Same here, IronTour '96 brings awesome memories: fueling at the all-you-can-eat buffet day before the race (can I count the ways it went wrong?), passing Scott Tinley on MTB circuit (not for long 
), my teammate repeatedly diving under the trucks on the side of the run course to find some axle grease for his blisters, and seeing Tinley/Schumaker/Vithian after the run turnaround cruising to a win. We were top 10 but experience made it top 3 in our racing lives than. Side question - did Shannon drove a decommissioned Hummer at that time?
Side question - did Shannon drove a decommissioned Hummer at that time?
Shannon didnât, but I do vaguely recall a vehicle similar to that being used by the Tinley team during the run relay leg of the Saturday morning race.
Our teamâs mistake during that leg? Deciding to use MTBs instead of a car to transport us back to Pleasant Hill during that leg when it wasnât our turn to run. The thought was that we could spin out our legs, but the effort to get up the hills on the bikes fatigued us more than they helped with recovery.
Maumee Bay 2019 - pouring rain throughout the entire race. The kind of rain that soaks you in seconds. Was glorious!
Too many to remember! I moved to the Dayton, OH area in 2002 and started racing HFP events when we did ~1/2mile swim / 20 mile bike / 4 mile run most weekends. I was a young twenty something back then and Shannon simply put on events where we just killed each other. As things went on it seemed bike courses were designed to find the hardest climb possible. Make everyone ride up it then go back. I think it was in East Fork at the top of a crazy climb I told a volunteer, âthat was hard!â and the guy said people were cussing at him. Classic HFP - NO LIMITS! I had a 39/21 if I remember right too. So dumb!
After a few years I was standing next to Shannon at Buckeye Lake getting ready for a sprint race. As we got closer to go time I asked, âdo you still get nervous?â He said every time! I agreed that I felt like a lemming and was terrified. I think we went 1-2 that day. Shannon always pushed me to the max. At Creaser creek one year in the heat we both melted down and ended up half dead under a sprinkler on our backs after the race. I donât remember how beat who, I just remember we gave everything and ended up next to each other under the sprinkler.
Also as a 3x TTT finisher, the best triathlon event possible, and yes I have done Kona, Shannonâs vision for the sport was way ahead of its time. Talk about finding your limits!
Thank you Shannon for all you have done for the sport and never compromising on what is important to you. We always started every event in fellowship together. Your example is something that has shaped me as the person I am today.