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November 10, 2008 A lot has happened for me since the Olympics have concluded. The past few months have been a whirlwind tour for me. I would like to briefly share a little about some of the highlights of my journey after Beijing. Wake Forest Hall of Fame Induction White House Visit Las Vegas Visit Hernia Surgery May all your transitions be fast and smooth... Hunter October 1, 2008 I have always loved the Olympic Games. My Olympic dreams began as a child as I watched swimmers like Rowdy Gaines, Matt Biondi, and Janet Evans. It have always been inspired to see athletes from all over the world compete at the highest level. Thousands of athletes have competed in the Olympic Games over the past 100 years. Some of them come back home with medals around their necks. However, there are many more Olympians that walk away from the Games with NO Medals. I am one of those Olympians. I have competed in the Olympic Games 3 times now (’00, ’04, ’08) and have never won a medal. All I have to share with people is my Olympic experience and the memories I will always carry with me. I had an amazing time being a part of the Beijing Olympics! My perspective on the Olympic Games has changed tremendously from one games to the next. In 2000, I was 24 years old and just excited about having made my 1st Olympic Team. I finished 17th in Sydney and was happy to just be part of Team USA. The 2004 Olympic Games was much different. I was ranked 5th in the world going in and I knew that I was capable of winning a gold medal. When I finished 9th in Athens I was crushed. My dreams of coming home with a gold medal around my neck didn’t happen. My memories of those Games were of someone who had failed to reach his ultimate goal. After I qualified for Beijing this past June at the HyVee Triathlon in Des Moines, IA, my perspective on the Olympic Games had changed once again. During the 18 months prior to Hy-Vee, I had gone through a couple of injuries (SI Joint Dysfunction and Inguinal Hernia). I continue to deal with the pain of my hernia. After facing 2 years of trials, I truly began to realize what the Olympic Games were all about. I felt as though I had already won after qualifying for my third Olympic Games and joining the 595 other U.S. athletes in Beijing. I was determined to enjoy each and every second of my Olympic experience this time around. I had not walked in Opening Ceremonies in either Sydney or Athens and I was NOT going to miss that experience again. It was the highlight of the games for me (you can read more about my Opening Ceremonies in my last journal entry). I also enjoyed hanging out in the Athlete’s Village with all the other Olympians from Team USA along with all the other athletes from around the world. Finally, I was able to completely be in the moment as I enjoyed race day on August 19th. I felt thrilled to once again put on my USA uniform the morning of race day. God gave me such a feeling of peace as I prepared for the race. I knew that no matter what my result, I was still loved by Him. My body felt great on race day and my hernia pain was non-existent. I became very emotional when I saw my family in the stands...their support means the world to me. I felt good during every part of the race. I came out of the water fourth and then had a solid bike as I tried to stay near the front. I got off my bike with all the leaders and felt good…but not good enough to be on top that day. I was ecstatic about my 7th place finish. Why? 7th place at the Olympic Games was not my goal – I was dreaming of an Olympic medal just like I had the past 8 years. I didn’t win GOLD, but I did WIN. The Olympic Games is so much more than winning medals...it’s about the journey...it’s about the road it took to get there over the past 4 years. I have been so blessed to be able to travel around the world and compete in a sport that I love. Triathlon brings so much joy to my life. I hope everyone reading this journal is making a living doing something they love...no matter what the salary or sacrifice. I have another passion that I want to share with you in my next journal. Here’s an article that talks a little about what I’m focused on right now: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26873822/ May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter August, 18, 2008 The official time in Beijing was 8:08pm and the athletes began to count down the seconds on the jumbotron until the clock read 8:08.08pm. The Opening Ceremonies had officially begun and all the athletes were inside waiting inside the Gymnastics Auditorium to have their country called to begin their walk into the Olympic Stadium (The Bird’s Nest). We only saw a little bit of the Opening Ceremonies from inside the auditorium. As we waited, they fed us a boxed meal along with all the water and Coke products we wanted. I then had a dilemma. Should I keep hydrating with lots of water or start slowing down on the fluids for fear of not knowing how long I would be inside the stadium without having the opportunity to use the bathroom? These are the crucial questions Olympians are asking themselves as they prepare to walk into the Olympic Stadium. Another question I had on my mind was; how was I going to have over a billion people see me on NBC as I walked into the Stadium? I began to discuss with my fellow teammates where and when we wanted to walk into the stadium. Do we stand near my new friends Kobe, Lebron, Chris Paul, and Dwight Howard? Or do we decide to go up front and try to be the first ones out of the tunnel…right behind Lopez Lemond (the 1500m runner who was Team USA’s flag bearer)? The triathlon girls (Julie Ertel and Laura Bennett) somehow scored the pole position for Team USA and were in the FRONT ROW as the Americans entered the Stadium. It was already too crowded up front and I didn’t think anyone was going to let us slime our way in. I then began looking for some of the USA stars, so when NBC’s Bob Costas talked about the Basketball Team or Jenny Finch (USA Women’s Softball pitcher) to all the millions of people back home, I could be the guy walking right next to them. This was the master plan as we began our 400m walk over to the Bird’s Nest. As we exited the door of the Gymnastics Hall, we found ourselves near the back of the Team USA contingent and walked side by side with the Track & Field Team, the Men’s Water Polo Team, and the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Team. Along the route to the stadium, there were Chinese fans and volunteers outside. Everything was blocked off for the athletes. It was amazing how excited all the Chinese fans were to see me. Oh wait – maybe it wasn’t me that they were excited to see…they were excited to see the man that was walking next to me. The Chinese people were going crazy for Kobe Bryant. I mean absolutely crazy. There was one fan that got through the barricade and almost attacked Kobe with a Sharpee pen. Don’t worry; Carlos Boozer (power forward for the Utah Jazz) was there to block the guy and let him know that he wasn’t acting civilized enough to get Kobe’s autograph. It was still very hot outside, even though it was after 10:00 in the evening. The temperature