The reporter got some of the details wrong (no 30 mile runs) and “put some words in my mouth”. He spent a lot of time with Joe and myself and overall did a great job. Click the “enlarge photo” and you will see more pictures.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/oct/15/iron_joe/?neapolitan
Nice writeup!! See y’all in PCB and Clearwater!
Thanks for posting this Sue. Both of you are inspirational!
I’ve met Joe…at the Convention Center in Madison before IM-WI in 2004…where I said hello from about twenty feet away because I was ridiculously sick and didn’t want to get him sick. Great guy.
Best of luck in Kona,
Mark
Great article. Both of you are definitely my heroes!
Ken
Great article on the Bonness’ (is that how you pluralize Bonness?).
Heard about Joe before my first IM, which was IMF 2003. He inspired me about this sport. It was a treat to “run” with him in GFT last year (I’m sure he did not notice that someone on their 2nd lap, or maybe it was my first lap, shadowed him for 50 yards while he was on his last lap). Co-workers of mine who once worked for Joe say great things about him.
I know you from your posts here: helpful, positive, and fun. You inspire me about life. Hope to meet you at a race soon (unfortunately, I’ll be at GFT while you’ll be in Kona).
We triathletes are lucky to have you both in our community.
Have fun in Hawaii. Best of luck to Joe.
That’s a great article.
Looking forward to meeting you and Mr. Support Crew in Kona!
Aloha!
-M
Thanks, Sue!
Keep On Truckin’ …
KP
You had to laugh at…“Most triathletes complete the courses between 10 to 11 hours”… Truely the reporter doesn’t really understand the IM.
Awesome and well-deserved article! Really will try to meet you guys in PCB or Clearwater. I thought I did well with my training schedule, but after reading Joe’s, I feel defeated! Ha, ha.
“It’s funny,” she says. "Most of the time the ones who are being so arrogant are the ones who are coming in second place. They need to make others feel worse so they can feel superior.
Ah, Sue, you just had to go and out me to the press, didn’t ya?
I am definitely looking forward to meeting you and Joe next month in Clearwater.
I enjoyed the article. Thanks Sue.
No mention of the dogs though, eh? Grrrrrrr…
Thank you so much for forwarding that great article about Joe. He is not only an amazing athlete but also a very awesome person.
I hope so much that he wins the age group record in Hawaii.
Herbert
Quintana Roo / Litespeed
thanks so much for posting that article! Truly inspirational.
Where in Michigan did you guys grow up? Grosse Pointe? I had the opportunity to crew for a friends dad’s boat there one time in college. It was a blast!
Sue - that was really a great story! So nice to have met you and Joe this summer. Sounded like a pretty accurate piece to me 
I’m sure Joe was blushing reading it (OK, maybe not)
You know I have heard a lot about Joe and his accomplishments but YOU are the real hero in my book! I have never met either of you but this occurred to me on a training ride the other day. You are one unselfish person.
Thanks all. Joe is the inspiration, I just live vicariously through others.
The reporter did put his own spin on my “elitism” comment. Any I never said Skinny!
He also exaggerated Joe’s training miles and it’s 3 GFT wins.
The dogs were at the sitter’s already when they came to the house. The reporter and photographer followed Joe around for over a week. It was flattering, but not good timing the week before we left for Hawaii.
Sue, we met after the first HalfIM in St Croix 2001- in the airport as we left. It was the year Joe did a triple in IMs in 3 weeks, but to be clear isn’t it in fact 3Ironmans in 14 days as they actually Occur over three consecutive weekends… so if you count the days it would be 14 days?
Weeman
Sue your husband looks great in a speedo!
I had never heard of Joe Bonness.
That is my mistake.
At the Ford Ironman 70.3 Whirlpool Steelhead Triathlon I was on my way out on the run. It hurt. It had been a difficult year moving my business and not enough time to really get my training in- I told myself.
At about the four mile mark going out I realized it was going to be a long day and that breaking five hours, my de facto goal for the day, wasn’t looking very realistic. In short, the day was starting to get long.
“I’m 44, just becoming out of shape, my business is growing and more demanding than ever, I just got married and I’ve been doing this for 23 years… Over 200 triathlons. Maybe it is time to call it a day on this sport and just sell bikes…”
That was going through my head. Few other people have done 200 races on 7 continents I rationalized. Maybe I had found some human wear-mark, maybe I had actually worn myself out. Maybe there was wisdom in finishing up today and calling it good. Maybe I should just be done.
Then this guy came around the corner. This guy was older than me, a bit older. He had a beard. I’ll tell you man, this guy was f*#@ing hauling. It was amazing. What’s more, the dude was breathing fire. I mean, you should have seen the look on his face. He was right up there. The guys in front of him and behind him were, like, 23 years old. He looked in his 50’s. He seemed to be in position to contest the *overall *outcome of the race.
I didn’t know who he was. I presumed he may have been lost, took a wrong turn on the course and accidentally cut it short. There was no way a fellow his age could be going that fast, that late in the race, in that overall position among the field. It wasn’t possible, I mean, I was just then enetertaining the thought of calling it a career.
A while after crossing the finish line I looked at the results.
That guy’s name was Joe Bonness. That was the guy I saw.
I got to thinking about him. He has a successful business, probably works his ass off (who doesn’t these days?). He is in his 50’s and he is out there absolutely kicking butt.
So, what the hell was my excuse?
I entered Ironman. A big part of the reason was, if this Joe character, that fast old guy from Steelhead, could still kick ass than maybe I was just having a weak moment when I thought about quitting.
It was as though Bonness came around that corner right when I needed him too.
Realistically, I would suggest Joe Bonness has had as big an effect on my motivation and inspiration for the sport as Dave Scott, Scott Molina, Scott Tinley and Mark Allen did when I was a kid back in the '80’s.
It’s entirely possible that without Joe Bonness I may have quit the sport. What an asshole move that would have been.
Joe, never met you, likely never will. But if you are reading this: Thanks man. Thanks.
Cool article. Thanks for the link, Sue. I met both of you in Honolulu last year. Something I won’t forget was following Joe down the road on Waikiki during the race (as he was pulling away) and seeing spectators point to him as he passed. That’s when I realized he was a celebrity. Raw oats and water for breakfast!? Any other austere food items in his diet you’d be willing to share with the gang?