****Ironman Longhorn Austin, TX 70.3 Race Report ******

Good Evening Everyone,

     I have finally arrived at home, bathed, am eating a bowl of spaghetti and have been thinking about writting this report all afternoon. So, without further adeu, here it is...

     The morning started off early, as always! My buddy Craig and I roomed together, and drove together, he was in one of the first waves, I was in wave 15, next to last, so I had a little extra time to stand around and do nothing, which was kind of nice. We finally make our way to the water, gun goes off, and we are on the way. The swim was smooth, everyone commented that it seemed a little long, but it is all good, I had a great swim and was happy. There was a bit of a bottle neck at the swim exit to get to the wetsuit strippers, and after I get mine stripped, I make my way up a steep uphill climb into transition.

     There was a lot of gravel on the ground in transition and it did not feel real good on the feet, nor did the gravel that remained stuck to my foot after I put my socks on and started cycling. What a 56 mile annoyance! Anyways, the bike was VERY challenging! There were 10-15 MPH winds, lots of hills and from my closest count, over 60 turns on the course! What that means is that you cannot carry ANY momentum for any period of time because there is a flippin turn coming up. On the 2nd or 3rd turn, it was a sharp right, and goes directly into a 9% grade hill... I literally saw 3 people fall off their bikes because they could not make it up! Anyways, everything is going well... I was taking a gel every 20 minutes, salt tab every 30 minutes, and a Cliff Bar at the halfway mark. I thought Gatorade was making me feel terrible so I practiced without taking Gatorade and up my gels to 3 per hour versus 2 and it worked well in training so I thought I would be money. So the Bike ends, and into T2...(Oh yeah... It was AWESOME to see Darrell and his daughters at one of the turns. Thank you guys for volunteering!)

     After arriving in T2, it becomes apparent that I feel like CRAP! I did not push it on the bike at all, I just generally felt "Not good". I drank 1 full Camelbak of water, 5 x 24 ounce bottle of water, and turns out I came off the bike severely dehydrated!!! What's up with that??? If I drank more my eyeballs would be floating.... Oh well, I have to get that all in check in the off season. So I start running, and for the first real time, I get a taste of what you all talk about experiencing with Gastric Distress!!! I think it was probably due to the excess of Gels. The run course was 3 loops and had some ridiculously ssssssssssstupid steep hills that were looooong! Good times because you get to do these all 6 times! Out and back x 3.... UGH!!!!! So again at mile 3, just like Augusta last month, I get that familiar "My chest and throat are on fire" feeling, and I am again reduced to a walk. Here is what I have determined is going on... I AM ALERGIC TO CITRIC ACID!!! Through process of elimination, that's what it HAS to be. So, I will toy with that in the off season, and will get this confirmed with my PCP, but I am willing to put money on it that that's the problem. Anyways, the run turned into a death march, and for the first time, I actually felt like quiting! But, I didn't... I normally give all sorts of details about my race in my report, but I am keeping that bare-bones and wanted to get to the "Real" report.

     Last year when I met with my surgeon to discuss my goals regarding Ironman, he said he would support me and took care of my entries. Keep in mind, I had only done a Sprint distance Tri at this point. Well, I end up registering for 4 x 70.3s and 1 140.6 MDOT brand races! When I first starting talking to people about my goals and races for 2009, everyone in my Tri Club said I was nuts, along with all my family and friends, and many were "Nay-Sayers", believing that a "Newbie" could barely handle one of these events, let alone 5, in one year! I have to say, in retrospect, that if I knew then what I know now, I maybe would have only done half of the races I did this year. Today, as I was struggling, and finding myself getting dissapointed in my result for the last race of my year, while on the final loop of my run, it finally hit me. This is the first time in my life I have EVER accomplished EVERYTHING I set out to do. And yes, I struggled on my run, yes I wish I could have been faster, yes I wish I could have placed in my group, the bottom line, is that I finished. I finished much more than just a race today. I put an exclamation mark on my goals! I turned the mocking of seasoned athletes, who would never dare to have such a crazy race schedule, to respect. I have proven to my friends and family that thought I was crazy to think of doing this in one year, that I am certifiably crazy, but also that I AM a finisher, and I am a doer now and not just a watcher. I think my life, in general, was summed up today in my race, and here is my thoughts...

     I try my hardest to be a great father, and although I fall short, everyday, I wake up each day with a brightness of hope, that I can do better. I focus on trying to be a good husband to my beautiful and loving wife everyday, but usually fall way short of that goal. But, each day, of the last 17 years we have spent together, I try harder to love her more, in my own way. I  concentrate on work, and try to be an expert at what I do, but I may fall a little short of being an expert, however, everyday I try to improve and gain more knowledge. In every aspect of my life, I may fall short of my ultimate goals, but in every aspect of my life, I am HAPPY, and I TRY a little bit harder each day. This leads me to my final thought... Life, triathlon, running, etc.... is not about perfection, there's only one who is perfect, however, it is about constant improvement. Today was the toughest race I had taken part in, to date, and by far the slowest finish I have had to date, but, it was the MOST gratifying, because when the easiest thing to do would have been to QUIT, I kept marching forward, and for that I am extremely proud. Well, that's it, Ironman Race #5, in the books, another SWEET medal to hang on the wall, and a course that would humble any who try to do it. VIVA LA VIDA.... My body is absolutely shattered, and I will not be working out AT ALL for 3 weeks. So, if I am not around as much, know that it is temporary, know that I will be focusing on the things that truly matter in life (Being a dad, good husband, soccer coach, provider, etc...) and when I get back to it, IT's ON LIKE DONKEY KONG YA'll....Much love to all of you who have supported me in this crazy journey called LIFE!!!

-Dan Benintendi  www.trimywill.com

********Ironman Augusta, GA. 70.3 Race Report******** 

 Hey Everyone,

     I hope everyone is well! I have eaten a lot, took a good nap, and am now packing and getting ready to embark on the 975 mile drive to get back home in the morning. I have had a chance to recall the days events and thought I would knock out the RR before I go home, so here it is...
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     So I was scheduled to be off Thursday and was going to leave mid-afternoon to arrive in Augusta, GA in the morning. Well, I ended up working all day and did not get under way on until 9:30pm Thursday and arrived in Augusta at 6pm on Friday. THAT DRIVE WAS BRUTAL! 975 miles of joy, but ey, at least the scenery was gorgeous. I stayed with my wife's aunt and uncle who live 10 minutes away from the race site, and that was awesome! I got settled in and woke up at 8am Saturday to do a quick 10 minute run, 20 minute spin on the bike, and jumped in the Savanah River for a 15 minute swim. Boy was that current moving! I swam downstream 1st then worked my way back upstream and that was kind of cool, just a little more work. I headed over to the host hotel, do pre race briefing, packet pickup, bought a sweet Transition bag at the expo, checked my bike in, and I was ready to roll.My nutrition leading up to the race was solid, and my body water percentage was 67% so I was VERY hydrated (Thank goodness, more on this later). We went out for dinner, I had some BBQ shrimp skewers with rice pilaf and a baked potatoe and I was ready to go.

     Of course I just tossed and turned all night and got about 2 hours sleep, which isn't a big deal because I slept like a log the night before when it mattered! 2:30am rise and shine, and the pre-race rituals begin. I was feeling so good and so ready for this race! I head to transition and was there right when they opebed at 5am. I got everything situated. Bike dialed in? Check! Helmet? check! Glasses? Check! Bib? Check! Camelbak? Check! Tires Inflated? Check! Wetsuit, goggles and cap? Check! I AM READY! So I catch the shuttle that heads down to the swim start and got there early and took my place in line. Soon enough the pros were making their way down to the start, national anthem, prerace thanks from announcer, etc... And the race is under way! I was in the 5th wave which was nice for a change. I usually am at the back of the race passing people, it was actually kind of cool to see all the elite athletes pass me, they are amazing folks! The weather was low 70's a bit humid and the water was a balmy 69 degrees, def wetsuit legal. When our wave is called, we make our way down the dock, and it was a start where everyone begins holding on to a rope so the current doesn't float you down the river. The horn blows and I was off. My stroke was feeling great, water felt great, all was going well... UNTIL some random dude decides it's not very important to site and was swimming at about a 90 degree angle OPPOSITE to where he should be going. So, yeah, I was the lucky guy who had the pleasure of watching this guy swim to Cuba, and in the process take a HARD elbow to my face! It did not feel good and kind of rattled my cage, I readjusted my goggles, calmed down, and got back under way. Overall, the swim was great, especially given the fact that we swam downstream, and I PR'd with a swim time of just over 26 minutes for 1.2 miles (2000 Meters).