was in the upper 80’s and over 80% humidity. Let’s just say that it was starting to get quite hot in the Polo Jacket…again. Kobe acknowledged the crowd every minute or so and let them know that he heard them chanting his name and going crazy for him. After a few minutes of this, I decided to walk over to Kobe and ask him about how it felt to have people screaming his name all the time. I know; I couldn’t believe I did it either. I talked with Kobe for about 3-4 minutes (but who’s counting) as we walked over to the Stadium. The first thing he said was that “they love a Villan.” It made me laugh. He then told me that he wanted to see the opening U.S. Soccer match the following day, but the Chinese Military told him that he could not go because he was a security risk….crazy huh? He then said that he wanted to bring his wife and two girls over to China, but that he decided against it b/c it would be just too crazy for them to get around with all the media. I told him – I know what you mean – I have the same problem with bringing my beautiful bride, Val, and our 19-month old boy, Davis, over too. I talked with him for a few more minutes about the NBA Playoffs and how I was impressed when he always gave his girl’s kisses at halftime and at the end of every game…I loved it. I told him I was a triathlete…he was very impressed. I finished off the conversation by giving him a handshake that all the ballers do and wished him good luck. He told me good luck as well and I walked back over to the other triathletes. After a few more minutes of the crowd yelling for Kobe I had to go up to Carmello Anthony (guard for the Denver Nuggets) and let him know that I was training down in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center. I wished him well and told him to bring home the GOLD – he said “We’ll do it!” We then began to walk into the tunnel to enter the stadium. I was so proud to be walking out into Olympic Stadium with USA over my heart. I love my country so much and words can’t express the excitement I had as we entered the stadium. I got out onto the track and everyone was clapping and waving to us from their seats. It was so much fun to walk around the track and wave to people from all over the world. President Bush was standing up when Team USA entered the stadium and I waved to him along with all the other presidents and dignitaries that were in attendance. The night was magical in every way possible. I looked over at my friend and teammate, Matt Reed, and we both had the biggest smiles on our faces. It was a moment that I’ve dreamt of my entire life. Once we walked around the track in front of 91,000 people, we entered the infield and watched the remaining countries march into the stadium. I saw Roger Federer (Swiss tennis superstar) carry the flag for Switzerland. I also saw Dirk Nowitski (German basketball player and Dallas Mavericks power forward) carry the flag for Germany with the Olympic rings shaved into the side of his head. The last country to walk into Olympic Stadium was China. Yao Ming (7ft. 4in. basketball superstar for the Houston Rockets) was carrying the flag for China along with a little Chinese boy that helped save lives in the recent earthquake in central China. It was so inspirational to see such a small boy walking next to one of China’s greatest athletes, the one that saved his life, Yao Ming. After all the athletes were in the stadium, we stood and listened to the President of China, President of the IOC, and the Mayor of Beijing, announcing that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were about to begin. The torch entered the Stadium and went around the track until it came to the final torchbearer. The first Chinese Gold Medalist in the sport of table tennis carried the torch for the last leg before lighting the flame. He was lifted from the infield on a cable and carried to the top of the stadium. He then reached the top of the stadium and was running along as he was suspended from cables. Side Note: You couldn’t have paid me a million dollars to do that – NO WAY! As he ran around the entire stadium, video images appeared behind him of all the places around the world that the torch relay had been over the past few months. It was probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life. He then got to the end and a big ball of fire came from his torch and the fire carried all the way up wrapping around the enormous torch that is on top of Olympic Stadium. The torch will stay lit until the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games, Sunday, August 24th. All the athletes representing over 200 countries, walked out of the stadium and headed towards the buses that brought us back to the Olympic Village. I was so glad to be back on to air-conditioned buses. However, I was sweating so much the whole evening that the A/C felt almost too cold on my wet clothes. The buses pulled into the Village at around 1:15am in the morning. I really wanted to get some food in the dining hall along with most of the other athletes that were at Opening Ceremonies. I decided against getting a bite to eat and just went back to my dorm room. The entire Triathlon Team was headed to Jeju, Korea, on a 6am bus from the Athlete’s Village. The past 8 hours of which I have just described to you has to me one of the greatest experiences of my life. My wedding day – June 14th, 2003 (Flag Day), the birth of my first son – Davis Thomas Kemper (January 3rd, 2007), and 8 hours on 8-8-08 are days that I will never forget. Stay tuned for more fun and hopefully shorter journals about my experiences at the Beijing Olympic Games. Don’t forget to watch me compete on August 19th at 10am – Beijing time. You can watch my race live on NBCOlympics.com at 10pm (EST) on Monday, August 18th. Until then, may all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter August, 13, 2008 The Opening Ceremonies at the Beijing Olympic Games was an event that I will never forget. It was a dream come true. Let me walk you through my amazing and hot 6 hour experience on 8-8-08… The evening began on the 8th floor of Building C2 in the Athlete’s Village. I had to get out the iron to make sure that my long sleeve white Polo Shirt was wrinkle free. The entire USA Team had to be ready to catch the bus at 5:15pm. I walked outside with my newly pressed pants, shirt, and Polo Jacket at 5:15pm along with all the other athletes. After being outside in the 90 degree heat and 90% humidity, fully dressed in my uniform, I had to make a quick decision. Do I keep on the jacket or do I take it off before I start sweating like crazy? Many of the athletes were already taking off their jackets because it was so stinking HOT in our outfits. I knew that I was already sweating and I figured that if I left my jacket on, nobody would be able notice the sweat. I kept my jacket on for about 5 more minutes - BAD DECISION! I then decided to follow the crowd and remove my jacket. It is now only 5:20 pm and we haven’t even begun walking to the buses that will transport us to our first staging area near Olympic Stadium (Bird’s Nest) at Olympic Green. I took off my jacket and then felt my nicely pressed white polo shirt sticking to my back. I turned around to the