A Front-Row Seat

Lisa Bentley, the 11-time Ironman winner and winner for the third time at Ironman Canada, posted her finish photo on xtri.com. I got my folks into the VIP area for the day, and there they are on the right as Lisa wins her third IMC. Dad in sunglasses, June in pink.

I checked my finish photos, and found they also made an appearance in my special "eyes closed" picture. Dad in his sunglasses is just above my left fist, and June is just to my left ear. They were so supportive and respective of my pre-race needs, and clicked well with my 87-year-old host and good friend Peter Egglestone.

The highlight of this Ironman Canada for me was, how my folks connected with the locals, and how my connections with the local triathlon community made me feel so at home. A big thrill was local triathlete Dave Matheson winning the notoriously tough 35-39 age group. On race day, he pulled off an outstanding marathon of 3:12, and finished 21st overall.