     There was a 300 yard run from swim exit to transition, so not too sure if that time was tacked on to my swim time or transition time, but either way was not a big deal. I get wetsuit stripped and get to my bike. I see my Camelbak on top of my helmet, I see my glasses, bib and so I set the Camelbak to the side as I get everything else on. I have 1 bottle cage on my bike, as I usually ALWAYS use the Camelbak, and my bottle was half-full as I drank some Gatorade from it before the race. I am coming off a GREAT swim and am so amped up to go attack the bike course so I run out of transition, mount my bike, start spinning, then buckle the shoes and I am off. I usually wait 10-20 minutes to start taking in nutrition and fluids on the bike, so I just focused on a nice high cadence spin to get things going. 54 of the 56 mile ride was in South Carolina and the first stretch is through the Friggin Hood.. Very interesting. My pace is good, and I am starting to get thirsty, so I reach for my Camelback mouthpiece only to then realize 3 miles into the ride, that I NEVER PUT IT ON!!! I am royaly screwed! Not only does it have all my hydration for the ride, but it also has ALL of my tire repair, replacement stuff in it. So, needless to say I was living on a prayer! I realized 2 things at that point... 1) I am going to be VERY dehydrated by the end of the bike because I only have 1 bottle cage, and my salt tabs were in my Camelbak so electrolytes were going to be out of whack as well. 2) If I flat on the course, I am for sure a DNF. I said a quick prayer and hoped for the best for the ride. It was a GREAT ride... Lot's of rolling hills and some pretty scenery. up until mile 38 I was averaging well over 22MPH until I hit the headwind the last 14 miles ALL THE WAY back to transtion...UGH, so I ended up averaging 20.21MPH on the bike and my goal was 20-21MPH, things could not be going better.

     After arriving back into transition, I come to discover that a mound of ants had decided to keep my running shoes and socks warm for me, as well as my hat, and then look down to see my sunglasses laying on the ground CRUSHED! Man, something on every leg of the race! Oh well, so I run without glasses. I start off at a nice easy pace and run steady. When I hit mile 4, I start to feel "Light-headed" and my vision starts going blurry. I was wobbling and probably looked like a drunken sailor to an extent. I knew this was the electrolyte imbalance / dehydration catching up with me. At that point, right next to me, was an ambulance, and as I started to walk towards it to ask for an IV to be put in, I glance quickly down the road and could see an aid station about 1/4 of a mile down the road. Ok, let me get there and see if I can make myself better. I stop at the station, stuff 5 sponges in my hat and shirt, drink 5-6 glasses of water, which tasted like hell, took in some Gatorade, a power bar, a gel, and 2 salt tabs. I started to feel better, and I felt the nutrition really hit my system about 20-30 minutes down the road. So for water, they were using tap water from hoses off houses, which was absolutely disgusting, and a lot of stations did not have ice... Talk about a beat down! I heard of several people DNF'ing because they got sick from the nasty / warm water, which sux. I was feeling a little better as time went on and was at least able to have a negative split on the half marathon... Still VERY slow, but a finish none-the-less! I think my 1/2 mary time was 2:38:00 or there-abouts. I was really hoping for a 5:15:00 finish, but given the circumstances, I am VERY pleased with my results. I killed the swim and of course was a PR, the bike was a PR for a 70.3 distance race for me, and overall was a PR for total time by 18 minutes at this distance!

     Given all the adversity / mistakes in this race, I am still very pleased! It was a challenging race and as the sun came out on the bike and humidity became present, it made for a pretty good challenge. I am glad I did this race, I have not decided if I would like to do it again, but it is always great to finish an MDOT event because there is just an incredible spirit about them. So this is Ironman event number 4 for 2009 in the books for me, with 1 more 70.3 to go next month in Austin (Longhorn 70.3) and volunteering at IM Arizona in November. So, that's it, a great race, a good result considering, and now the brutal drive to get back to my family.... I miss them a ton. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and happy trails to all...

*****Ironman Louisville, Kentucky Aug 30, 2009**********

  I have been sitting here for what seems like hours trying to figure out how I am going to put all my experiences, emotions, highs, lows, and everything in between into a somewhat condenced version to give you a full scope of how incredible this past weekend has been for me. So here is my official race report for my first 140.6 mile Ironman triathlon in Louisville Kentucky on August 30, 2009...

     My preperations to leave for Louiseville were somewhat bitter-sweet because I knew I was going to become an Ironman in the coming weekend, but also was somewhat sad because my family would not be there with me. Our daughter Ava was starting school the day after Ironman and my wife, Christie and I agreed that it was more important for Ava to have her mommy there for her 1st day of school rather than her being at a race for daddy! So, after some thought, I told my wife, why don't we just not send Ava on Monday, and send her Wednesday for her 1st day instead.... After all, it is just pre-school and 1 day won't matter. A light went off in her head and she made the decision to go with me to Louiseville with our youngest boy Austin at the final hour,  and I was on cloud 9!!! So we pack up the car and set out at 2am on Thursday morning to conquer this 875 mile drive. Everything went well on the drive except the time it took, and we finally made it to Louisville late afternoon on Thursday. Our friends Anthony and his wife Lori met us at the hotel, we got some groceries and called it a night!

     Friday morning I wake after a solid night's sleep, Anthony and I head down to the river to get some practice swimming in on the Ohio River during the official Gatorade Practice Swim. The water was 80+ degrees and it felt amazing!!! The swim went well, we got in about a mile, then we headed out of the water and I went back to the hotel to pick up the family. After I picked up the family, we head down to the host hotel so I could pick up my packet. On the way I get a call from my buddy Ryan, who says "Hey bro, did you know you are a "Featured Athlete" in Louisville on www.ironman.com ???" I say no, and I head to the website and found this in the Louisville Ironman Preview...(Scroll 3/4 of the way down the screen)
 

Ford Ironman Louisville Preview

Record sized field set to compete in third annual event

Published Thursday, August 27, 2009

Sunday's Ford Ironman Louisville event could feature the largest field in Ironman history with almost 3,000 athletes registered from 20 countries for the third annual event here in Kentucky. In addition to the huge age group field, a competitive pro field is also set to take part, headed by defending champions Max Longree and Mariska Kramer-Postma, but both will face competitive fields including a number of Ironman champions.

Australian Luke McKenzie, a two-time Ironman champion already in 2009 (Malaysia and Japan), arrives here in Louisville as the man most likely to take the crown away from Longree, but South Africa's Raynard Tissink with five Ironman titles on his resume, also arrives as another favorite. Added to the competitive list of male pros is two-time Ford Ironman Wisconsin Dave Harju.

Kramer-Postma will face multiple-Ironman champions Nina Kraft, Fernanda Keller and Lisbeth Kristensen as she tries to defend her title. Kraft was a runner-up here in Louisville two years ago, while Kristensen finished third here last year, just eight months after the birth of her daughter, Astrid. Keller is trying to continue a 21-year streak of qualifying for the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona.

The 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run course will utilize a variety of Louisville’s scenic areas, including Waterfront Park, Oldham and Henry Counties and the city of LaGrange. Athletes will end their journey with a finish line celebration at Fourth Street Live!. 

Approximately 150 Louisville residents are scheduled to participate in this event that serves as an official qualifier for the Ford Ironman World Championship, taking place on Saturday, Oct. 10, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Some of the interesting age group stories we'll be following include:

• Zach Hadfield, 28, Muldraugh, Ky. – Zach is an active military member and has been deployed twice to Iraq.