other triathletes and asked them how bad I was sweating. I only heard uncontrollable laughter. You know how it is in grade school when people picked on kids that were different. Well I was that kid who was the butt of jokes. Most people were sweating, but I appeared to be the only one that managed to sweat so badly that you could see my skin straight through my shirt. As I walked to the bus, I heard two girls commenting, “Yuck – that is Disgusting, OOHH that’s GROSS!” I thought to myself…I can’t help it that my body is very efficient at cooling itself down. It’s a gift. I can’t remember the last time I was so excited to get on a bus…it had air-conditioning! The bus ride was 20 minutes of relief. My body began to stop sweating. By this time, my nicely pressed shirt sleeves were all the way rolled up my arm. My jacket was off and I was just trying to dry off a little before we met the President of the United States. That’s right – President George W. Bush – was going to speak to us at 6:30 pm. Right on schedule, the President was introduced and said a few words about how proud he was of us to be representing the greatest country in the World. He gave about a 3 minute pep talk before he proceeded around to take photos with all the teams. Not only was President George W Bush there, but the 1st Lady, Laura Bush, along with former President H.W. Bush, and also the President’s daughter Barbara Bush. I was very excited to get pictures with everyone present in the Bush family. I then went to use the restroom, and who do I see as I enter the bathroom?…only Coach K, the Head Coach for the USA Men’s Basketball Team. As I washed my hands, I wished him, “good luck.” This was just the beginning and things got better. As I exited the bathroom, I saw but the entire USA Men’s Basketball Team walking into the Auditorium where all the other USA athletes were hanging out. Thank goodness for my Flip Video Cam, provided to me by NBC, because I was able to get video footage of the entire team walking in. None of the other athletes knew they were around yet. I got to shake Dwight Howard’s hand and let him know that I was a huge Orlando Magic fan because I grew up going to their games. I told him to play like Superman, which became his nickname after putting on the Superman cape during the 2008 All-Star Dunk Competition. I also talked to Chris Paul (nickname – CP3) and told him that we shared the same Alma matter, Wake Forest….Go Deacs! Chris Paul is currently the point guard for the New Orleans Hornets and probably the best point guard in the NBA right now. I then proceeded to shake the hands of Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Carmello Anthony’s and wished them all luck and told them to bring home the gold! A little later I got pictures taken with Kobe, Chris, and Dwight. I am such a huge NBA fan and couldn’t believe that I was hanging out with these guys. In case anybody thinks I’m making up stories, I have video to prove it all. Around 7:30pm, we went to the Gymnastics Auditorium along with all the other athletes from around the world to wait to be called into the stadium. There was a major problem when we arrived in the Gymnastics Hall, the A/C was not working well enough for the sweat king that I am. It was very hot in the stands where we were sitting, so I decide to go out in the hallway and walk around. I ran into the basketball guys talking to Yao Ming, with a ton of media around them. Don’t worry; I was able to get it all on video. I then saw something I thought I would never see in the men’s restroom. There were about 5 guys standing in a circle behind the urinals, all trying to get positioned underneath the air conditioning vent. This was the coolest air in the entire building! I then saw the coach for the US Men’s Judo Team sweating so much that it made me seem as though I was just glistening. This made me feel so much better. To be continued... Until then, may all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter July, 23, 2008 I am so excited about representing the USA again in Beijing this August. The road to making my 3rd Olympic Team has been a very difficult one, but one that I will never forget. I don’t know what the outcome is going to be in Beijing for me, but what I do know is that this Olympic Games is going to be different then Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004). How is Beijing going to be different for me? I am going to attend my 1st ever Opening Ceremonies at the Olympic Games! In Sydney I did not go to the Opening Ceremonies because the triathlon event was held on the second day of the Games. It’s never a good idea to stand on your feet for more than 5 hours two days before the biggest race of your life. Even though I finished 17th, it was probably a wise decision not to go to the Opening Ceremonies. In Athens, the men’s triathlon event was placed on the 11th day. I could’ve walked in Opening Ceremonies, but our triathlon team did not arrive in Greece until the 4th day of the Olympics. In hindsight, I would have preferred going to Athens a little earlier to acclimate to the conditions and also walk in the Opening Ceremonies (I finished 9th). After Athens, I told myself that if I was ever able to get back to another Olympic Games, I would make sure that I walked in the Opening Ceremonies. When speaking to many past Olympians, I always hear that the Opening Ceremonies is one of the best experiences athletes have at the Olympics. I have many wonderful memories from Sydney and Athens, but now I’m going to add the Opening Ceremonies to my list of Olympic memories. So on August 8th, at 8:08pm (8 is a lucky number in China – can you tell?), look for me walking with Team USA into the stadium during Opening Ceremonies. How are you going to see me on TV? Just look for the guy with the biggest grin on his face! The Olympics begin on 8-8-08. The Men’s Triathlon is on 8-19-08. May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter July 1, 2008 I’d like to begin by saying THANK YOU to all of those who prayed for me and followed my race online in Des Moines on June 22nd. I definitely felt God’s strength and was very pleased about the outcome of the day. Hy-Vee displayed an amazing Olympic Trials event and they should be very proud of how all things came together with the last minute venue change. The Hy-Vee employees and volunteers did a tremendous job in helping the athletes and spectators experience an enjoyable weekend. Thanks Hy-Vee for putting such a first class event on despite all the difficulties you had to endure with the flooding in Iowa the week before. Race Report – I experienced a sense of peace before the race began because I knew that I did what I could to prepare, and I ultimately felt like God was in control. The race started off really well for me as I exited the swim in 2nd place right on Andy Pott’s feet. I was the first athlete to mount my bike and the first one to exit T1. There were 4 of us, 3 of whom were Americans, in the lead group after the first mile and we had a 40 second lead on the main pack. Because Andy, Brian, and myself were all concerned about the Olympic slot, we didn’t work well together and the main pack caught us on the bike at the start of the