Hi Everyone,

Hope this has been a great season for the entire team.

I had the thrill of completing my first Ironman on August 31st in Louisville, Kentucky. Having not done this distance before, I was not sure what to expect. I can now say that it was a great experience and a very long day.

The swim was in the Ohio river with no wetsuit because of the high water temperature. This was pretty uneventful as it is a long swim at a moderate pace. Everythng felt fine after the swim.

The bike takes you through the horse country surrounding Louisville. It was a series of rolling hills, with nothing too steep. I felt fine off the bike, but my legs were starting to tire.

The run was very tough. The temperature at the beginning of the run was 94 degrees. It was a slow, dissapointing run (walk, shuffle). The finish was great with lots of fans, and family lining up the final shute.

I finished in 12 hours and 35 minutes. A great learning experience that will serve me well next time. I also had the pleasure of doing it with three training partners and with my family there, which made it very special.

The fans and volunteers in Kentucky are great, and I would recommend this race to anyone.

By the way, I have re-located to London, Ontario for work reasons and my new e-mail address is sjsmith6@sympatico.ca

All the best to everyone,

Simon