John Holloway

I came to endurance sports in my mid twenties a few years after beginning work in Florida. As I was riding home from work in my carpool on a warm March day, my friend Hank asked my how fast I could run a mile.

I looked at him like he was nuts and said "I have no idea." After several days of prodding, I agreed to meet him for a four mile run. We agreed to take it very slow - 11:00 pace. I lasted 1.5 miles before I started walking. I eventually made it home, but was so sore I could barely walk for a week. The message had been received loud and clear - use it or lose it. Over the next several months I tried several times to run that four mile course, but could never finish without walking. Finally in November of 1983 while I watched Salazar out sprint Gomez to win the New York City Marathon, I became so inspired that I went out and ran that four mile course nonstop. Nine months later I entered and ran my first 10K finishing in 44:55. The competitive bug had bitten me. In January of 1985 I completed the Orange Bowl Marathon in 3:04:17. I went on to run 17 competitive marathons (NYCM, Boston, Stockholm, London, Chicago, Goodwill Games and others) with my best coming at Disney in 1994 when I finished in 2:49:21.

In Florida the running season is in the winter and there isn't much going on during the hot summers. As time went by I started dabbling in multi-sport racing. I couldn't swim a lick and had a hard time keeping up with Pee Wee Herman on the bike but that didn't stop me. At the goading of my work buddies I signed up for a Loggerhead Sprint Triathlon in Jupiter, Florida on Friday night in June of 1985. The ocean was like a mirror and the wind was calm. When I arrived the next morning for the race a squall had hit with a vengeance whipping the Atlantic into a snarling monster. I nearly drowned in the swim finishing close to last. I rode the bike very slowly coughing up water and getting lapped by almost everyone. Finally I got to the run and passed about 25% of the field. When I hit the line, I was hooked. I eventually went on to race the 1996 Great Floridian Triathlon (IM distance) finishing 3rd in bracket in my first attempt. I have since raced IM-New Zealand, IM-Canada and IM-Florida. I have raced long course duathlons including Powerman-Alabama, PM-Tennessee, and PM-Zofingen (Switzerland).

My goal is to qualify and compete in THE IRONMAN in Kona, Hawaii at least once. Ever since I saw Julie Moss struggle to finish after dark and watching Dave Scott and Mark Allen dominate Ironman in the ensuing years, I have wanted to do this race.

I have been living in Buford since June of 2000 and riding with Ralph since the Blairsville ride of 2001. I need to shave 30 minutes from my IM bike split without slowing my run. I am counting on my Partnership to get me there. Let's ride!