second lap. The entire bike ride was very slow and tactical because of how windy the conditions were in West Des Moines. I felt good the entire bike and I made sure that I stayed hydrated the entire 40km (I was able to drink both my bottles of Amino Vital). I was the 4th guy off my bike and the 2nd athlete onto the run out of T2. After the first half mile I was running with the lead group of 5 runners – Henning (DEN), Rana (ESP), Whitfield (CAN), Docherty (NZL), and Bennett (AUS). I got dropped from the lead group of 5 runners after about a mile and I was running alone for the remaining part of the run – about 10-15 seconds behind the lead group of 5. I realized around the 6K mark, that if I just kept a solid pace for the last 4K, I would be the top American and be going to Beijing. The end of the race was extremely emotional for me. I came into the grandstand area and grabbed the American Flag as I turned the corner for the finishing chute. I was overcome with emotion because of all that I’ve been through the past 18 months. Dealing with injury had taken a toll on me not only physically but also mentally. There were times that I definitely had doubts, and days that I wanted to quit. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it back to my 3rd Olympic Games. I cried like a baby when I crossed the line reflecting on all the hardships I faced the past year and a half. My performance was not accomplished on my own strength, but with the help of God. I felt like I was “soaring on wings like eagles” the entire race. I would like to express a special thanks to all who sent me words of encouragement before my big race and also to those who sent kind emails of congratulations after the race. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support I received from family, friends, and fans all over the country and world. I look forward to representing my country again in Beijing on August 19th. I will never forget the weekend of June 22nd because of the happiness and tears of joy it brought to me and my family. I am excited to make more memories in Beijing this summer. Don't forget that the Olympics begin 8.8.08 – the Men’s triathlon will take place on the 12th day of the Beijing Games. May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter May 27, 2008 I am withdrawing my name from the World Championships in Vancouver on June 8th. I was really looking forward to this race, however I need to make this decision by listening to my body. I WILL be on the start line in Des Moines, Iowa, for the Hy-Vee World Cup (last Olympic Qualifier) on June 22nd. I will continue to get as much treatment as I can for this injury and I will lay it all on the line in Des Moines May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter May 1, 2008 Perseverance: "continuing on in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition, or previous failure." This week a good friend sent me the definition to perseverance. This past year has definitely been a test of my personal perseverance. My race in Tuscalossa, Alabama a couple weeks ago at the Olympic trials did not go as I had wished or had planned. I entered the race with good fitness but I just didn't have it on that particular day. Although I came out of the water second, I never felt very comfortable on the swim. I was then part of the chase pack with Brian Fleischmann and Matt Reed to catch Andy Potts. We caught him on the bike after the 4th lap. I was in a position to come off the bike and let it go on the run. The run has always been my bread and butter and although Matt got a 30 second lead off the bike to enter the run, I still had confidence in my run to pull out a win. Unfortunately my legs weren't feeling it. I never felt comfortable and I just plugged through. Third place was very disappointing because I know that what I showed was not any kind of reflection of my abilities or fitness. I am proud of my good friend and teammate Matt Reed for making the Olympic team and having an outstanding race. It's now time for me to move on and continue to look forward. I have one more shot at making the Olympic team on June 22 in Des Moines, Iowa at the Hy-Vee World Cup. I look forward to getting on the starting line with the best in the world once again to display my abilities. It is a privilege to be an Olympian and I knew that it was never going to be an easy road to get there. I must continue on and persevere to reach my goals. I read a passage in the Bible this morning that gives me complete peace and joy: °Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.° ( Romans 5:1-5) I know that God has a plan for me and it is in Him that I will persevere and continue to have hope. May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter March 5, 2008 Last year was definitely a long year for me as it was the first time that I've had an injury that kept me from racing. The lower back and SI joint pain that I was experiencing just one year ago is probably about 90% better. Each day continues to be a work in progress, but I definitely feel as though I have a good handle on preventative ways to continue to stay healthy for the 2008 racing season. I am excited to be sharing my training with you as I prepare for the 2008 racing season. I am currently working on building my base conditioning in all three sports. My first race of the year will be the U.S. Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa, AL, on April 19th. With approximately 7 weeks to go, I have a lot of important workouts to complete between now and then. I continue to work on my swim fitness as I put in about 23,000 - 25,000 meters/week; this volume is over the course of 5 swim sessions/week. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday are higher intensity sessions with some threshold work. I have been cycling roughly 12 hours/week. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday are set to be my hard biking days. I feel like my cycling has been coming around slowly, but I'm still making good progress for this time of the year. I look forward to pushing more watts in my workouts later in the month. Finally, my run training is starting to really take shape. I ran the Disney Half-marathon, which I wrote about in an earlier journal entry, in 1:08.28 or 5:12/mile pace. I was coming out of my off-season and hadn't run more than 10 miles, for a long run, since early October. I was pleased to see that my aerobic run fitness was still in decent shape. I was very encouraged that I was running pain free. Improving my run fitness will be my focus for the remainder of this month. I am currently only running 4 days per/week because I am still very hesitant to add a lot of volume as I continue to get 100% healthy. My long run is up to 13 miles and my speed is coming around as well. I am exactly where I want to be at this point in my training. I can't wait to get back onto the race course and finally race pain free again! I look forward to getting back onto my 3rd Olympic team this spring and representing Team USA in Beijing in August. I will be limiting my races to focus on just a few key competitions. The Hy-Vee World Cup (U.S. Olympic Trials), ITU World Championships, and Lifetime Fitness/Minneapolis are