Patagonman was more than just a race, but was a way to see a new part of the world, meet people from all over the world, and experience the wonderful landscapes and people of Patagonia. The staffing and logistics are second to none.

The race is difficult but not impossible. The swim was absolutely beautiful and one of my favorite parts of the race. If you have the right gear on, you are very comfortable in the water. Although the swim was shortened to 3km, it was still one of my best long distance swims to this date and I came out of the water in 37th place. The boat ride and the suspense leading up to the JUMP was an experience I'll never forget.

After transition, I was onto the bike and rolling down the roads. The bike is brutal, yet breathtaking. The first 90km you move pretty well with a tailwind and not too many climbs. The last 90km really take it out of you with long, slow climbs with a headwind. Once you finally make it to the last 15km there is a steep descent with a lot of wind. My hands were gripping my handlebars extremely tightly to avoid crashing until about 1km away from the transition on the last descent, I squeezed my brakes and went flying off my bike over the handlebars and into the pavement. Some friendly locals stopped to help me recollect my bike and things that fell off and checked on me to make sure I was okay to continue. I very slowly made my way into transition the last 1km, battered and bruised. Throughout the bike I stopped on several occasions for more water/gatorade from my support/significant other Hannah. She also helped me change clothes when it would get warmer or colder on the bike.

During transition, I let Hannah know I had crashed and she instantly went full doctor mode, racing to the car to get the first aid pack we brought. She looked me over and bandaged me off before sending me on my way. I had sore ribs, elbow, hand, knee, and hip, but was not going to let the pain keep me from finishing this race that I worked so hard for and travelled so long for. I made my way, knowing that I would not be running my normal pace to ensure I would not hurt myself more.

I started the run with a jog walk, jogging the flats and walking the hills. 3 miles in the path turns into a trail run up a mountain that is quite steep. I continued to walk these parts until I came to the river crossing, where I took my shoes off to ensure the rest of my run would not be accompanied by blisters. A few miles after the river crossing, I was joined by a man named Dillon who was from New York, but was originally from the UK. We stayed together for approximately half the run, having great discussions and enjoying one another company as we jogged the flats and downhills while walking up the hills. Once we finallly came to the 30km mark, he headed out with his support while Hannah joined me to run the last 12km.

Hannah and I started out slow, thinking I would be walking a lot due to pain in my knee. I took some pain relievers and we started to jog at a decent pace. We stopped at the waterfall to take some pictures. We were able to regain the pace and held it all the way to the finish bell, where we were greeted by Ignacio who awarded me my medal. It was a great feeling crossing the finish line!

Thanks to everyone who made this race happen and to everyone who supported me and helped me compete in this amazing event.