge. The athletes will be swimming right underneath before finishing the swim portion near Ross's Landing.
TRAFFIC TIPS
The riverfront will be closed off to traffic from Wednesday at 10 a.m. to Monday at 8 p.m. There will also be some lane closures on Amnicola Highway, the Veterans Bridge and Barton Avenue. Delays should also be expected in North Georgia along highways 193 and 341.
GETTING TO KONA
A total of 50 age group slots are open for the 2015 Ironman World Championship on the Big Island of Hawaii in Kailua- Kona. The number of slots allocated to each age group will be determined on race day based on how many official starters are in each group. Athletes who qualify to go to Kona must be present at the World Championship Slot Allocation and Rolldown Ceremony Monday, September 29 at 11 a.m. to claim their spot.
SUPPORTING A CAUSE
Ironman Chattanooga 2014 is sponsored by local company Little Debbie, and money raised through the event goes to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America.
REGISTER FOR IRONMAN 2015Registering for next year's Ironman is no easy task. The 3,000 slots for Ironman Chattanooga 2014 sold out in a matter of minutes, and next year's event already looks just as full. Athletes of Ironman Chattanooga 2014 get priority on-site registration for 2015 on Thursday, September 25 and Friday, September 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ross's Landing. Volunteers of Ironman Chattanooga 2014 get next priority on Monday, September 29 from 8-10 a.m. at Ross's Landing. Afterward, the public can register onsite, and online registration should go live later that week. If you are an Ironman Chattanooga hopeful and want a better chance at registration, find a way to get involved by volunteering this year to have a shot at 2015 or next year to race in 2016. If you have to wait, just remember: Extra time just means extra training.