three of the main races I will be competing in before the Olympics. After the Olympics, I will be racing in the rest of the Lifetime Fitness Series. I look forward to seeing you all at the races this season! I will be sending out a new and improved newsletter very soon! If you are not already a Team Kemper memberÖ.sign up today and follow my journey as I strive towards gold in Beijing! Until then, may all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter January 15, 2008 I hope everyone had an enjoyable time with family and friends over the holidays. I spent Christmas this year in Grand Rapids, Michigan with my wife's family and had a great time. While we were in Michigan, I was invited to meet a group of runners and triathletes that were planning on traveling down to Orlando to do the Disney ½ Marathon and full Marathon this past weekend. Before I met the group, I assumed that they were going to Orlando to vacation, enjoy the warm weather, and have fun doing a little race and achieve some fitness goals. After our evening with this group, I realized that the purpose for their trip to Disney meant a whole lot more than soaking up some rays. This group of runners had a mission and their purpose was to raise money and awareness for A.T, a disease that I had never heard about before. On that evening in Grand Rapids, I met a couple named Dave and Mary Veldink. The Veldink's lives have been changed by A.T. because two of their children, Kate (age nine) and Olivia (age six) have both been diagnosed with Ataxia-Telangiectasis (A.T.). A.T. is a fatal genetic disease characterized by progressive weakening of the immune system, nervous system, and other bodily systems. Affected children typically develop difficulty walking, problems with balance, abnormal eye movements, and slurred speech as well as chronic lung infections and increased risk of developing cancer, particularly leukemia and lymphoma. They are usually wheelchair bound by the age of ten. Though some diagnosed with A.T. live into adulthood, their life expectancy is reduced tremendously. After meeting Dave and Mary along with their support crew, Val and I were touched by hearing their story. I would encourage everyone to check out the A.T. website and learn more about this rare disease. http://www.communityatcp.org I am currently in Florida for the month of January to enjoy some warm weather training and to join a USAT training camp in Clearmont. After thinking about the Veldinks for a couple weeks, I decided that I wanted to join their group by running in the Disney ½ Marathon this past Saturday. I met up with the Grand Rapids crew at the A.T. banquet on Friday night, January 11th, to hear more about A.T. and to meet Kate and Olivia. Val and I truly enjoyed ourselves that evening and we immediately felt part of the “family.” I was excited to wear my RED A.T. Childrenís Project t-shirt in the ½ Marathon the next morning. I was hoping to win the race for Kate and Olivia and all the kids suffering from A.T, but unfortunately I could only pull out a 4th place finish (1:08.28). I had so much fun and I felt proud and privileged to race for this special cause. This was a meaningful weekend for me and Val and I look forward to racing for A. T. again next January. Thanks Dave and Mary for allowing us to share in such a wonderful weekend with you and all your friends. My heart will never be the same. May all your transitions be fast and smooth…. Hunter December 10, 2007 I canít believe that it has been since this summer that Iíve written my last journal entry. I apologize to those who visit www.hunterkemper.com regularly to get updates. This past racing season has been a challenging one for me and Iíve purposely avoided sitting down to write about my frustrations. As many of you know, I was hurt for much of the season with a right SI Joint injury. My lower back pain began over a year ago as I finished my í06 racing season and Iíve dealt with it for most of this year as well. This has been the longest lasting injury that Iíve dealt with in my career. It has been a constant struggle for me every day. I was very pleased to end my season on a high note by winning the Treasure Island Triathlon (or I should say duathlon b/c the swim was canceled due to an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay) early in November. Although I did not feel 100%, I was able to run through the pain and still finish on top. When reflecting on my season I ask myself, why have I cried so much this year over an injury? Does triathlon mean that much to me? Sometimes it does and itís in those times when I think that I need to take a step back and have a little more perspective. Should I think of my season as a failure because I finished 17th at the HyVee World Cup Triathlon? Or am I blessed because on Janurary 3rd of this year the most precious gift came into my life ñ my baby boy, Davis Thomas Kemper? Was my season a failure because I only won 3 races this year and not one of them was a high profile World Cup, National Champs, or World Championships race? Or am I blessed to have such amazing sponsors like Nike, Atos Origin, Amino Vital, HyVee, Orbea, Wheaties, Powerbar, Rolf Prima, Ameriprise, Aquaman, and Syntace? Did I fail this year because I was unable to qualify at our 1st Olympic Qualifier in Beijing on September 16th? Or am I blessed to have a beautiful wife who loves me no matter whether Iím ranked #1 in the world or not? My conclusion to these questions ñ I AM BLESSED! I am blessed with a healthy baby boy that can put a smile on my face any time of the day, a wonderful supportive wife, and loyal sponsors who have always been there for me. I have also realized that I canít ever let my performances in triathlon define me as a person. I look forward to sharing more with you as I look ahead to setting my goals for 2008 as I begin a new season. Stay tunedÖ May all your transitions be fast and smooth…. Hunter July 5, 2007 I must admit that I thought my first race of the season would have been in late March/early April, not mid-June. I have been nursing this SI Joint injury for a long timeÖsince October of last year. I definitely didnít want to start off my season with the biggest prize purse in the history of our sport, but I wasnít about to miss the Hy-Vee Triathlon. Thanks Hy-Vee and Des Moines for making triathlon history ñ the race was unbelievable. My race in Des Moines started off quite well with the swim. I felt fairly good in the water and came out around 12th position. I was right there in the front after about a mile into the bike. We had about 15 guys away in a lead group, but we were unable to get organized quickly enough. The second pack of 20 guys caught us around the 15k mark of the 40k bike. Since I wasnít running well, due to my injury, I felt that I had to be in a break on the bike in order to finish well overall. Tactically this was quite different for me mentality since I can usually rely on my run to win races. I missed the break by not reacting quick enough and our group ended up 1 minute down to a 7-man breakaway. This lead group included the eventual winner, Rasmus Henning (DEN) and Simon Whitfield (CAN)Ö not good. I got off the bike with legs that hadnít run 10k at race