If I were to relive one day of my life over and over again it would be Saturday, the 17th of May 2014.  Now after a few days to recover I can finally stay awake long enough to put my memories of this day into words. But first, here’s a picture taken by my mom at the hotel that is worth 1,000 words.               The greatest feeling ever is that state of exhaustion after an IronMan.  Physically, from racing 140.6, hitting all my goal splits and finishing with a new PR.  Mentally, from logistics and anxiety.  And emotionally, from a flood of support and congratulations from friends and family.  But endorphines take control and you celebrate as hard as I raced in the company of friends and family.   It is a true statement that Triathlon is an individual sport, but to say there is no team, is not a true statement.  My friends Juka, Alejandra and Elisa from Power In Motion proved that on Saturday wearing these awesome Team Joe shirts they created to cheer me through every stroke of the swim, every pedal of the bike and every stride of the run.  I was lucky to have the happiest, loudest and most beautiful cheerleaders out there giving me a home field advantage.  In a race I stay focused on the task at hand on the course, but I tried to muster the energy to acknowledge them.  Afterwards, I was glad to host them at the hotel room to party as long and hard as I raced.     Another great home field advantage was seeing friends throughout the course.  Whether they were racing it, volunteering or cheering, they all played a role in helping me and the other athletes get to that finish line.   I also knew I had to keep going strong even for those who could not be there because they were tracking me live!  My sisters were busy working behind the scenes, posting updates and calling my parents for on course coverage.  During the first loop of the run I had to look behind me to see David and Brandon who were cheering loudly for me.  I owe it to them for returning to triathlons by giving me the great experience of guiding Brandon at the 2011 Try Andy’s Tri.  The volunteers-of-the-day award go to Heidi and Gabe who timed their shift at the mile 1 aid station to make sure I was properly recharged for each loop of the run.  They then made it to the finish line to cheer me through.  Big congratulations to first timers Liz, Rodrigo and Yasmin for their phenomenal races!  Dan you will be Ironman, we’ll find another! Sport brings amazing people together to create lifelong friendships and start new beginnings.  This holds especially true for my first Ironman experience six years ago on 25 of May 2008.  I received a warm welcome from the Fonseca’s whose son, Caio, we hosted as a high school exchange student.  He is now married with a baby girl and I look forward to visiting them again in Brazil during the World Cup, the greatest sporting event on Earth.  I traveled with Ken Glah’s Endurance Sports Travel group for Ironman Brazil, through which I met Anne, by helping assemble her bike.  We became Ironman that weekend and have kept in touch ever since, always address each other by that title.  I attended her wedding a few years later and am now proud to be a Texas Uncle to her two kids, Alex and Tess.   In 2013, I renewed my Ironman being at Challenge Roth in Germany with Mike and Doug.  Although I did not have a good race performance, it was a very memorable experience traveling a bit before and after visiting friends and family.  Mike had a solid race and is now engaged to Alison, who traveled along for support and is also an Ironman.  Doug had a masterful performance, credit in part to cheers from Alex with Zoe in tow and a good nutrition and hydration plan.  Zoe even shot some Gu to keep from bonking, so they helped me immensely by formulating a plan for Ironman Texas.  They met me early in the morning prior to the race to calm my nerves and stayed to cheer and witness all the action.  I was please that everything fell into place and show them results with a sub 4 hour marathon and an Ironman PR. There are many variables that can make or break a race.  I definitely lucked out with the weather staying cool this late in a Texas May.  I stayed healthy and injury free during training.  Friends kept me motivated, joining me on long rides and runs and encouraging me to get in the water, since that’s my least favorite event of the triathlon.  Come race day my stomach, body and mind worked in sync for most all of the race. A constant that I can always rely on is the love and support from my parents.  They thought it was a great idea I was learning to swim with my college swim club, but did not see it leading to an Ironman.  I have their stubbornness and was going to do it big after graduating, so they made the trip with me to Brazil.  I’m glad they were there to share that moment crossing the finish.  They didn’t travel to Germany, but they knew I was in good company and sent me off with all their prayers.  I reported in on occasion to let them know my whereabouts and how the trip was going.  Ironman Texas was a week after my mom’s sister’s funeral, so our hearts were still heavy.  I believe that witnessing athletes struggle and persevere through an Ironman is a celebration of life.  I felt Aunt Kathy guide me through the race and was proud once again to share that finishing moment with my parents.  Finally I thank God for blessing me with wonderful friends and family and giving me the strength and courage to keep on achieving.