Utah Man Completes 100 Ironman Triathlons In 100 Days
Jun 9, 2021, 10:07 AM | Updated: 10:10 am
Photo courtesy: @ironcowboyjames via Instagram.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – James Lawrence, otherwise known as the “Iron Cowboy” to all of his social media followers, has completed 100 Ironman triathlons in 100 days. In other words, Lawrence has swum 240 miles, rode 11,200 miles, and ran 2,620 miles over the past 100 days in what he has been calling the “Conquer 100 Challenge.”
Across the journey, Lawrence has been raising money for Operation Underground Railroad. A non-profit organization whose stated goal is to assist government agencies in the rescue of human trafficking and sex trafficking victims with a special focus on children. During his final speech following the 100th day, Lawrence announced that over a “quarter of a million dollars had been raised.”
Every day since March 1, 2021, Lawrence has been waking up at the crack of dawn to swim 2.4 miles, he then quickly grabs a bite to eat and changes into his cycling attire, and off he goes on his 112-mile bike ride.
By the time the ride is over, it is generally around noon and a perfect time for some lunch and a quick recovery session.
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Then, a few hours later, once he has bandaged all of his bumps and bruises up, he sets forth for the 26.2-mile run/walk.
Depending on the day, Lawrence has concluded all of these efforts as soon as 8 p.m. or as late as 11 p.m. After a quick speech to all of the participants who ended the marathon with him that day, he returns to his house for more recovery, tender loving care, food, and rest.
Then, come 4 a.m. the following day, he is up and ready to take on the same challenges he faced the previous day.
His body has responded well to the rigors, on day 15 he described pain in his leg as “crippling” and then later in the journey battled with inflammation issues but that was a result of too many sweet and sugary snacks from loved ones on the marathon trail who would stop him with boxes of doughnuts and the sort.
Lawrence, through the help of his wife and family, changed diets and the inflammation went down. He cut out as much sugar as he could and his body almost immediately felt better.
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Not His First Rodeo
This is not the first time Lawrence has been in the spotlight. He gained worldwide media attention in 2015 when he completed 50 ironman triathlons in 50 days across all 50 states, breaking multiple Guinness Book World Records along the way. He holds the record for most ironman triathlons in a single calendar year, 50, and most half-ironman distance triathlons in one year, 22.
Now, however, those feats have been beaten by the most recent accomplishment. A record that will likely hold for decades to come.
Remarkably, despite completing the “Conquer 100” challenge, Lawrence opted for one more victory lap and set forth to accomplish one more day of pain and suffering. He woke up on day 101 and thought it would be a good idea to do one more Ironman triathlon. If only we could all have that strength, courage, and mental capacity.