• Andy Holder, 41, Collegeville, Penn. – Andy, who lives with Type I diabetes, is the national spokesperson for Good Neighbor Pharmacy. He created the Iron Andy Foundation, which aims to help children, young adults and their families dealing with diabetes and other chronic illness by providing inspiration, resources and assistance to help them achieve their life goals.

• Dan Benintendi, 34, Fort Worth, Texas – Dan has lost almost 200 pounds since the beginning of 2008 and is participating in his first Ironman.

• Debi Hatton, 43, Louisville, Ky. – Debi is a mother of five children. This will be her second time participating in Ford Ironman Louisville.

• Charles Plaskon, 65, Punta Gorda, Fla. – Charles is a legally blind athlete who races for the C Different Foundation. This will be Charles’ fourth Ironman, as he previously competed at Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene, Ford Ironman Florida and the renowned Ford Ironman World Championship.

  We'll have live coverage of this year's race including video, text updates, live athlete tracking and photos from Action Sports International. Our coverage is set to start on Friday afternoon.
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       After registering and getting acclamated with our surroundings, we head back to the room to relax for a bit and then head back to downtown for the welcome dinner. When we arrive at the Convention Center, where the $30 run-of-the-mill mediocre pasta dinner was served, there were thousands of people there already. Dinner is served, Anthony, his wife and my family sit down at a table of nice folks from Cincinatti, OH and we enjoyed each others company. After dinner it is announced that Mike Reilly "The Voice Of Ironman" was going to be the MC and everyone was going nuts! So he presents a few guest speakers, shows a couple of VERY inspiring and motivational videos, and then begins calling people to the stage. Some interesting folks were the youngest competitor who turned 18 the day before the race and got his mom and dad to race with him!!! Another was a 72 year old man who has completed 35 Ironmans!!! At this point MIke Reilly starts talking about the changes one makes in their life in preparing for Ironman and talked about health. He then proceeds to ask everyone in the audience who has lost 30 pounds training for this race to stand. A lot of people, including myself stand up. He then says if you have lost 40 pounds, stay standing, quite a few sit down. Then 50 pounds, most people were then sitting. Then he asks 60 pounds to stay standing and there were just 3 of us in this sea of people still standing. He asks the three of us to come all the way up to the stage. Next to me on the stage was a man who lost a whopping 65 pounds and the crowd went wild...
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Next to him was this gal who was asked by Mike... "If I would have said 70 pounds would you still be standing?" "Yup, she said... "80?", "Yup, "90?", "Yup"... "100???!!!) "Yup" HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST??? She stated she had lost an amazing 120+ pounds, which is incredible!!! The crowd went nuts...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Then he comes to me and asks "130??" Yup... 140??? YUP... 150?????? YUP.....175????????????????? YUP... HOLY CRAP>>> How Much Have You Lost??? 200 pounds my friend... The crowd went absolutely bonkers and the amazing reception I recieved was so emotional and incredible it took all my strength not to start crying like a baby! So after everything calms down, MIke says, you know what we give the Biggest Loser? I say no, he says an INCREDIBLE Body Scan scale by Tanita (Which I have to say IS THE BOMB), and a year supply of Erin Baker's Cookies and Granola which I am soooo stoked about, I love that stuff!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  So after I exit stage left, I am immediately approached by sooo many people congratulating me on my journey and just really made me feel like a king. One of the amazing people who came to greet me was this incredible Ironman Champion Amanda Stevens...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This was an incredible way to start the weekend and after the event I get another call from my brother saying that there was some mention of me again on www.ironman.com and this is what was posted there....
  The biggest loser ...
  Anyone who has done what Dan Benintendi (pictured here left with Mike Reilly) has done over the last few years could hardly be described as a "loser," but he did win himself a Tanita Body Composition Monitor and a year's supply of Erin Baker's cookies last night.
  
  Benintendi has lost 201 pounds during his journey to becoming an Ironman. It was when he reached 400 pounds that Benintendi's wife told him she was sick of living life as a single mom with a husband who was always too tired to help out.
  
  "I decided to make the choice of health over food," he said.
  
  Health has led him to competing in his first Ironman tomorrow. Good luck, Dan!
  overage/updates.php?type=U&race=louisville&year=2009&page=0&order=ASC">http://ironman.com/coverage/updates.php?type=U&race=louisville&year=2009&page=0&order=ASC

     OK, so we head back to the room and get some rest... We decide to sleep in Saturday morning and go for a brief 10 minute run and a 25 minute ride to make sure everything was in order. Everything was well, race prep went great, I finished packing up transition bags and special needs bags, loaded up the bike and headed down to transition to check my gear in. It was so awesome! You are treated much differently at an Ironman versus a 70.3 for sure. You have a volunteer that carries your gear, shows where your bike is to be racked, and checks in your bags for you... White glove treatment for sure. I place everything in order for the morning and head out of transition. We then met up with a couple other friends, Duane and his wife at the Spaghetti Factory, enjoy a nice lunch and then head out to drive the bike course. OH BOY... This course is no joke... Hill after hill after hill, this was going to be a challenge but I was up for it!!! No matter how hard, I was going to finish, period! Get back to the room and toss and turn all night in anticipation, of course, and begin the rituals at 2am.

     Leading up to the race, I had been battling a cold, and I was really hoping it would just go away for the race, but unfortunately, it didn't... This would come in to play later in the race. So, I begin the morning trying to get in 1000 calories for breakfast, begin hydrating, and my hydration level was over 60% so I was good to go. I get all my last minute items together, snap a few shots of my son and I and head out. I have to say I look rather "Dapper" with my nasal Breathe Right strips on my nose...
 


























     The morning was gorgeous... A brisk 60 degrees with a little wind and clear skies and relatively low humidity... Does it get any better than this? We arrive at the race site Sunday morning and tend to our morning rituals there. Then it is a .75 mile walk from transition to the swim start, which was no biggie.... That is until I got to the swim start. Louisville is different than any other Ironman in that it is a time trial start, meaning people enter the water one by one in a line, similar to what is typical of a Sprint Triathlon and by the time I got to the start I had to walk another 1+ mile to get to the end point in the line where I could take a place in the "First come, first serve" set up that Louisville has. Dang, over 2.5 miles walked and the race has not even started yet! Anyways, it was no biggie, I took the time to reflect a bit on my journey, on the task at hand, and to just take in all the surroundings, which were amazing. I finally hear the cannon go off for the pros... 15 minutes later, the age grouper cannon blows and the race is under way. The line begins moving quick and I am anxious to get in the water. After a 35 minute wait to get started, I start running down the boat ramp to the water entry point, jump in feet first and start the 1200 Meter (Approx) swim UPSTREAM to get through the channel. My stroke was feeling solid and everything was groovy! We hit the turn buoy and begin to swim downstream to complete the swim. My cadence was solid and consistant the whole way and I felt like a million bucks after the 2.4 mile swim. I hit transition, get my bags, head to the tent, put my cycling socks and BIB on and head out to the bike. Once I get to my bike, I realize I put my sunglasses in my running gear bag, oh well, I will just ride without shades, there are worse things that can happen. So, I strap up my helmet, Camelbak, and double check everything and then head out onto the course... TOTAL SWIM TIME 1:18:09















     I mount my bike and start pedaling away, trying to spin in a smaller gear with a higher cadence, waiting about 15 minutes to start taking in nutrition. Things were going well, I was feeling awesome and was gearing up for the hills that were awaiting me beginning at about mile 14 and would continue throughout the remainder of the ride. This course was TOUGH!!! I was going at a good pace, keeping my heart rate low and not pushing it as I knew my cold was still present and could feel it zapping me a little on the longer climbs, so I decided not to push or tempt fate. At about mile 65 I felt my back starting to get a little tight and was feeling a little light-headed and was probably somewhat dehydrated and had a bit of an electrolyte embalance. So I stop at the aid station, drink 3 bottles of water, a gatorade, a Cliff Brownie Bar, and a couple Bananas. I then did some lower back stretches that felt amazing and I was good to go... I figured I took about 8-10 minutes on this rest and was the best 10 minutes I spent all day!!! I felt great getting back on the bike and for the last 50 miles or so averaged above a 19 MPH pace, which I was very pleased with. Other than the constant ups and downs of this course, everything went VERY well and was ready to get on to the run. I hit transition, take my time getting my running gear in order, do more stretching and head out for the last leg of this challenge. It was stated that the total approximate elevation climb on this course was well over 5000 feet. TOTAL 112 MILE BIKE TIME 6:19:13

