2010 Goofy Challenge at Disney World

So I thought about making a new blog for the Goofy Challenge. Then I thought I am actually quite lazy. I have two blogs; one is about life with a brain injury. The other was my journey to the Ironman. I am going to keep this blog and even though I am no longer on my journey to the Ironman (I will be doing another one down the road) I am going to use this blog and my sponsors information and log my road to the Goofy Challenge.




This should be interesting because it's one thing to train for the Marathon, it's another thing to wake up the next morning and run a half-marathon. So join me as I research and document what works and what does not work.

My Ironman Ink

Thanks to Sacred Heart Tattoo in Vancouver. A special thanks to Lacey. who was a rockstar!! Truly an artist, the whole crew there were awsome, but she was the icing on the cake. Lacey's Portfolio

I came in and I told them what I wanted. They got it right on and rocked out this kick ass tattoo. Truly professionals and a great bunch of people. Thanks for helping me with my dream guys!!

Sacred Heart Tattoo and Body Piercing

Thanks again Lacey for being part of my Ironman dream. Oh I did of course wait the suggested time before taking off the bandage, really I did! It only looks goopy because I reapplied stuff...yeah.

I am an Ironman

Mandy and I arrived in Penticton on August 27th. The drive there brought back allot of memories for me. I used to camp near Penticton as a kid. The drive there was just stunning. The weather was perfect, we were not rushed. One thing that we both noticed was the amount of devastation the pine beetles are having. This is very sad as the interior has always been such a prestige forest for me. Compared the city it was always so remote and raw!

We get to Penticton and out hotel. We were staying at the Apple Tree Inn. It was inexpensive and as close as we could get to the Ironman. (Another comment about Penticton, I understand that the Ironman is a big part of your income. I get that it has been hard year financially. It has been hard for the athletes as well. To make us pay for a minimum of a week for a hotel is just price gouging. I am already missing work for the days I am up in Penticton. I can’t afford to take a week off. You would have more people come up and they in turn would spend more money. You don’t need to milk from the few people that can make it. Make it more affordable and you would have a plethora of people to feed money off of.) The hotel is just a short drive from the start and the owners were very nice. Their son was also participating in the event.

The entire town is awash with energy. There tri bikes everywhere. There are people running and biking up and down the streets. Mandy commented to me “everyone looks like you”. Meaning that everyone was dressed in running gear, they all had this look of someone who has worked out hard for at least a year.

We unpack that night and the next day we go to the expo and I get in line for my athlete’s bib number, my stickers with my bib #, and my running bib. I get a free water bottle (more on the swag later) and a typical package of many events. Local coupons, town maps etc.

After waiting in line for the athlete’s package I join Mandy in a line for some free Crock slippers. While waiting in line I hear some noise and decide to go check it out. I am walking through the expo and I see a test center for the new Cervelo P4. After drooling a little bit and talking myself out of a test ride. I notice a video camera and some news stations all around a small group of people.

I take a seat with some other people and realize that this is the press room for the pro athletes. They are all there. Tereza Mace, Belinda Granger, Jasper Blake, Luke Bell, just to name a few. The meeting is near it’s end when I get there and the athletes all make a quick exit, except for one, Jasper Blake. He is the only one that stays to sign autographs and talk to the fans. I work my way up and introduce myself as he is the one that dropped off my 7systems to my job. I shake his hand and chat for a minute. Then I head back to Mandy.

We leave the expo and head out about town. I have an athlete’s dinner and mandatory athletes meeting after words. Mandy and I head there only to find out it is for athletes only. I try and argue that I am a person with a disability and that Mandy is needed for me. I won’t remember what happened in the meeting. No dice, we are told that we can go back into town and get a ticket for her. Mandy says “don’t worry about it, I will go to the hotel”

I feel really bad. I am torn between going to the meeting and leaving my wife. We are now tying up the huge line. Mandy again tells me to go. I reluctantly go in.
The food was all vegetarian, that was perfect. I ate allot. There were salads, Lasagne, breads, lots and lots of fruit. When I get to the table to eat there are bottles of water, Gatorade, soft drinks, everywhere. I sit down and eat. I am surrounded by entire meeting hall of other people just like me. There is some tension as no one really knows what to talk about.

