Road to Kona: Cole's Personal Honored Hero

Every Team In Training (TNT) participant runs in honor of their team Honored Hero.  Cole Bryan, who is representing North Texas at the Kona IRONMAN World Championship, has his own personal Honored Hero.  Read below as he talks about the boy that inspires his every race.

"Austin is a hero. He's my hero. People like him are the reason I do what I do. Austin and I met about 3 years ago through Team in Training. His mom, Kristen, was running a marathon to support LLS. My secret crush (now my wife) was doing the same event.

Austin was on the tail end of a 3 1/2 year battle with leukemia. During that time, he lost his hair multiple times. He was in and out of the hospital. But, no matter how many times he got knocked down, he got back up..... with a smile on his face. That guy is tough. He's 12 years old now and is over 18 months cancer free!

Here is a pic of Austin handing out age group awards at the Honored Hero Run in 2013. When I raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, it's not for a faceless organization in some far away land. It's for real people right here in Texas."

You don't have to compete in an Ironman to make a difference.  Register for Team In Training and race for your own Honored Hero.

Road to Kona: A "Relaxing" Long Weekend

A North Texas Team In Training (TNT) athlete is taking on what is considered the toughest one-day endurance event in the world, the Kona IRONMAN World Championship.  Cole Bryan was selected by TNT out of more than 250 applicants for this coveted spot.  An IRONMAN race is a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride and finishes with a 26.2 mile run (a full marathon).

Outside of the physical component of the training, Cole has pledged to raise $30,000 for LLS as part of his efforts.  His wife, Dianna, has been instrumental in helping him reach both his physical and fundraising goals for this event.

As one might imagine, the training for this elite event is nearly a full time job.  Below Cole walks us through what a "relaxing" Labor Day weekend looks like for somebody training for an IRONMAN.

THURSDAY

5:00am - Wake up, eat, get ready to run

5:30am- Run 18 miles with two training partners

8:00am- Shower and get to the office

9:00am- Hearing in Probate Court  (I'm a lawyer, so I frequently go to Court)

12:00pm- Lunch meeting with potential donor (He wrote me a $1,000 check)

1:30pm- Client meeting

3:00pm- Client meeting

5:00pm- Go home, meet up with Dianna

6:00pm- Go to fundraiser at Fuzzy's

9:00pm- Go to sleep

FRIDAY (a "lazy" day)

7:30am- Wake up, get ready for work

8:30am- Court Hearing

9:30am- Second Court Hearing

10:30am- Client meeting

12:30pm- Donor lunch (Receiving a $200 check)

4:00pm- Leave work

5:30pm- Pool workout (3,000 yard swim)

6:30pm- 30 mile bike workout

8:00pm- Dinner with Dianna

9:00pm- Go to sleep.  5:30am wakeup tomorrow for 100 mile bike ride.

SATURDAY

5:10am- Wake Up

5:30am- Get on the bike for 100 miles (yes, the first 30 miles were in the dark)

10:45am- Finish cycling, take the dogs for a walk

11:00am- Eat

12:00pm- Eat more

1:15pm- Hour Nap

2:30pm- TCU Tailgate and Football Game

6pm-9pm- Cheer the Frogs to victory!

10:00pm- Sleep.

SUNDAY

Recovery Day

MONDAY

4,000 yard swim (8x500 yards, all on Ironman race pace)

Finalize logo designs for sponsors on the Ironman jersey

Meeting with donor to confirm funds would be donated on Tuesday

Promote the Road to Kona virtual race via Facebook, email, etc.

Hang out at the pool with Dianna and friends

The North Texas Chapter is proud to have such a dedicated person representing us and TNT at the upcoming Kona IRONMAN World Championship.  We will keep you updated with Cole's journey and will be cheering him on every stroke, pedal and run of the way!  #GOTEAM