     I get out of the transition area and ran down the stretch that leads to the marathon course and the whole place was filled with spectators and well-wishers which was awesome! We headed out and begin running down a bridge that crosses the very river we swam in and then turned backaround and headed through the downtown and residential parts of Louisville. The run had a few rollers in it, but nothing crazy. I had decided in transition that my game plan was going to be to walk each aid station and run to each station. This worked great for the 1st 9 miles or so, and I was feeling good, UNTIL my cold decided to show it's ugly head and slap me in the face! Suddenly out of nowhere, I began to feel like I had a bag of rocks on my chest because of all this congestion, and felt light-headed and not well! I stopped at the 10 mile aid station and drank about a gallon of water, a little gatorade, 2 lava salt tabs (Thanks Eugene) eat a power bar, 2 bananas, went pee, and felt better! So I was reduced to a walk/ shuffle for the rest of the marathon, and that's ok. I got to run / walk with some amazing people, shared some incredible stories of life struggles and joys, and felt such a true "Ironman Spirit" throughout the entire day, there is no way to describe it. As the day and night tarried on, I kept moving forward, knowing that I was going to be close to my 14 hour goal. at mile 22, I was able to run for 2.5 miles straight and that was encouraging. I got through the motivational mile, got some encouragement, and headed towards the finish line. It was starting to get cold, but everytime I tried to run, my chest was burning from this cruddy congestion and my throat began to get really sore. Anyways, I get close to the end, and remember the goal I had for this race, to finish strong. I ran the entire last mile and as I turned the corner to run down 4th street, it felt like I was running to the white lights at the "Pearly Gates". Music was blarring, the streets were packed, people were screaming, and when I hit the home stretch I hear Mike Reilly yell out, "Here comes Dan Benintendi... This guy has lost 200 pounds to get here and Dan Benintendi from Fort Worth, TX... YOU ARE AN IRONMAN" As I hear these words, I raise my hand in triumph over my battle from Obesity, I swerve down the final stretch high fiving all the incredible spectators, see my wife and my boy Austin, and it finally hits me that I did it.... TOTAL 26.2 MILE MARATHON TIME 6:16:45

     It is hard for me to put into words the elation, sense of accomplishment, pride, and grattitude I feel as a result of becoming an Ironman. It has been a looooong road. A road filled with dedication to training, dedication to changing everything about my life, dedication from my family who has supported me soooo much in this journey, and a road dedicated to pushing myself to do what so many people who thought and still think that this achievement is way out of grasp for an Obese person. In closing I want my wonderful wife to know how much I love her and could not have asked for a better woman. She has stood by me since we were 16 years old and I am so lucky to have her as my sweetheart. The time that training has had me sacrifice away from my children is not something I am prepared to continue doing to this extent, but I want my family to know that THEY ARE my #1 priority, and I dedicate this monumental milestone to them. There is no medal that could replace the hugs, kisses, and words "I love you Daddy" uttered by my angel children, and I hope to hear a lot more of those as I will be spending a little more time with them now. I love all of you who have supported me through everything I have undertaken, I cannot possibly name you all one by one, there isn't enough words or time, but I want you all to know that your words of encouragement, support, love, and hope have allowed me to push myself beyond what I thought was possible for me and I truly am a blessed man to have each of you as part of my life. May God bless us all in our journey to discover who we are, why we are here, where we are going, and what we can do each and every day to make the pathway a little brighter and filled more with True Happiness. The tears I shed in this final picture, were not shed when I crossed the finished line, they were shed when I finally found my wife and son and were able to hold and hug them. THAT is what this life is all about. Again thank you all for your love and support and thank you for reading this very long account of one of the most amazing experiences of my life...I DID IT!!!














Your Friend,

**********Ironman Buffalo Springs 70.3******************* 

Hey Everyone,

Bare with me as I write this winded report:

     So Friday morning comes around, I am packed, the family went out for breakfast (Whole wheat pancakes with sugar free syrup....yum yum) Then we got home, gave each other big hugs and kisses, said a little prayer, then loaded up my buddie's car with our gear and luggage and said our goodbyes to our families. The drive was 320 miles, and was completely flat and boring desert driving, but it went by quickly as my buddy Ryan and I chatted about the challenge that awaited us in a couple of days. We arrive at the host hotel where we stayed, checked in, met up with a few friends for dinner, went back to our room and a few of us had a friendly poker game, then called it a night and were in bed by 10pm.

     Saturday morning arrives, I woke up at 7:30, which is sleeping in big time for me, start eating and taking in fluids and prepare to get to the race site for a brief race day prep workout with Ryan, me , and our coach Brent (Who raced pro). So we drive to the lake, pay $6 each to get in the park, and begin the drive to the race start. The whole drive from Fort Worth, along with the drive to the lake, I was thinking, the elevation chart online about this race has got to be wrong because this is all just flat farm land. Well.... As we drive the road in the park that leads to the lake, we were soon met with a taste of reality. Clarity comes into our mind as we descend a 9% hill for 1/2 mile then ascend up an 8% hill for about 1/4 mile, then back down the back of that hill that leads to the transition area. Oh Boy!!! So, reverse that order, and that's what we are faced with coming straight out of transition. 

     So we park near the transition area, and Ryan and I set out for a 15 minute warm up run. We paced 8:45 miles and had 4 x 20 second excelerations.... I was feeling great. Then we clipped in our bikes and headed up those hills out of transition to get used to them and do a 25 minute warm-up ride. Going up the hills was not as bad as it looked from the car, but it certainly was not a cake walk. The ride goes smooth, and I was wondering why everyone says this is such a brutal race, there was relatively no wind, it was somewhat overcast, and I felt great. We finish our ride, and head to the lake for a 10-15 minute swim, nice and easy. Water temp was 76... Wetsuit Legal, and we had a nice relaxed swim and were ready for the big day. As we are packing up our bikes, I ask Brent, who has done this race 3 times, if the hills out on the course are about the same as the ones we rode inside the park.... His reply: A slight chuckle as he said, uh... no, these are just the little hills to get out of the park. Gulp, me and Ryan drop Brent off and decide to ride the course in the car. More on that later...

     We head back to the hotel to meet up with Todd Gollneck to get the GPS Trakker device I wore during the race, grab some dinner, and try to get an early night sleep. That did not work so well as I tossed and turned in bed thinking with excitement about the day to come. I fell asleep around 11pm and set my alarm for 2am. I slept well and felt great when I awoke. Now, to the race.....

     We headed out really early because there is only one small road in and out of the race site, and we were told that you need to be there really early because of traffic congestion. So, we were there by 4:30am, got a great parking spot and headed down that hill to set up transition. There were only a couple of bikes racked and as I start calming down and get into a groove, it finally came to my attention that there were 22-25mph winds blowing!!! GULP.... About a half hour into setting up transition, we were then introduced to our good friend... Mr. Rain. Where did the beautiful race weather fom yesterday go, I thought! This was going to be the race it was cracked up to be for sure. I visit the "John", I double check my setup, put the bottom half of my wetsuit on, and make my way down to the start to see my buddy Brent off with the Pros. The race started right on time, and once again, I was in the very last wave so I got to see all my friends go off.  The water was a little choppy, my wave was about 75 deep, and I felt great as our wave made it's way to the beach for the start. I bought new goggles on Thursday before we left, the most expensive ones out there, and was so excited. As I put them on 45 seconds before the start, they fog up! OK, so I wipe them off, and within seconds they fog again! I rub some spit inside the goggles, and fog again! I am screwed, I mean literally, I could not see!!! Oh well, time to go. MIke Riley, "The voice of Ironman" yells... GO!!! So we head out. I was able to see the flailing arms and just followed those best as I could for the first 5-10 minutes, the foggy goggles were pissing me off. I roll on my back, keep kicking, and wipe them out... I did this 4-5 times... Then I was struck with the idea to let them half fill up with water, which was genius! As they would begin to fog, I would look straight down and wiggle my head all over the place, and created like a windshield wiper effect, which worked great. The rest of the swim was nice and smooth, uneventful, and I felt fresh coming out of the water in around 36 minutes.....