I ask the guy next to me if he has done an Ironman before. He states he has, but this is his first time in Penticton. This starts a conversation between us so I don’t feel like I am by myself.

After the dinner the Athletes meeting started. It was all about drafting, the rules of the road, time limits, swimming info, etc. Pretty typical stuff, if I do it again I think I will skip the line ups and have a nice dinner with my wife and an early night.

The next day is all about checking in your bike and your T1 and T2 bags. This is hard for me because of my brain. It takes a few hours of concentration. I need to plan ahead what I will need for my bike, my run. On race day I will bring my wetsuit and a dry clothes bag to put the things I change into.

I get everything all together and after I dropped of Mandy for her Spa treatment (this was her anniversary and birthday present all in one) I head back home and pick up all my stuff to drop off.

The gear drop off goes really well. The volunteers were amazing from start to finish. Everything was clearly marked and people are literally directing you exactly where to go.

So I walk away, with no bike, no Garmin, no running shoes. All I have left is my swim suit!! It is really happening. I drive out and pick up Mandy she is in a better mood and looks so beautiful. We take a nice slow drive back through Penticton. We go a little tourist and take some pics and just take in the beauty of the town. We head back to the hotel and take the night slow.

We were up at 4:30am. I had prepped everything the night before. I have my juice, my oatmeal, and I take some yogurt and fruit and granola with me. I have my green tea and we head out.

Mandy drops me off and I head through the entry point. It’s all on me now. The last year of training, the coaching, the hill training, the running, the swimming, getting sick, moving. It’s all come to this. I go zen!! I go and sit down with a bunch of other athletes that are all just visualizing the day. I do some stretches, I go pee about 5 times. I strip into my cycling pants and I start putting Chamois Butter on my body.

I slowly put on my wetsuit, I am paying attention to the announcer and I hear the words I have been waiting to hear. “Athletes please make you way to the swim start” We head through the timing section to make sure all the athletes are there. I head into the water.

This was something quite amazing to see. All these swim suits in the water, 2000 plus athletes all hanging out in knee deep water. A big huge start line dragging across the lake, the buoys are set up in the swim path. I take the opportunity to get on my swim cap, and my glasses, my ear plugs and I drop into the water. I go for a light 100 meter swim and get my body temperature down.

The pro’s are off. Amazing to see, so fast. Then it is time for everyone else.

I am off. I am in the water. Someone is on top of me, someone is front of me. Someone is beside me. They are everywhere. I get kicked in the head. I am ok, I was prepared for this. Someone tries to swim over me. I get aggressive. I elbow them, they go away. My feet hit someone. I don’t care, I am not trying to kick you, but if you swim into my feet there is nothing I can do. I start to get into my groove. The swimmers start to span out. I get to the half way point and I start to head back. I am doing well, and then my right leg starts to spasm. I yell out in pain into the water. I stop swimming and get run over. I can’t stop, so I start swimming. I close my eyes and deal with the pain. I try to move my foot, and stretch my calf muscle. It’s not going to happen, the muscle is locked. The spasms calm down, and the pain settles. It is now just a dull deep pain. I stop kicking and just swim.

I get to the swim end and head out of the water. I swam 3.8km in 1:23:58.

I am limping up the beach and head to the “strippers” I have already taken the top of my swim suit down and I lie down and the strippers rip of the rest. They pull me to my feet, and shove the suit at me and then they direct me to my T1 section. I limp to my bag of my swim gear.

I had brought a change of bike shorts with some extra padding and I put more Chamois Butter on me. I made a mistake of running into the girl’s tent before being redirected by a volunteer. I am still limping, confused and excited. The swim is over. I am now getting to my bike.

My calf muscle is still tight, I have an argument with with my Garmin, and I try not to run into any other cyclists. So many people yelling and screaming, so many cheering, it’s crazy loud, it’s exciting. I am doing this.

The bike is awesome. The city is amazing, the course amazing. My leg is killing me. I am able to adjust my pedaling so I am putting less pressure on my right calf. As soon as I start biking all my gels, and my homemade energy bars and my salt tablets fall out of my cycling shirt pockets. There are plenty of aid stations and I am able to get water, and bananas, and fruit’s. I have my Vega Sports Drink in a condensed amount in my bike bottle. So I just add water.