effort since last October. I wasnít feeling very confident in finishing very high in the overall results. I ended up 17th and was actually happy that I finished. Not only did I finish, but I finished PAIN FREE. I have a long way to go in getting back to 100%, but the road to recovery is going well. I will be racing again at Lifetime Fitness, July 14th. I hope to improve by having another pain free race. That is where I am at right nowÖbaby steps. May all your transitions be fast and smooth…. Hunter May 22, 2007 I was planning on racing in Honolulu, Hawaii to compete at the U.S. Elite National Championships this past weekend. I was looking forward to defending my title; unfortunately, I have been unable to get my body healed up with the SI joint injury I’ve been dealing with since late last season. Instead of racing, my weekend looked a lot different. On Friday, I went up to Boulder to get an injection into my SI joint to reduce the inflammation that has been causing me a great deal of pain. I was happy about how the injection went and I’ve been laying low with my training since Friday, May 18th. The doctors told me that if I could take some time off, it would give the shot a better chance of working. While the guys were on the start line down in Hawaii on Sunday, I was fulfilling a desire that I’ve had for a long time. On Sunday I was part of 250 people at my church – Woodmen Valley Chapel – in Colorado Springs, CO, that got baptized. Getting baptized has been something that I have been praying about for a long time now. Baptism to me is an outward expression – a sign/a seal – that Christ is my Lord and Savior. I want everyone to know that I love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind. On Saturday, my mom flew out to Colorado from Orlando to surprise me to be a part of my baptism. I felt blessed to have my mom, my wife Val, my 4 month old son Davis, and some of my closest friends here in Colorado to be there to witness my baptism. God has given me so much and I just want everyone to know how much I love Him. I look forward to getting back out to compete very soon. My plan is to do a couple races in June. I’m really excited about competing at the Hy-vee Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 17th. To find out more, go to www.hy-veetriathlon.com. I hope to see many of you there! May all your transitions be fast and smooth…. Hunter P.S. Happy belated Mother’s Day to all the mom’s. My wife and I celebrated Mother’s Day for the first time last weekend. Val is an amazing wife and an incredible mother to Davis. CONGRATS MOM’s – thank you for doing what you do! May 7, 2007 When I was a little kid at Sable Point Elementary School, in Orlando, FL, I had big dreams of someday going to the Olympics and winning a gold medal. I have been able to achieve my dream of representing the greatest country in the world at the Sydney Olympic Games (2000) and the Athens Olympic Games (2004). As I reflect upon this, I get emotional because I have been so blessed. My dream is still alive as I strive to win a gold medal for my country in the 2008 Bejing Olympic Games. Like many other kids, I also had the dream to some day make it onto a WHEATIES BOX – Breakfast of Champions. I remember sitting at the kitchen table and seeing Michael Jordan’s picture on the cereal box as I ate my Wheaties. I thought it was the coolest thing ever but for me is seemed like a dream that was far from attainable. The day has arrived that another dream has come true for me. I received a phone call from General Mills about 2 months ago telling me that they were going to put me on a Wheaties cereal box. I couldn’t believe it. They reassured me that they were serious but I wasn’t about to spread the word until I actually saw it for myself. My wife went to our local grocery store the other day and bought one off the shelf with my picture on it. I’ve been eating from my own “Breakfast of Champions” Wheaties cereal box for the past few days now….so can all of you. The special edition HUNTER KEMPER Wheaties box is NOW in stores across the country. Go to your nearest Hy-vee store or other local grocery store to pick up a box of Hunter Kemper Wheaties. Even the dreams that seem so unattainable can come true….NEVER stop dreaming. May all your transitions be fast and smooth… Hunter May 1, 2007 The St. Anthony’s Triathlon held this past weekend was the first race on the schedule for me this season; unfortunately I was not able to compete. Up until now I have been very blessed to be injury free throughout most of my career. The past few months have been a struggle for me because I have been nursing a lower back/butt pain. Doctors recently diagnosed the pain to be in my SI Joint. I received an injection in the joint last week to reduce the inflammation and it seems to have helped. My challenge now is to rehab myself back to the race course this coming June. Although I did not race the St. Anthony's triathlon this past Sunday, I was in St. Pete to cheer the kids on at the Meek and Mighty race on Saturday. I was also there on Sunday to support my good friend and teammate Matt Reed as he was able to dominate the field and set a new course record. Congrats to Matt for an awesome race! I am currently in Des Moines, IA to do some PR work for the HY-VEE TRIATHLON this June. I will be speaking to a group of over 4,000 4th and 5th graders to promote healthy living and physical activity. Hy-Vee has many events planned for the weekend of June 16 and 17 in Des Moines which includes a kids triathlon, a youth and junior elite triathlon, an age-group race and then finally a World Cup competition in which the top professional athletes from all over the world will be competing for the $700,000 total prize purse….the largest in our sport! Go to http://www.hy-veetriathlon.com to find out more. Sign up now to be part of triathlon’s biggest event ever! I hope all your transitions are fast and smooth... Hunter April 6, 2007 I am excited to announce that I now have a NEW and IMPROVED website. Thanks to my good friend Ruben Figueres and his company the Alario Group, based in Chicago, I have been able to launch my new site. I am going to try and commit myself to writing at least one new journal entry each week. My goal is to have consistent dialogue with everyone that visits hunterkemper.com. I have just updated my 2007 race schedule. I hope to see you all at the races. You will notice by my schedule that I will be competing a lot more in the US this year. I am kicking off the start of my season a little later than normal at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon, in St. Petersburg, FL. The late start to my season is partly due to the fact that my wife, Valerie, gave birth to our very first child, a boy, on January 3rd. His name is Davis Thomas Kemper and he weighed in at 9lb. 5.5oz. I am truly amazed at how much you can love someone in just 3 months. I will be sure to keep you all informed as to what Davis is up to. Finally, I want to finish my 1st journal entry by thanking all my current and newly added sponsors. NIKE - www.nike.com Without your help and support I would never be able to live out my dreams…thanks! I have the greatest job in the world – to train