     I head into transition, get everything put on, including my trusty Camelback, didn't bother with sunglasses because they would just be covered by rain, and there was no sun, so I unrack my bike , make sure I am in the smaller gears, and make sure I am clipped in, because literally, once you crossed the "Mount" line, you begin your ascent up that lovely hill, it was for this reason that NOBODY left their shoes clipped on in transition, they actually put their shoes on in transition, and ran to the mount line with them on,which is rare to see. Anyways, feeling good, off on the bike...

     As we make our way up the first hill, the girl in front of  me is weaving all over the road, making it very impossible to pass her as she was probably going about 4mph, literally. We get to the top of the hill, I fly down the back of the hill, hitting 39MPH, then prepare to ascend the next hill which was 9% and boy was that fun!!! I keep my head down, make good peddle strokes, focus on push/pull and make it up. Now, 15 miles of flatness! I get into my aero bars, start hammering out a good cadence and am averaging about 22MPH. I start taking in nutrition, and am feeling pretty good. We get to our first out and back leg on the course headed south, which gave us a tail wind. The beauty of the Buffalo Springs lake is that it is in a canyon, so we got the pleasure of ascending and descending the canyon 8 times!!! On this first out and back, I averaged around 28, and once I hit the first descent into the canyon I hit a max speed of 48MPH... Holy cow that was fast. I was flying by folks as if they were standing still. a few seconds of flat, then time to ascend back out of the canyon... The climb averaged 5% for 3/4 of a mile. I averaged 10mph going up it.. GOOD TIMES!!! I finally reached the top, and hammered out the rest of the southbound leg. I hit the turnaround, and get "Pimp Slapped" by the wind in my face headed north bound on the same leg. Descend into the canyon flying again, and have an even slower ascend back up out of the canyon. Ok, 2 out of the 8 big hills completed!!! We then head east bound to reach our next out and back leg that heads north and  south again. I hammer it out with the wind heading south again, making up as much time as I can and again fly down the canyon descent. This descent is 1.4 miles and I think I hit 50MPH on this one, ascending the other side was not as long, just a little steeper. Towards the end of this leg, there is a mountain climb which is technical and on a very winding road, and is VERY steep and long... It seemed like it would never end. It eventually did and I hit the turnaround to go very slow down that descent. One more out and back leg that had a very technical ascent and descent laid waiting for me, and I took it head on and powered through it. As I turnaround and begin the descent, I saw a 5 bike crash!!! Why anyone would want to go flying around the hairpin turns in the rain on slick roads is beyond me. But, 5 people wrecked and were very seriously injured... A ways down the road I saw 4 ambulances speedng to the wreck... Not good!!! Anyways, I have one more good climb aside from the one going back into the transition area, this is the 1.4 mile climb getting back out of the canyon that was not so enjoyable. I just put my head down, hammered it out one peddle stroke at a time, and  lived to tell about it . Ok... another 15 miles of flatness, into the wind and rain, but I will take it. I felt sluggish for some reason, I look down with about 8-9 miles left and my tire looked a little low, but no biggie, I was still rolling along at 19MPH. The reason I was having such a hard time finishing up the race did not become appearent until I picked my bike up out of transition after the race to discover that my rear wheel was flat, and probably had been for the last 6-8 miles. I finally finish the ride in just under 3 hours , averaging 18.7 MPH and I am pleased with that, wish it were faster, but wind and hills don't favor the big boys! Into transition...

     I hit transition 2 and am feeling pretty shattered. I take my time putting my socks on, getting my whitts about myself, no Port-O-Joy stops, just took my time regrouping and did some stretching. Onto the run... I start at a nice easy pace to wait for my legs to come to me. We run the flat section around the lake and I was feeling OK. We get to the first climb at about mile 2.5 and OH MY GOODNESS!!!! This climb was steeper than the hills on the bike and lasted longer!!! My hamstrings completely lock up and I am reduced to a walk up the hill. I decided that walking up the hills would be the only way I would survive the run without severe cramping and begin jogging on the flats and descents. I did this and as I came to the halfway point, I took in 5 cups of gatorade, and did some serious stretching, I wanted to finish strong. I was running at an ok clip and continued for about 2.5 miles, then I came to the bottom of the beast of a hill I previously mentioned and began my walking again. I would then jog easy from aid station to aid station and would take breaks as needed. My legs were completely destroyed! I really have not ran that much since my marathon in February because of the IT band issue. I am thankful to say I had no knee / IT band pain, but was just shattered from the ride. Anyways, I put a decent last mile together and finished strong, and was thankful for 2 things. 1) I was a finisher 2) That the day was over!

     In retrospect, I had so much fun being out there. If you are ever looking for a SERIOUS challenge, come to Buffalo Springs! I learned a few things that I am going to take to heart:

* Never under-estimate the difficulty of this or any other venue
* I need to drop a few more pounds to be able to get up the climbs a little easier. I am fluctuating between 210 - 215 now and am 6'2". Louisville Ironman is in a couple months and is just an extension of what I went through yesterday so any advantage will help. I think 185 might be a good lean fighting weight, but if I start to look like a concentration camp survivor, I am going to stop the weight-cutting for sure.
* I need much more hill work on the bike and the run, then combine them both on some intense brick workouts
* Never use new goggles for the first time in a race, no matter how expensive or how "Good" they are supposed to be

     All-in-all, I am happy with my result. I only came in 6 minutes behind my time in Florida 70.3 last month, which was dead flat and by far a much easier course. This course was Brutal!!! It will test you physically, mentally, and will push you to your limits. I did learn that the hills were not as hard to climb as I thought they would be from sitting in the car, and I think this analogy can apply to life. So many people people think that they can't do things, and are so affraid to try, but when you make the commitment to do something, and determine yourself to keep your head down and fight through whatever obstacle is standing between you and success, you will truly discover who you are and what you are made of. Today, I am a 2 time 70.3 Ironman finisher, today I am feeling alot of pain, today I am not obese, today I look back and see where I have come from, and could not be happier with the path my life is on. I am thankful for this race that kept me humble, but what was so cool about this race were the people. I literally had 6 complete strangers walk up to me at the race and 1 on Saturday during my race prep workout, and say, are you Dan? I said yes, they said to me, I have been following your story and your blog and want you to know that you have been a huge inspiration to me. I cannot express to you the pride I felt running to the finish line, when our names were not even printed on our bibs or were anywhere on my body, and countless people yelling out "Go Dan", You are the man Dan, etc... It is the people that encourage me everyday, which include my family, my friends, and all of you, that help drive me to keep pushing forward and never look back. Thank you for being in my corner, thank you for being part of my journey, thank you for helping me realize my potential, and thank you for reading this VERY long report......

Dan Benintendi
www.swimfromobesity.com

*****Ironman Florida 70.3 Race Report*****

     I am sitting on a plane flying home from Orlando, and have had a full day to recall and replay one of the most gratifying and exciting days of my life. On all of my race reports in the last year, I have made mention of my battle from Obesity. I typically reference where I came from (400 pounds to 200 in 14 months), the trials I overcame with losing my weight, and then would reference my results. This race report will be the last I do that with. I have thought about this a lot over the past 24 hours, and I have come to the conclusion that completing my 70.3 Ironman in Florida is the moment in my life I hammered the final nail in the coffin of Obesity in the life of Dan Benintendi. I will now be the Triathlete that improved upon his results, not just the obese guy turned Triathlete. With that in mind, let me take you through race day through my eyes.

