Flotrack will feature blogs, interviews and some footage shot by Joe Thorne from the Kona IRONMAN over the next month. Joe was an all-american for UT in XC finishing 15th in 2005. After college, Joe decided to give a run at Triathloning and 2011 is big year, because he is without a sponsor and working a full-time job trying to support his passion. We thought it would be cool to follow Joe, a former runner, as he tries to make in Tri.
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In 1989, Mark Allen set the marathon run record split at the end of his Ironman – known as the “Iron War”- to capture the crown as World Champion just a minute over second place finisher Dave Scott.

Check this link out for a video of these two legends fighting it out in ’89:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8swwn6D7IY&feature=related  It starts out from the beginning of the marathon and gives a great idea of how the entire race goes for both, except it cuts off at the very end.

After swimming in the ocean for 2.4 miles, it feels as if you have been punched in the arms a few thousand times. Follow that up with cycling 112 miles and then a marathon, and it feels as if a Mack truck has hit you blindsided- Especially when you’re just off the bike and running 6 minutes per mile for a stout time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. Allen’s ‘89 record still remains and has stood for 21 years for a reason.

This year, 2011, Allen’s run split is going down. I am going to go sub-2:40 for the marathon at the Ironman World Championships, and be the fastest closer ever in the world. I am not going to win the world title as Allen did, but I’ll be closing in his fashion.

Two years ago, in 2009, I set out with the same objective of breaking Allen's record. Not only was it my first full Ironman event, it was also the first time I had swam 4k, the first time I rode 112 miles and my first full marathon- ever. With not having done any of the distances alone, I had to piece them together consecutively…and successfully in order to achieve my lofty goals. I was so excited to get off the bike and finally start running that I ran the 1st 10 miles at 5:50/mile – which would have put me WELL under the record of 2:40, but I came up way short as the day proved to get the better of me as heat, dehydration and lack of fuel, as well as complete lack of experience all set in. I did however accomplish the 3rd fastest run split of the day in 2:51, behind Andreas Raelert (also 2:51 – 3rd place overall behind Chris Lieto) and Craig Alexander (split 2:49 – the only person that year to go sub-2:50 – whom also won the title overall). At the end of the day I was 120th place.

This year is very different. I have learned from the mistakes of ’09 and deem for them not to be repeated. 21 days from now Allen’s record is going down and I am going to run myself into the top 25 overall at the Ironman World Championships.