My final two big races of 2021 were Ironman Chattanooga and SwimRun NC.  They were very different experiences, but I finished both races with a smile.

Ironman Chattanooga was my ‘A’ race for the year.  I had done this race in 2018, but that was the year that the swim was cancelled. I wanted to go back and do the whole thing.  Knowing the course well, I also wanted to do well.  Although I suffered from cramping for pretty much the whole race, I still put in a great performance, and finished with my first ever sub-12 hour Ironman time.  I was smiling when I crossed the line, but was hurting for weeks afterwards.  You can read my race report here.

SwimRun NC was a very different race and at this one, I had a smile on my face the whole time.  This was my first SwimRun event. My partner and I just wanted to complete it.  I don’t think I have ever had so much fun at a race, as I did that day in Hanging Rock State Park.  The race was challenging, especially swimming in very cold water, but also so different to a triathlon.  I wrote a race report for this event too. It is found here.

Overall, 2021 was yet another great year of racing.  I achieved personal best results at both the 70.3 and 140.6 Ironman distances. I also ran a half marathon, faster than I have ever run one before.  Looking forward to 2022, I am excited to see what happens.  Hopefully, I will get to smile like I am in today’s photo.