BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The pandemic did not stop a Bellingham athlete from completing an Ironman Triathlon.
The race was canceled, but he found another way to make it happen. Jake Brog’s 2020 New Year’s resolution was to race in one of the most exhausting sporting competitions.
“My ironman race got canceled, but what was still in my control was being able to keep up with my goals, and I could still go do this on my own. It was a choice I made,” Brog said.
He was three months into training when the coronavirus restrictions went into effect. Instead of postponing his plans, Brog stayed focused on his goal.
“I could still go out and do it. It’s just not going to be in a race setting, but it did drastically change how I was training leading up to that race,” Brog said.
In the final month leading up to the triathlon, the 31-year-old maintained his running and biking training. However, with pools closed and frigid lake temperatures, Brog didn’t get back into the water until race day.
“It was windy. It started to rain. The water temperature was freezing. I hadn’t had any experience in open water swimming, so that was the hardest part right there,” he said.
Brog completed his first Ironman Triathlon on April 26. This consisted of a 2.4-mile swim,112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon.
On the day of the competition, his family and friends lined up along the route. Some even ran with him for portions of the race. Brog completed the triathlon in 15 hours.
“Without the support of all the awesome people that came to cheer me, it would have been so much harder,” Brog said.
Brog didn’t let the pandemic disrupt his plans to reach a personal goal, and he hopes his story encourages others to do the same.
“We’re all struggling with that, and I think a big thing that everybody can really try during this time is to focus on things they do have control over and focus on the positives out there,” Brog said.
It’s his message of inspiration, to stay motivated and keep moving forward.
“So that when this is over and we do go back to a somewhat normal lifestyle, you are feeling better and you are proud of yourself for those little accomplishments you made,” Brog said.
Brog is not taking any time to rest. He’s already signed up for another Ironman race in September. Brog is aiming for a 13-hour finish time.
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