2014 Season Recap

It seems as if everyone is writing a "season in review" nowadays and I figured I should get in on the fun. For many of you that have been following along, you are fully aware that 2014 has been one incredible rookie season. I surpassed my expectations, I surpassed my competitors expectations and I probably surpassed your expectations. As I look back and reflect on the year that was, I have to say I am pretty darn proud of what I was able to accomplish. For everyone that was glued to Ironman live while I was racing or followed my race reports, here is a nice little summary. For those of you new to the program, here is what went down in my first season as a pro!

The race: Collegiate National Championship (Tempe, Arizona)
Result: 4th place
What went down: Rough swim, rough bike, blazing fast run. Went from 15th place in T2 to top-5 at the finish.
The takeaways: 1.) Running well off the bike is now a weapon in my arsenal 2.) I could have won that race...

The race: Ironman 70.3 Florida (Haines City, Florida) 
Result: 8th place professional
What went down: Pro racing is MUCH different than age group racing. There are tactics and there are packs. It is more of a game. I battled with some seasoned pros, held my own and got my first pro race in the bag.
The takeaway: Decision to turn pro= validated

The race: Memphis in May (Tunica, Mississippi) 
Result: 5th place professional
What went down: There was rain, it got muddy and I won some prize money.
The takeaway: Getting paid to swim, bike and run is awesome

The race: Ironman 70.3 Eagleman (Cambridge, Maryland) 
Result: 10th place professional
What went down: I'm one step above a B-rate pro and one step below an A-rate pro. Racing all day by yourself makes for a long one.
The takeaway: In order to be competitive at 70.3's I need to swim at or near the front group

The race: Ironman 70.3 Racine (Racine, Wisconsin)
Result: 11th place professional
What went down: I felt the best I had all year, executed a great race and couldn't even break the top-10 (my worst finish placing of the year)
The takeaway: Racine will always feel like home and sometimes, everyone and their brother turns up to a race in Wisconsin

The race: Challenge New Albany (Columbus, Ohio)
Result: 4th place professional
What went down: There was a race at the front between three guys and the a race for the remaining money spots 4-10. I beat all of those guys and almost caught 3rd place (the real, real Starky). I also scored a fat $1500 check and it was great.
The takeaway: I'm getting closer and closer to the front. These guys are starting to consider me a threat

The race: Ironman 70.3 Steelhead (Benton Harbor, Michigan)
Result: 4th place professional
What went down: An EPIC battle for 3rd place between myself and Mario de Ellis. We ran side by side for nearly the entire half marathon and I got beat in the end.
The takeaway: I wish I could have taken down super-Mario but another top-5 and another cash-in was a fine consolation prize.

The race: Ironman 70.3 Princeton (Princeton, New Jersey)
Result: 8th place professional
What went down: I trained too hard, my immune system was compromised and I got sick the week of the race. I felt terrible but still managed to put on a show for my family who came out to watch me do my thing.
The takeaway: I can still finish strong even when I really wanted to quit

The race: Ironman 70.3 Augusta (Augusta, Georgia)
Result: 4th place professional
What went down: 3.5 hours of duking it out at the front end of the race before my body said no-more. Ending the season on a high note with another top-5, another prize purse and a whole lot of motivation for 2015.

So there you have it! 2014 is a wrap. And things could not be looking any brighter for the upcoming year. Thanks for following along throughout the season and I can't wait to put up some even more impressive results in 2015.

Tune in next week for the third edition of Metzler's Musings.

Take care,
Justin

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