     Saturday evening was a time filled with much anxiety! My brother Jeff from Arizona raced along with me, and my sister, Shawnah, flew in from Utah to hang out with us and get some good photos of our day out on the course. I went through my game plan over and over in my head, and had 100% confidence in my nutrition, strategy, and positive reinforcing thoughts. I ended up falling asleep at about 1:30am Sunday morning, and awoke at 2:45am to begin getting ready. That was the most solid sleep I have ever had, no joke, I felt like I had slept for a week when I got up! So, I double and triple check everything to be sure I didn’t forget anything and I was set. I started off with a big bottle of Cliff Shot Lemonade (My Electrolyte drink of choice). I then had a whole wheat baggle with crunchy peanut butter on it and then a Vanilla Boost drink to get the day going. My brother’s stuff is ready, my stuff is ready, let’s roll!!!

     We head over to The Magic Kingdom parking lot to catch the shuttle that would take us to the race start. We were among the first there so we got good parking and had plenty of space to set up transition and be comfortable. By this time it was about 5:00 am and the temperature was only in the high 70’s, however, humidity at a staggering 90%!  I knew it was going to be a scorcher! I go down to the water’s edge, survey again the swim course, again check my points of reference for sighting, go pee, meet up with my buddy Brent Paulsen who is a pro and took 7^th at the race last year, wish each other well, and head to the start for the singing of the national anthem and the pro start. I cannot tell you how “Electric” the atmosphere was. Once the DJ turned on the famous “Sandstorm” techno song by Darude, there was not a person in the crowd that could not feel the adrenaline as the clock clicked down from 3 minutes, two minutes, 10 seconds, BANG!!! The cannon blows and the race has officially started on time to the second at 6:20am. There were a total of 22 waves that were determined by age group. Guess what wave I was in… YUP, dead last. I got to see my brother head out and do his thing, which was really cool. 4 waves later it was my turn to go, I am so excited. I am at the front far right of the beach to get out of the way of the “Washing Machine”. There were 3 waves starts that were for my age group alone, each having a little over 120. My game plan for the swim… Take it nice and easy, relax, enjoy the swim, and conserve my energy for the bike and run. It worked out to a “T”. The swim went by quickly, pretty uneventful and very relaxing. Sighting was not a problem. I was weaving in and out of people without incident, and only had one “Issue” on the last 400 meters. I caught up to people that were in my brother’s wave and as a dude swam back onto the course from going outside the buoy, he decided he wanted to do a random breast stroke and ends up “Scissor-Kicking” me dead in the middle of my thigh! The pain went away in a few seconds, I kind of laughed about it, and a few moments later, touched down on sandy ground and began the 400 yard run into transition, it seemed like it was longer, WAAAAYYYY far away from the swim exit, which is probably why swim times were a bit higher than normal, but it was all good, my heart rate never got above 110, and I felt as fresh as a cucumber going into transition...

     The good news is, my bike was on the very first rack inside transition, the bad news is I had another 400-500 yards to run with my bike to get to the “mount line”. No biggie, I did my thing, kept my heart rate down, hopped on the bike, and was fully prepared to attack this bike course like no other. The ride was described as flat, which is partly-true, but it did have a few unexpected hills that were no big deal. I am feeling great on the bike. I decided the week before the event that I would wear my Camelback and use my own hydration, rather than the ones provided to avoid the clusters at the aid stations that are notorious for being home to many gnarly accidents. I could not have made a better choice. I was taking my salt tabs every 30 minutes, sports beans every 20 minutes, and sticks of honey every 30 minutes. I am flying by people on the bike! I have never ridden on such smooth surfaces, such flat roads, and without much wind, advantage me! I especially love flying by the guys who are riding P4’s, DA’s, P3 C’s, and Plasma’s with 808’s and full disc carbon wheels. I hit mile 30 and look down at my computer for the first time, just to discover that I have been averaging 23.4 mph!!! Holy cow, I knew I was grooving but “Dang Gina!!!” Anyways, the last half of the course, a lot more hills and we were into a head wind for about the last 15-20 miles. No harm done, I still averaged 20.5mph and I will take it! Hopping off the bike back into transition, my legs felt GREAT! I felt so fresh and was ready to get into a groove on the run. (If you are wondering, I patted my brothers rear end as I passed him at mile 6 on the bike J )

     As I make the long run from the dismount line back over to my rack, I couldn’t imagine things going any better. I really take my time in transition, I made a last minute decision to put my BLACK compression socks on for the run, that took a little bit of time, I visit the port-o-joy in transition, put on the fuel belt, turn my race bib around and head out to the run. Boy was it hot, reached 88 degrees by this point, and I couldn’t understand why my head was so dang hot until I hit the first aid station and go to take off my hat to put ice on my head, only to then realize, I FORGOT MY DANG HAT IN TRANSITION! That explains that, and the bright tomato that is sitting on my neck now. I decided that because of the heat, I would do 9:30 – 10:00 miles and would walk each aid station. Get plenty of Gatorade, plenty of water, plenty of ice cold sponges, and plenty of ice to stuff in my shirt. It was going great. I hit mile 5 and uh oh… Knee pain! Dang-it! Oh well, got to keep going. It was a 3 loop run course and as I complete my first loop, on to my second loop I caught up to my brother who was hanging his head a bit and was on his first loop. He was a little discouraged, and was concerned he was not going to finish in time for the cut-off. I walked with him for a while, talked to him about the fact that he was 415 pounds a few years ago, and here he is 250 competing in an Ironman. I told him to not give up, and assured him that he belonged here and had every bit as much right to be here as any other person on the course. One foot in front of the other bro, and I will be there for you at the finish line. The moment I caught up to my brother, I realized just being there and supporting him in his journey was way more important than finishing a few minutes ahead of schedule, and it was the best decision I had made all day. To put my arm around my brother and realize a couple years ago we weighed almost 825 pounds collectively, and now weigh 450 collectively brought tears to both of our eyes. I told my brother, when we reach that next fence, I am going to get running again and will see you at the finish line. I smacked his butt and headed off. I felt like I could have ran all day at the pace I was running, I really felt great, except the knee. Just before the mile 12 marker was the final aid station. I stop and pour ice all over me and am ready to hit it with everything I got this last mile. I start to run and my knee was completely done. I had Biofreeze, and lathered a whole packet onto my knee, no help, I kept trying to start and run, no good, I stopped to stretch, no good, oh well, I will walk until I can make the left that says “To finish line”. I did just that, I managed to put a light shuffle together to cross the finish line, spotted my sister in the crowd who snapped a photo, and was so proud to cross the line a “Finisher”. Tears did not flow, in it’s place was the same smile I had been wearing all day. I am sure that when this plane lands and my wife and children meet me at the airport that they will flow then, but the joy in my heart is indescribable. I think the only thing that could have made this day better was if my wife and children were there to hug me at the end.

 What a great day! What a great journey! What a great challenge! What an amazing life this is! Everyday we all make decisions that will impact our lives forever, and I am so thankful I made the decision to get my life and health back and begin living again. The pain in my knee is pretty bad right now, but the happiness, joy, and sense of accomplishment I  now feel in my heart makes the pain subside. I am Half of an Ironman now! I have another VERY challenging half Ironman next month in Lubbock, TX, then it will be onto the BIG DADDY in Louiseville, KY in August for the FULL 140.6 Ironman. Thank you to all my friends, family, sponsors, surgeon, and strangers alike who have done nothing but encourage, uplift, and inspire me each and every day. I will never forget this day, the feelings I felt that are too great to try to put into words, and the unavoidable desire I have to do Ironman again, just not tomorrow. Thanks for reading the very long account of my race, but believe it or not, this is the condensed version. Thanks for reading and being a part of this journey with me…..(Total Chip Time 6:15:15)

 -Dan Benintendi
www.trimywill.com

*****TRI BENBROOK 2009 RACE REPORT***** 

      So Friday night the family got some mexican food at a local restraunt. We eat there 1 time a month or so and have never had any problems. So, Saturday morning, I get up at about 5 am and begin to prepare for our garage sale. I am abruptly awoken to the sound of my little daughter puking in my bed, on my pillow, splashing my arm with a fragrant aroma! Needless to say, I got out of the bed very quickly and began cleaning up. About 30 minutes later I begin to feel "Green" and thus the diahrea commences! I spend a good chunk of my day on the pot, and eventually end up beginning to throw-up. Throughout the course of the day, I was able to keep down 1/2 bottle of Pepto Bismol, 5 ritz crackers, a little gatorade, and a small amount of oatmeal. Not ideal nutrition going into a race. Anyways, I was racing no matter what, however the thought of doing the race with a diaper was looming in the back of my mind. Anyways.....

