Finish Strong Coaching Athlete: Jerry Palmer
Age group: M40-44
Bib number: 864
Finish Strong athlete, Jerry Palmer, is raising money for the Blazeman Foundation for ALS. This is an update he sent to his fundraising contributors last week. Go to Waronals.com to support the foundation.
"Well, as predicted, the summer flew by and the race is in two weeks and I am super excited. As I’ve done previously, I’d like to bring everyone up to speed on the Blazeman Foundation and my final physical and mental preparations for race day.
Blazeman Foundation: I would love to report at this stage that I have exceeded my fundraising goals, but at the moment I cannot. Fortunately for me I have the support of the Blaises who are quite adept at social media, so we all continue to pound the cyber streets of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Our fundraising effort was picked up as a story by the World Triathlon Corporation, the organization that owns Ironman, so we were invited to participate in some pre-race and race-day fundraising that will be promoted by Ironman and the Ironman Foundation. Ironman will also match dollar for dollar and funds raised through this mechanism so we really have the opportunity to hit a home run.
On a related [note] I wanted to let everyone know that Adam Webber will be wearing #179 on race day. Adam is a superstar age-group triathlete who is a former professional and recently won the prestigious Hy-Vee Triathlon in Iowa. Adam has also been inspired by Jon Blais’ story and went as far as to name his first son “Blaze” after Jon. That’s dedication. My official number will be #864 but I’m sure I’ll find a spot for an extra #179. Adam and I have also exchanged notes and are going to connect in Kona so it’s really been a win all around.
Final Preparations: I’ve diligently logged all of the miles [of] swimming, biking and running that are required to be physically ready to complete this race. My girlfriend, friends and family can surely attest to this. Although race day is an individual effort it really is a team effort to get to the starting line of one of these races. In addition to you all and those I’ve already mentioned there are triathlon coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, swim coaches, training partners, bike mechanics who have had a hand in the experience and are vital to a successful race-day experience. I have been truly blessed with a great support crew. So, with the physical preparation out of the way, the mental preparation really starts. I go through an inventory in my mind of what success looks like on race day; I also go through dozens of “what if” scenarios to try to prepare for just about everything from jellyfish stings to flat tires or broken cables. Finally, I think about some inspiring quotes—these tend to be particularly helpful at about mile 18 of the run when your body is begging you to stop moving. Some of my favorites (from triathletes) are the following:
“You can quit and they won’t care, but you will always know.” – John Collins, one of the original inventors of the Ironman
“To some extent, we are all labeled by what we’re able to achieve. But more importantly, we are defined by what we attempt.” – Scott Tinley, two-time Ironman World Champion
“A dream is a goal with a plan” – Chris McCormack, two-time Ironman World Champion and author of I’m Here to Win
“Live more than your neighbors. Unleash yourself upon the world and go places. Go now, giggle, know, laugh, and bark at the moon like the wild dog you are. Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal, this is it, your life. Face your fears and live your dreams. Take it all in. Yes every chance you get, come close. And by all means, whatever you do, get it on film!” – Jon Blais, The Blazeman
Thanks again for everything. You can follow #864 at Ironmanlive.com beginning at 7 a.m. Hawaii time on Oct. 8. It’s time to get this done.
Your friend,
Jerry Palmer"
Age group: M40-44
Bib number: 864
Finish Strong athlete, Jerry Palmer, is raising money for the Blazeman Foundation for ALS. This is an update he sent to his fundraising contributors last week. Go to Waronals.com to support the foundation.
"Well, as predicted, the summer flew by and the race is in two weeks and I am super excited. As I’ve done previously, I’d like to bring everyone up to speed on the Blazeman Foundation and my final physical and mental preparations for race day.
Blazeman Foundation: I would love to report at this stage that I have exceeded my fundraising goals, but at the moment I cannot. Fortunately for me I have the support of the Blaises who are quite adept at social media, so we all continue to pound the cyber streets of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Our fundraising effort was picked up as a story by the World Triathlon Corporation, the organization that owns Ironman, so we were invited to participate in some pre-race and race-day fundraising that will be promoted by Ironman and the Ironman Foundation. Ironman will also match dollar for dollar and funds raised through this mechanism so we really have the opportunity to hit a home run.
On a related [note] I wanted to let everyone know that Adam Webber will be wearing #179 on race day. Adam is a superstar age-group triathlete who is a former professional and recently won the prestigious Hy-Vee Triathlon in Iowa. Adam has also been inspired by Jon Blais’ story and went as far as to name his first son “Blaze” after Jon. That’s dedication. My official number will be #864 but I’m sure I’ll find a spot for an extra #179. Adam and I have also exchanged notes and are going to connect in Kona so it’s really been a win all around.
Final Preparations: I’ve diligently logged all of the miles [of] swimming, biking and running that are required to be physically ready to complete this race. My girlfriend, friends and family can surely attest to this. Although race day is an individual effort it really is a team effort to get to the starting line of one of these races. In addition to you all and those I’ve already mentioned there are triathlon coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, swim coaches, training partners, bike mechanics who have had a hand in the experience and are vital to a successful race-day experience. I have been truly blessed with a great support crew. So, with the physical preparation out of the way, the mental preparation really starts. I go through an inventory in my mind of what success looks like on race day; I also go through dozens of “what if” scenarios to try to prepare for just about everything from jellyfish stings to flat tires or broken cables. Finally, I think about some inspiring quotes—these tend to be particularly helpful at about mile 18 of the run when your body is begging you to stop moving. Some of my favorites (from triathletes) are the following:
“You can quit and they won’t care, but you will always know.” – John Collins, one of the original inventors of the Ironman
“To some extent, we are all labeled by what we’re able to achieve. But more importantly, we are defined by what we attempt.” – Scott Tinley, two-time Ironman World Champion
“A dream is a goal with a plan” – Chris McCormack, two-time Ironman World Champion and author of I’m Here to Win
“Live more than your neighbors. Unleash yourself upon the world and go places. Go now, giggle, know, laugh, and bark at the moon like the wild dog you are. Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal, this is it, your life. Face your fears and live your dreams. Take it all in. Yes every chance you get, come close. And by all means, whatever you do, get it on film!” – Jon Blais, The Blazeman
Thanks again for everything. You can follow #864 at Ironmanlive.com beginning at 7 a.m. Hawaii time on Oct. 8. It’s time to get this done.
Your friend,
Jerry Palmer"
