He might get halfway but I don't he will be able to do it either. I think the run will be the killer component. Didn't the red bull challenge guy try the same and didn't finish day 2?

I was shocked just at day 2. Going from day 1 in Hawaii and flying up to Alaska for day 2. I would not get off the plane. I would admit to failure while drinking my 6th scotch.

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Adrian in Vancouver

Yeah, probably not. The current triple deca record (30 days) was set in a single location. They averaged 12 hours per iron distance, but Lawrence is probably more likely in the 13-15 hour range. Throw in the logistics of moving from state to state everyday and add 20 more days ... it will be pretty hard to do.

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I hope he makes it. He put up some pretty good times during that run of 30 a couple years ago. On his FB page I think he mentioned some pacing like 16-18 mph on the bike and 10-12 min/miles on the run. It's still 26.2 miles regardless of pace. It will be fun to watch that's for sure.

Since West Virginia doesn't have an Iron Distance race and there aren't any on weekdays, I'll assume these are self supported 'races' at any random location. If that's the case, he could just go swim at a YMCA, ride some flat roads, then walk a marathon on the track. Repeat 50 times.

Yeah, piece of cake.

Guess that came out wrong. Still hard.

Hard would be an understatement.

I rode the TdF route in 2007 a week before the race. I figured it would be hard, but I underestimated it all around. Not only did the constant riding wear me down, but so did the constant travel and finding campsites, etc.... And that was only three weeks. And travel was negligible. And only 100-120 miles of biking a day. This guy is going to do a full Ironman. Seven weeks of it. Traveling to a new state every day. People have done this with marathons only and pulled it off, but there's a big difference in having 20 hours a day for travel versus 10. I don't see how it can be done, even if he has a charter plane at his disposal.

Yeah, if you are not familiar with these types of "stunts" they usually are what most would consider consecutive training days. You see it often in the 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states type of challenge. There are some actual races that are held in a single location like the deca and a couple years ago the triple deca for example, but often when someone does something like this it is more of a media event not a race. Nothing wrong with it, mad respect, but you are pretty much making up your own single person race with your own rules and course.

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Is this that guy in Utah who is/or was unemployed and set up a charity to pay for his triathlons?

The current Guinness record is 30. Some people have done more than that (there's at least a 33/33 IM that was done as a study on human physiology and possibly more) but have not been recognized by Guinness. That's a whole debate about whether or not Guinness rules are fair, but in the end, it doesn't really diminish the efforts.

But as you say, the real hurdle is travel + random driving around to find pool, roads to do the "races", then drive around again to hotels. Then again, you could get a nice RV and the guy could sleep the whole way while someone is driving him to the next location. I wouldn't be able to do that, but he might. Other than the Hawaii -> Alaska (assuming Washington next?) flights, you can sleep in an RV (and your driver does the same while you race).

Still. Nuts.

It really doesn't sound like fun. If he was doing consecutive 14 hour races, that means he hits the RV, showers, eats, drinks, sleeps on the road then gets up 10 hours later to do it again. Hopefully, if nothing interrupts his sleep, he falls right to sleep, and doesn't have to do anything to figure out logistics, he gets 8 or 9 hours of sleep a night.

I don't see how you can pull it off. 50 in 100 days I can see being possible, though still not fun, but 50/50. That would suck hard.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

He's from Utah, I don't think the rest of it's correct.

Yeah, I would be shocked if the plan doesn't include using an RV. From a logistics standpoint it is the only thing that really make sense.

Don't get me wrong. I think it is humanly possible for the right person, I just think the logistics and rest over 50 days are going to add up.

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Wouldn't it be great to be able to quit your job and attempt crazy crap like this. Best of luck to him but I just don't see how you get it done. There are so many variables of things that could go wrong that the odds are really stacked against him. If he succeeds then kudos to him. Amazing feat.

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http://dontletitdefeatyou.blogspot.com

Utah, correct. The NP status of his charity seems to be in question as well on the comment boards of the article. Who knows...

I don't know if it is the same guy. Two or three years ago the Utah County tri community was abuzz about someone who was doing twenty or thirty Ironmans and using a charity to fund it. People were guestimating how much he was taking his charity for. I forget the exact story but it was something like he was unemployed and wanted to get into tri coaching. Whatever. It is Utah. You have to expect this sort of shit.

Anyway. This reminds me of the most marathons in a year record holders who are race directors of most of the "marathons" they do. They organize a marathon every day on the same route. Let's Run had a huge thread about it.

He had A LOT of sponsors when he did the 30 in a year, I do remember that for sure.

I say no way.

But...


if there is a way, it would take a physiological freak, a whole lotta luck ( just avoiding a twisted ankle, saddle sores, total immune system crash), serious support staff, and the logistical skill of a D-Day invasion planner...

That being said, I'd love to see him prove me wrong...happy to give him a standing O

Take a look at his route. It's already planned out with where he's swimming, whether pool or open water, and bike and run routes. It's pretty amazing!

http://www.ironcowboy.co/calendar/

a few of those bikes and runs look pretty urban. they will be a pain, whether on a bike path with other users, or on streets with traffic.

good luck to him. but i don't think this can be done.

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run well, run happy
george

Damn there was a lot of work put into that plan.

If he some how makes it to day 39 he'll pass within a couple miles of my house on one of my regular cycling routes. If he makes it that far, I'll personally swing by and apologize for doubting him.

On day 3 he is doing the Lake Stevens Half Ironman bike ride... twice.

It is a great ride... but i wonder is getting local input (like don't ride on Machias Road, take the Centennial Trail that parallels the road... there is not a good shoulder on the heavily trafficked two lane road and the locals are not terribly fond of cyclists anyways)

I wish him luck... but damn, I can't even imagine the toll that it would take on a human body to complete that not to mention the mental fortitude. (I get cranky on only one day a week, before i realized how much i needed that 2nd one)

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I do the same thing as them, just slower

I skimmed it, but the courses I looked at were the real thing. I was imagining flat simple courses with multiple loops etc but no. These mostly have a few good sized hills etc. Not sure that's a good idea. I'm skeptical he will make it.