and compete in triathlons and to represent my country along with such amazing companies. I look forward to working with you all for many more years. Please come back to my website and check out my latest journal entries. Feel free to email me with any thoughts or suggestions about my new site. Until then, may all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter THINGS TO COME: July 28, 2006 Early race morning, Saturday, July 15th. I was excited to compete against the best triathletes in the world. The Lifetime Fitness "Battle of the Sexes" Triathlon is currently the biggest prize-purse race in our sport. It's an invite-only race with 22 of the best men and 22 of the best women triathletes going head-to-head for $200,000. It doesn't get any better to compete against the best in the world for that kind of money! The past 2 years I've had good results at this race, but have never been the 1st man across the finish line and certainly not the overall winner. Maybe this was going to be my year. Race warm-up The men's race I was excited to ride my new Orbea Ordu time trial bike, with a special blue and white paint job, and an all-carbon time trial frame that is the fastest and lightest bike on the road. After the first few miles, a lot of the guys began to settle into a very comfortable pace. I felt really good on my bike and the pace for approximately the first 10 miles felt slow. This could result in a running race with about 5 of the best runners in the world. However, about 12 miles into the bike, the local guy from Minneapolis, David Thompson, came powering by all of us. His best event is the bike, so the biking got faster and Andrew Johns (GBR), David Thompson (USA) and I pulled away, riding the last 10 miles very fast. We had a 30-second lead on Simon Whitfield (CAN) and Filip Ospaly (CZE) and 1:10 on the rest of the guys in the race. After I got off my bike, I knew I had a great shot at winning the men's race... but I didn't know how far the women were ahead of us. I felt really good on the first 5k of the run. The splits were very encouraging. The closest guy behind me was Whitfield (CAN) - 40 seconds behind. I also knew at 5k I was only 20 seconds behind the lead woman. I couldn't believe it!!! I was 5k away from earning the biggest prize purse in triathlon. With about 1 mile to go, I was leading the race. With 500m to go I was 30 seconds ahead of everyone. The last 400m of the run were absolutely unbelievable! I saw my wife, Val, 100m from the finish line and stopped to give her a kiss. The last 100m run to the finish line is one big blur! I don't recall much... but I know I grabbed the finishing banner, held it up high in the air, and thanked God for all of my strength that day. I hope everyone can watch or TiVo the race tomorrow, Saturday, July 29th, on NBC at 4:30pm EST. It was the greatest win in my career thus far. Thanks to all of you for helping me get across that finish line. Hunter July 18, 2006 I've been busy. I'm in the home stretch of my summer racing before I begin my final preparation for the World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland on September 3rd. Four races in just about a month. It started with the Elite National Championships in Long Beach, CA on June 25th. I was so excited about going to California to defend my national title. My race went well and I came away with my first win of the season. It felt good to get back on top of the podium again, especially at our National Championships. This race is a big focus for me every year, because it brings out the best athletes in the U.S. I came home from Long Beach and had a solid week of training before getting very sick... had a fever around the 4th of July. This was not good, especially since I was getting ready for the ITU World Cup in Edmonton, Alberta. I was beginning to feel better as race day approached, but during the race on Sunday, July 9th I was unable to put together a solid performance on the run... really faltering on the run and didn't finish the race strong. I hung on for 3rd, but it was an ugly 3rd place. I returned from Edmonton ranked #1 in the world, but with some very tired legs and lungs. Needing some serious rest before competing in the biggest money race of the year - Lifetime Fitness "Battle of the Sexes" in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, July 15th - I made sure to hydrate a ton and get plenty of rest. This was one of my two biggest races of the year. I started feeling better by mid-week and was definitely rested. I arrived in Minneapolis on Thursday morning and went straight to the hotel. At the pro race briefing all the pros - 20 men and 20 women - were told the equalizer time... 9:49. I was happy to see that it wasn't much more than the equalizer time from last year. I finished 3rd last year, earning $20,000 for my efforts. I was feeling better and better as race day approached, and by race morning I was itching to compete against the best athletes in the world. Got to go to bed. To be continued... the race of a lifetime! Hunter May 3, 2006 I just returned from St. Petersburg, Florida on Tuesday afternoon. Flying in and out of Orlando to spend a little time with my parents before and after the race. I went to St. Petersburg on Friday, April 28th, did a talk and autograph signing for ORBEA at Florida Bicycle Sports. It was fun to hang out with some of the local triathletes and talk to them about triathlon as well as my brand new Orbea Ordu time trial frame. After spending a couple of hours at Florida Bicycle Sports, I went to the race expo and ate dinner at an event put on by the St. Pete Mad Dogs Tri Club. I think it's great that the Mad Dogs consider me a hometown boy since I grew up just two hours away in Orlando. I woke up on Saturday morning and went to the Meek and Mighty kids' triathlon. It was so much fun watching the 7-10 year olds compete. eeing them race brings back memories of my first triathlons at age 10. I loved spending time in transition watching the little triathletes put on their helmets, take off their shoes and socks, and rack their bikes... I had a blast. I will definitely be at the kids race whenever I do the St. Anthony's triathlon. Race Day - Sunday, April 30th My run did not feel great the first mile or so.... taking me about 1 1/2 miles to start getting my legs back after the hard 40k bike. I was able to catch Matt Reed around the 5k mark on the run, but was unable to make any significant time into Rasmus Henning's lead. I ended up finishing second to Rasmus Henning (DEN) by about 40 seconds at the finish line. I had a pretty good race - breaking the course record with 1:46:54 - but only ran 15 seconds into Rasmus' lead. I was a bit disappointed with my bike fitness, but I haven't really been training too hard on the bike, so I can't expect a whole lot at this point in the season. I would like to congratulate Rasmus Henning on an excellent race. He was strong in all 3 disciplines and deserved to win the $10,000 first place prize. If you haven't heard of Rasmus Henning before - it is about time you have. He is an excellent triathlete and a guy that is very well-liked by all the athletes on the ITU triathlon circuit. I want to thank all of the age-groupers