     So, this morning, I set the alarm for 4:30am and the alarm got beat to the punch by my daughter knocking on my bedroom door. I open the door to see her beautiful face, and as she was grinning ear-to-ear saying the words "Goo moni dadeee" out spews last nights chicken nuggets. "Oh No"... Saturday morning incarnate!!!! So, my morning begins today as it did yesterday, elbow deep in vomit. I was feeling better, but certainly did not have much energy and was probably dehydrated to some extent. I was able to finish a banana, and 1/4 of a peanut butter sandwich. I also got down 1 bottle of Cliff Shot lemonade, and that was about the best I could do for nutrition.

     I take a shower, gather my stuff and head on down the road to the race. It was a balmy 72 degrees with 80% humidity and 19 MPH winds!!! On the drive to the race, to add insult to injury, it begins to pour down rain. Lovely!!! By the time I got to the race site, the rain cleared up and as I got checked-in, marked, and set up my transition area, I felt pretty good. (Probably 60-70% of my norm) I meet up with a bunch of folks from the Tri club and we go get a warmup swim in before race debreifing. Warmup went well, I was feeling as good as I was going to feel. I pounded a little more Cliff Shot and it was time to start.

     There were well over 400 people in the event and I was seeded as bib #61 based on my estimated 300M swim time. They were sending people into the pool every 10 seconds and the rough part was that there was traffic coming both directions in the pool, so you had to be very careful in trying to pass. The poor guy in front of me got his ankles slapped every stroke for the first 4-5 lengths because he was cramming the center of the lane, and people coming the opposite direction were doing the same. I finally found an opening and went for it at 200 M and busted out the rest. The results show that my swim split was 3:00 on the nose for my 300M swim, which is deffinetly a PR. I get out of the pool, off come the goggles, and into T1.

     T1 was smooth, in and out in 54 seconds, I can't complain. On to the bike! Oh I love wind! on the way out, 18 MPH wind in your face with up to 30MPH gusts, no thanks. There were some good hills out and in on the bike, but it went smooth. I certainly did not feel 100% but I felt OK. I averaged 25MPH on the way back in and overall, averaged 20.1MPH on the bike. I got passed 1 time on the bike, by my buddy Ryan, I passed 15-20 people to hold my own. I get back into transition, and I am beginning to drag, no energy left at all. I take my time putting my shoes and socks on, chug some Cliff and finish T2 in 1:33 not great, but it is what it is.

     I was feeling terrible the whole run. At about mile 1 my stomach began to feel like it was in knots, and I begin running with "Clinched Cheeks" so I did not have an accident. Seriously, I thought I was going to have to run into a bush, but I held it in and didn't have to evacuate, thank goodness. I basically just try to survive the run, feeling like crud, but still suprisingly, having a lot of fun seeing the faces of so many friends cheering me on. I ended up averaging a slow 8:22 p/ mile pace. This was frustrating because just Wednesday I PR'd on the 5k at 21:29....This 26:05 5K time was almost 5 minutes behind that... Oh well, I am glad I finished, and I know if I was in 100% health, I would have cleaned house.

     All-in-all it was a great day considering. It is always a blast to race, always a blast to be amongst friends, and always a blast to have my family, especially my new born Austin cheering me on. (Ava stayed home with Grandma due to the spewing previously spoken of). As per the results, I finished 4th in Clydes, however the guy who placed third either set a new 5k record for a 5K in 11:52, after averaging 15.7 on the bike, or he did not finish all 4 of the fingers (Out and back portions) of the run, which is likely the case. With that being said, I unofficialy took 3rd in my division finishing 1:19 behind the 1st place Clydes in a finish time of 1:12:45. My splits were as follows:

Swim: 3:00 300Meters (1:00 p/ M)    T1: :54     Bike: 41:10 (14 miles) average pace (20.1MPH)
T2: 1:33     Run: 5k 26:05 average pace 8:22 p/mile        TOTAL CHIP TIME: 1:12:45

     Well folks, that's it. Another race, another great experience, and an interesting day to "TRI MY WILL."  It is funny how a short little sprint Tri can humble you and make you realize how tough it can be to push through struggles, challenges, and not-so-perfect conditions. Now it is time to set my sites on my first Half Ironman in Orlando, Florida in 20 days and counting..... I cannot wait! Have a good one ya'll.

****Keller ST. Patrick's Day Triathlon****

     I woke up at about 4:30am felt great and was ready for the race. I drank a 16oz bottle of Gatorade Focus to get my hydration going, then ate 2 slices of wheat toast with some margerine, had a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter a granola bar, and was ready to rumble. I drank a few more fluids closer to the race.

Now for the reality: 
a balmy 39 degrees with light drizzles going on... BRRRRRRRRRR!!!
The thought of jumping out of the water and getting on a bike wet and
cold was not very appealing at all! There were over 700 people registered
for the tri so it was a great turnout and everyone froze together!!!
It's sad that to "Warm-up" I had to jump INTO the pool and swim some laps
before-hand. Anyways....



     They started us off according to our estimated 300 meter swim time
we put on our registration form. I put 5 minutes flat for my time.
(My fastest time for 300 I have is 4:11) So I was very conservative in my
estimation and was seeded as BIB #119. Appearently, folks have no idea what
a 5 minute 300 meter swim consists of because I passed 2 swimmers on the
1st LENGTH (Not lap, length) 5 minutes? yeah right... Anyways, I spent all
5:03 that it took me to swim, dodging people who need to get their heads
and rear-ends wired together I guess. Anyways, I was happy with my swim
time, could have done it quicker, but why tire for a few seconds?
I made it out of the pool and was slappped with the weather when I ran out
the door of the Natatorium in to Transition #1 and my feet almost
immediately froze on contact with the concrete! On to the bike...



     I had only got a chance to ride my new Tri bike 1 time before this
race and it is NOT like riding a road bike! I felt like I had never ridden
before and the muscles I engage being aero felt like they had never been
used before yesterday. My bike split was awful! I averaged almost 20 mph on
my road bike on this same course last year in The Monster Tri, yesterday I 
averaged a weak 17.5 mph... ugh! Anyways it was cold, wet and miserable
out on the road, and I know in just a few weeks I will be a force to be
reconned with on my new bike, just need to get a little more saddle time in!
Going into Transition #2, I got out of my shoes on the bike and hit
the frozen ground running into transition. My feet were so cold they felt
like they were getting stabbed! I got to my setup, racked my bike,
with my frozen hands tried my hardest to get my socks on, I finally did,
pulled on my shoes & used my Yankz and I was ready to jam on it on the run...

    
     The run went by WAY fast... I guess anything feels fast when you just
ran a 26.2 mile marathon 2 weeks ago. The 5k was pretty much flat and there
were a lot of people on the trail. I ended up running the 5k in 23:48 which
translates to 7:41 minute miles... I'll take it. It was not until I hit
mile 2 that I could actually feel my feet again... I think that if my feet
would have felt 100% and were warm, I could have ran in 21 minutes, but we
will get em next time!



     Overall, I am very happy with my race, I ended up taking 4th out of 43
in my division. There were only 4 minutes that seperated me and 1st place,
and had I even had my road bike out there, I would have mopped up 1st place,
no problem. Anyways, I have some work to do on my new bike, thank goodness
it is warmin up outside, and everything else is progressing nicely! Thanks
to all my friends and family who always love and support me, you are the
best!



     So, year-to-date for my events, I have ran a full marathon, finishing
10th out of 61, and a Sprint Triathlon finishing 4th out of 43 people in my
respective divisions. I am very happy with the results and I will be a
fine instrument of Triathlon Warfare by the end of the 2009 season!
Take care ya'll...

