Meet The Team: Ironman Kansas & Eagleman

It’s a big weekend for TeamEN!  We are racing in several locations around the country, including Kansas and Maryland. Like the Visa credit card commercial says, we are “everywhere we want to be.”  If you are out on a race course and see an Endurance Nation tri kit, be sure to day hi.  We are friendly bunch.  Well, unless you are our rabbit.  Then all bets are off.  Just kidding.  Maybe.  😉

Meet a few of our team below.

Matt Aaronson

Hi, I’m Matt Aaronson. I started doing triathlon 2 years ago and last year with the help of Endurance Nation I stepped up to the half-ironman distance. Kansas will be my 4th half-iron distance race and my first of this season. I’m eager to see how an earlier-season race goes given that a lot of my training was indoors and I stayed in the Outseason plan until quite recently. But my fitness level in all 3 sports is higher than last year so I am optimistic this will be a good race. In prior races I felt I played the run too conservatively, so in Kansas my goal is to press very hard on the run and come away feeling like I left it all out on the course. Best of luck everyone!

Greg Babb

My name is Greg Babb, 40, of Birmingham, Alabama. Married with 2 boys, ages 6 and 8. I am a lifelong overweight guy who started taking spinning classes a few years ago which led me to develop of love for cycling. I got introduced to triathlon 2 years ago at some small local races and then last year gave it a go at longer distances culminating at the Augusta HIM. Through all of this, I was only marginally successful in losing weight and getting fit – that is until earlier this year when I decided that if I was to ever realize my goal of finishing an Ironman, I was going to have to change things. That led to a radical improvement in nutrition as well as getting started on the EN journey – 1st as a FastCamp participant and now as a full fledged Team member. I still have many improvements to make, but I feel more fit than ever as I look forward to racing Kansas as my 2nd 70.3® and then repeating Augusta later this year as an EN newbie!

William Jenks

William Jenks is an EN member since 2010 and a triathlete since 2006.  In addition to triathlon, he is active with his kids’ soccer teams and other activities, which also include triathlon In his spare time, he can be found slaving away in the chemistry department at Iowa State University.  This is William’s third race at the Kansas 70.3.

Randy Pickard

Hello Everyone, I am a 45 year old Mechanical Service Manager for a local Mechanical Shop in Des Moines Iowa. I have been married to my lovely wife Michelle for 23 almost 24 years and have to sons Chris (24) and Nick (21).

Coming off a nasty achilles injury in 2011 staying healty has been tough and job #1 this year. This is my first season with Endurance Nation and I have already set a new half marathon PR. I have 3 more races this year and they are 70.3® Kansas of course and 70.3® Pigman and IMAZ.

Doug Herr

I’m Doug Herr, 39, from Lancaster, PA.  Married with two beautiful little girls, 6 and 8.  This is my 6^th season doing triathlons and my third Eagleman (fifth HIM).  Joined EN last October to gear up for my first full IM, Florida this year.  I’ve loved training the EN way and am thrilled to be on this journey.

Patricia Rosen

I’m doing Eagleman this year.  I signed up as part of Team Ma Ficker to help support Desiree’s charity to raise money for cancer support programs in this area.  Her mom died of colon cancer several years ago.  Anette Ficker was always there supporting her daughter in triathlon in spite of her illness.

If you are interested in this charity and wish to support this cause, go to https://fundly.com/maficker and help me help others.

Team Ma Ficker will raise money to fund colon cancer research in an effort to educate others about the need for colon cancer testing, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks!

Ian Coleman

Ian Coleman, 54, racing in the 55-59 AG.  I manage a team of designers for a global Telecoms company.  I grew up in the UK and  have been fortunate to live in the US since 1994, becoming a citizen in 2008.  I have participated in triathlons since 2009 and have been on the Endurance Nation team since 2010.  My first year was spent learning to swim (still trying!) and racing in a number of local sprint tris.  Year 2 I moved up to Olympic distance and my first, very painful, HIM in Muskoka.  2011 I was beset with injuries culminating in breaking my collar bone in a bike accident 2 weeks before last year’s Eagleman.  The rest of the year was dedicated to getting healthy and enjoying running.  Fortunately  I’ve had a good (injury free) OS and my focus for Eagleman is on executing well and  completing the race with a strong run!

David Salzman

I am a 33 yr old traveling from Chicago, IL where I work as an Emergency Medicine physician and teacher. I have been racing triathlons for many years and after taking a year off from the long distance racing is looking forward to getting back into the long distance races this year. This is my first race of the season, and the first as a member of Team EN. Looking forward to seeing everyone out on the course and cheering each other on.

Carol DeFazio

Kortney Ringel

My name is Kortney Ringel.  I live in Gaithersburg, MD with my husband Mark and two children, Ethan (9) and Siena (2).

Darren Wrigley

Hi I’m Darren Wrigley, I am originally from Sydney, Australia and currently live in Northern Virginia.  This is my 4th season of triathlon and 2nd time at EagleMan.  I joined EN in November and have already seen large gains from the November OS.  I am looking forward to smashing my time from last year, and hopefully breaking the 5hr mark.  I am traveling solo this year – my wife Annabel and kids Oliver (12) and Ruby (10) are staying home with other commitments.  This race is serving as a build-up to to IMLP, my first IronMan.

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