Back from Ironman Arizona

Yes...I am an Ironman whore. Not only do I participate, I seem to spectate several throughout the year. I just returned from five days in the deserts watching Jess and others compete in Ironman Arizona. She had I totally kick ass race. I am so incredibly proud of her.

One thing I like about watching Ironman races is that I get to travel to places I would have otherwise never visited....Madison, WI; Louisville, KY; Coeur d'Alene, ID; Tempe, AZ. I would never have picked any of these destinations in a million years.

Another interesting aspect is seeing how a city transforms to accommodate the Ironman race. Finding 112 miles of safe road is a difficult feat anywhere. In some cases, the bike and run encompass the entire city. At other venues, the race officials are able to direct athletes to side streets and neighbor hoods.

This got me to thinking about the preposterous question of which Ironman is the best? So over the next few days I am going to think through that question. There are SOOO many variables but I am going to sort through them both from a racing and spectating perspective.

I have now visited all but Lake Placid and Canada (doesn't count). And Kona trumps all so that isn't a fair assessment. But CDA, AZ, FL, WI, KY are all unique in their own way. I will attempt to capture the pros and cons of each venue so that future athletes can make more informed decisions.

And I will try to upload a few photos from this weekend!