I hit the first hill and I hear my name being yelled out. I look over and there is Marcel and Hans and Mandy!! I am so surprised. Here I am biking up Richter pass. I am huffing and puffing. Out of nowhere is Marcel yelling at me!! It was amazing it was just what I needed. My biking buddy had made it to Penticton just to cheer me on. Later on Hans, Mandy, and Marcel drove past me. Yelling at me and getting some video. It was great.

I finish the bike in 180kl in 6:27:35

The same incredible volunteers are there at the bike finish T2. They take my bike and direct me to my T2 bag. I change my pants. It feels so good. I put on my water belt, and realize I forgot my hat. I have my classes and I put on my shoes. I am out of T2 in 11:37.

I start strong, mostly running off of pure adrenaline. My calf hurts, but I figure I can run it off. If I get some blood flowing. I head out. I don’t get very far. Maybe 10kl before I have to walk. I am limping. I am walking/running. I stop and try to stretch. My calf is locked. It is as hard as brick. I try punching it, I try stretching it. Nothing, it was locked. I resigned myself to walk. I was ok with this. I had a few hours to walk it before the cut off time. So I figured I could walk a marathon before midnight. I met with a few other people who were walking as well. I got to chat with them, and meet some incredible people.

At one point on the walk a group of us past a screaming baby dear. It freaked me out. Seriously it was screaming at all these strange runners. At some point my leg loosened. I don’t know what happened. It just unlocked. It was around the half way point on the marathon. I started running again, my run for the 2nd have was way faster than the first half.

There were a few more points where I walked, but I mostly ran. I came back into town and I was blown away. So many people, so many lights, I was running with everything I had. I was in my own world. I just wanted to here. “David McGuire you are an Ironman”. I pass the finish line no loud speaker notice that I am an Ironman. I raise my hands and I did it.

More volunteers directing me where to go, I get my shirt, my metal, my hat. I am so confused; I am directed to a photographer. It is done. I have done it. I am an Ironman.

I make my way to my bike, I am limping I get my bags, they are all organized, I take out my cell phone and I call Mandy. We manage to meet up and start walking to the car.

As I start to get my bearings, I realize after words that I could have had a massage, and some food, and some other things. I just wanted to relax. I see Mandy. She is an angle, so beautiful so happy, I am so excited to see her. I did it Baby!! We did it!!

All that hard work, all that effort, I am an Ironman. Yes I am an.

A truly special thanks to so many people. My trainer, Carla Hastert, to Training Bible Coaching.

Blueseventy and Shawn Lucas. Thank you guys so much for everything. I was so fast in the water.

To 7systems and Jasper Blake! Not only for the supplements but the incredible customer service and professionalism, you guys rock.

To Skins and specifically David Decker for you support and hard work to get me so much of your product they made my training sustainable, and my recovery faster. (I forgot my skins socks when I left for Penticton. I think if I had had the shorts or pants I would have been able to deal with the calf spasm) Amazing product. I can’t say enough.

To Vega, not only for the fantastic products i.e. the sports drink, the Whole food Health Optimizer, The Thrive Diet book by Brendan Brazier that gave the recipe for my own energy bars. These kept me fuelled not only during training but during the race itself.

To Sugoi for the best cycling pants and some amazing clothing; The best cycling gear I have worn. I have worn allot!!

To Speed Theory in Vancouver. For increadible staff, great service and a great bike.

To Brooks for the Dyad’s; All 9 pairs of them from the Dyad 3 to the Dyad 5

To Foot Solutions for the support, the job, the shoes, putting up with me and my quirks, and so much more; Thank you all so much!

To my Family for putting up with me, for all your encouragement and positive thoughts




To Marcel for cycling with me and making me push myself on the hills. Richter Pass was nothing compared to the hours and hours of hills we did.

To Hans for driving all the way up with Marcel!!





My wife, Mandy I love you. Thanks does not come close to describe how much gratitude I have for you. I push myself so hard, but it is nothing compared to what you do every day. I see you. I know what you do, and I know who you are. I love you. Thank you.


To so many other people that helped me get here. All of you played a part in helping me overcome so much.

Not bad for a guy in 2005 was sitting in the hospital with unknown future ahead of him. Thank you all!!

I am an Ironman