*****Cowtown Marathon Race Report*****

Well, today was an awesome day!  I came in 10th place out of 61 in Clydesdale division with a finishing time of 4:23:01 for 26.2 miles! So let me back up and tell you about the day:

I woke up at 4:45 am, did some lite stretching, pounded a 32 ounce bottle of Gatorade Focus, and followed that with a big bowl of oatmeal. I took a couple big bites of peanut butter, took a shower, got dressed, got my hydration / fuel belt loaded up, and waited for my friend to pick me up to head out to the race. When I walked out to get into his car, I immediately felt like I was getting stabbed by the cold air and 22mph winds that were blowing. I went in to the house, grabbed my jacket and we were off. The race started promptly at 7:30, and we arrived at 6:30. We hung out in the car to keep warm until about 6:50, then we headed to the "John" I chugged another thing of Gatorade, ate a banana and was ready to go. They had a 5k 10k half marathon, full marathon, and Ultra marathon.  The half, full, and ultra started together and the start line was packed! Over 17,000 people this year between all events!

I started off strong!! Maybe a little too strong, but I was feeling great, aside from 35 degree weather and 20+mph winds, and a course that had hardly and flat spots, it was all hills... the longest one being 2.5% for over a mile at mile 21 or so!!! My goal was to finish between 4:00:00 - 4:20:00, knowing that if all the stars aligned and we had optimal conditions, I could probably pull of a sub 4 hour run. The day actually went by pretty fast, and aside from the conditions, it was a great race. Yesterday I drank so much fluid and this morning I drank so much fluid to be completely hydrated, however, I ended up having to stop 5 times on the course to tinkle because I was not sweating out the fluids! (Probably 10 minutes of wasted time!) For nutrition, I took in Gatorade at most stations, I went through 4 bags of sports beans, and went through 1 pack of electrolyte tabs (Salt & loads of potassium). It really helped me to not hit the "Wall" this time around. Leading up to the race... Monday, Tuesday, and half of Wednesday were protein load, the rest of the week was carb load, it worked great!

As for my pace, my splits are below:

Dan Benintendi #131

Age: 33 Gender: M

If I would have started out a little slower, I probably would have had a stronger 2nd half, but I will not complain with an overall average pace 10:02 p/ mile. It has been 13 months since my surgery and as long since I weighed 400 pounds. I am so grateful to be able to do what I now love to do... Endurance Sports!! My family was there to greet me at the finish line... I rode out with my buddy so they would not have to sit around freezing for 4+ hours waiting for me, so they got there about 45 minutes before I finished, and I was so happy to see them. Well, that's it, a great day, a great event, a great result, and a great start to 2009 that now has 2 sprint triathlons, 4 Half Ironmans, 1 Full Ironman, and another Full Marathon. Here's to marathon #2 under my belt with a 30+ minute improvement from my last one, in much more difficult conditions. Thank you all for your love, support, and encouragement, I could not have done this without you...

-Dan Benintendi  www.trimywill.com

 Dallas "Run The Rock" Race Report

 A Thanksgiving Update & Race Report....

 

About 10 minutes after we finished the 5K my 10K started. I have not been feeling 100% with some congestion and limited lung capacity. Anyways, I wanted to finish my first 10K in about 52 minutes. The course was a lot hillier than I had thought it would be, but it was a lot of fun, through some nice neighborhoods. I finished in 54:02 (Unofficial) according to my watch when I crossed the start and finish line. It was a mass start and there was no chip reader at the start so those who were stuck at the middle or back of the pack had to wait a few minutes to get going, and the official times will reflect that misfortune. Official results to post in the morning. All-in-all, I am pretty happy with my time on my first 10k! 


My son Ayden, and nephew Alex ran the 1K Gobbler Trot. They both were pretty quick and got their finishers medals... That by far will be the highlight for their 2008 Thanksgiving! It is amazing to think that my first Thanksgiving post op was spent at a running event, rather than sleeping in until 10am, eating a bunch of donuts, and harasing my wife about turkey not being ready! What a difference 10.5 months makes!! I love my life, love my family, and am looking forward to spending the day at home relaxing.

9 Month Post Op Triathlon Race Report....Keller, TX Monster Tri
on October 27, 2008 7:12 pm
Published

Ok,

    So yesterday was an awesome race. The sun was shinning, the air was brisk, and the atmosphere happy and cheerful! This was my 2nd Triathlon since my surgery in January when I weighed 400 Pounds. I have now lost 180 pounds and was feeling so great for this race.....

     The event was sold out with over 515 entrants, and I ended up estimating my swim time for 300 Meters at 6:00, knowing full well I swim it in about 5:15. The lanes were 11 feet across and you only went up one lane then moved over to the next lane in a snake pattern, so no traffic coming from both directions, so I knew it would be easier to pass the slower swimmers as I had been seeded as number 217. Well, I blew by 7 people on the swim finishing in 5:48. (The chip reader was a good distance away from pool exit so alot of seconds attributed to that). First transition took a little longer than I would have liked at 1:46, then I was off to the 2 loop bike course.

     This bike course was 13 miles, and had some brutal hills. The front end of the course was pretty flat with a few rolling hills, but the last half was pretty challenging. I ended up with a time of 38:29 averaging just about 19 MPH. I'll take it! Transition 2 went fairly smooth, still a little longer than I wanted at 1:20, but acceptable....Off to the run.

     The run was pretty flat, and very scenic on a paved trail through trees and a nice park. I passed a bunch of folks on the run, and my confidence in my run has dramatically improved! I finished the 5K run (3.1 miles) in 27:14....I'll take it! I could have pushed a little harder, but I am way happy with my results.

     I competed as a Clydesdale along with about 30+ guys in the 1-39 year old division. At packet pickup I met a couple dudes who have completed multiple Full Ironman distance Tri's andwere competing as Clydesdales, along with a dude from my Tri club who is an Ironman finisher as well. So, needless to say, I had no real hopes of walking away with hardware, but I took a respectable 7th! I ended up finishing 120th overall and had an absolute blast competing. Last month at my first Tri, I finished the same distances at 1:34:00... Yesterday, I shaved 20 minutes off that time! I am heading in the right direction!

    I have signed up for a full marathon here in Dalls in December, and it will fall on my 11th month surgiversary. I think I a ready. I am running about 30-40 miles per week, and will build up for the full marathon, I can't wait. Also, I am going to register for the Louseville, Kentucky FULL Ironman in August of 09....I am addicted to this sport! Thanks for reading and I have copied some pics for you to check out.....Thanks for all of your support and encouragement.

***Results:

 http://www.doitsports.com/newresults3/client/195714_226309_2008.txt

9/20/2008 The 10th Annual Denison Dash - Denison, TX

Today I Did It.... I Am A Triathlete...8 Months Post-Op
on September 20, 2008 4:50 pm

Ok Guys,
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    Today was such and awesome day!!! We had to leave at 4:30am this morning to get to the triathlon race site in time, so we packed up and headed out. The morning was absolutely gorgeous and the staff and volunteers at the race were incredible. All-in-all, I am VERY pleased with myself in regards to my performance. I went into my first race with 2 goals. #1 Goal....DON'T FINISH LAST....#2 No matter how tired I got, I would not stop swimming, pedaling, or running.

     Well, not only did I accomplish these two goals, but managed to come in 2nd in the Clydesdale division ages 7-39!!! My splits were as follows:

Swim: 5:48 in a VERY crowded pool (Placed 33 Overall on swim time)

Bike: Averaged 18.7 MPH on the hilliest course I have ever ridden!

Run: Averaged a slow 10:12 Mile over a very rugged terrain & trail run.

Of course as we are about to start, the guy who has been in this race the last 4 years itterates how much he hates the bike ride because of the hills! I am thinking the worst.... I will say my legs were shot and they certainly did not feel like moving at all after the ride, but we got em moving, and I am still alive to tell about it. I loved my first outing and am hooked...For more pics go to my profile and view Triathlon folder. Thanks guys for all your support & encouragement.

Contact me with feedback dan@trimywill.com