who cheered for me during the race this past weekend. It was a great feeling racing back in FL again with all the support behind me. I want to congratulate all the 3500 amateurs who competed on Sunday in St. Petersburg , Florida. You are amazing and are truly the backbone of our wonderful sport! Congratulations to the 500 kids who competed in the Meek & Mighty race on Saturday. I hope you keep following your dreams... don't ever stop dreaming! I'd like to say one final THANK YOU to first-time race director of the St. Anthony's Triathlon - Philip LaHaye - for putting on an outstanding race. I look forward to coming back to your race in the years to come. I hope everyone is enjoying the start of the triathlon racing season. Go make some PR's... and may all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter April 25, 2006 These past two weeks have been very exciting as well as very crazy. I left for Ishigaki, Japan two weeks ago to compete in my second World Cup of the season (4th World Cup race on the 2006 ITU schedule). Ishigaki is sure a long travel trip, taking two days to get there and two days to get back. It was good that I was traveling with one of my best friends on the elite ITU circuit - Matt Reed. The day of the race I finally started to feel pretty good. My race did not get off to a very good start. I had a very poor first 200 meters of the swim and ended up in the back of the swim pack about 400 meters into the race. I didn't panic, but focused on trying to work my way up to the front of the swim group. I came out of the water in about 20th place - 20 seconds back of the leaders. It took me most of the first lap (6 lap bike course) to catch up to the lead bike group. I then tried to relax the rest of the bike and make sure that there were no big breakaways during the remainder of the 40k bike. I went out onto the run in good shape. After the first kilometer I was right with the leaders and at about the 2k mark I decided to go to the front... and ran in the front for the rest of the 10k. However, I never really took control of the race because I was frustrated that the other athletes that were still with me at 5k were just drafting off me. It was really windy and I thought that I shouldn't be leading the entire time and breaking the wind for the other guys. This thinking/strategy caused me to not run MY race and it fed into the hands of Courtney Atkinson (AUS). He passed me with about 600m to go and I ran about 5m behind him all the way to the finish line. It was a really hard pill for me to swallow - losing this race. I learned a great deal about myself with regards to racing for the WIN. I want to congratulate Courtney Atkinson (AUS) for winning the ITU Ishigaki World Cup for the second time in as many years. I also want to say thank you to him for allowing me to learn more about who I am and for the overwhelming disappointment I felt after the race. I will be sure to take this race and have it FUEL my FIRE for the rest of the racing season! I want to announce some BIG NEWS that I have been waiting to share. I have just signed on with a major International Olympic Committee (IOC) corporate sponsor through the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The name of my newest corporate sponsor is Atos Origin. They are currently the Worldwide IT partner of the Olympic Games. Last year, they extended their relationship with the IOC to become the information technology systems integrator for the 2008, 2010, 2012 Olympic Games. I want to thank everyone at Atos Origin for their belief in me as an athlete, and I look forward to our relationship. If you want to find out more about Atos Origin and what they do, you can go to http://www.atosorigin.com/en-us/ for more information. Some more exciting news for me this year is that I am in the latest May issue of Men's Journal currently in bookstores and at newsstands. The magazine did a feature on 7 athletes breaking barriers in their respective sports. Turn to page 182 and see me wearing some of the latest Nike gear. I look forward to seeing you at the races. I will be in St. Petersburg, Florida this weekend for the St. Anthony's Triathlon. Best of luck to all of you who are racing this weekend. May all your transitions be fast and smooth... Hunter April 3, 2006 Well, I have officially started my 2006 season... I competed in my first race down in Mooloolaba, Austraila on March 26th. The race went very well and I was able to come home with a 2nd place finish. The 2004 World Champ and Olympic Games Silver Medalist, Bevan Docherty, beat me by 3 seconds... but I'm happy to be back racing again this year. It was tough racing in Australia because many of the Aussies and Kiwis had competed in the Commonwealth Games the weekend before in Melbourne , Australia and were really on top of their fitness level. I traveled for 56 hours and was only in Australia for 40 hours. It was a unique experience flying in and out of Australia so quickly... trying to avoid the jet lag... but I enjoyed it and might try it again later in the year. I returned to the U.S. on Monday night, March 27th, and then left early Wednesday morning for Chicago to talk to the Chicago Triathlon Club. My friend, Ruben Figueres, helped set up this speaking engagement. The talk went really well and I met a lot of wonderful triathletes in Chicago. Aaron, the Chicago Tri Club President, had over 100 members of his 300+ member tri club attend my talk. The evening was a lot of fun and I look forward to returning to Chicago and speaking to the group again sometime. I left Chicago for Des Moines, Iowa to be part of a press conference announcing the HyVee ITU World Cup on June 17, 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa. It will be the biggest cash prize race in the history of our sport!! Hy-Vee, Inc. - 222 stores in 7 midwestern states - is putting together a $700,000 prize purse for the ITU World Cup race and $40,000 worth of cash and prizes for the Age Group race that will be held on the same day. I look forward to talking to you more about what HyVee has planned for their historic race next year. To sign up for the Hy-Vee Triathlon in June 2007, go to www.hy-veetriathlon.com. There are only 2,000 age group spots available, so sign up now before it is too late! I hope everyone has had some good base training months. I look forward to announcing some really big news in a few days, so come back to www.hunterkemper.com to find out what I have to announce. May all your transitions be fast and smooth... Hunter March 21, 2006 As I'm writing this journal entry, I can look outside and see 4 inches of snow on the ground. Although it's the first day of spring, in Colorado Springs it feels an awful lot like winter. As I prepare to leave for my first race, I want to wish everyone the very best as we start the 2006 season. I know it is still March, but it is time to start thinking about how you are going to accomplish your goals in the early-season races. I will try and give you a full race report when I get home from Australia . I also want to let you know that I will be traveling to Chicago next week to speak to the Chicago Triathlon Club... Wednesday night, March 29 th . I hope if you are in the Chicago area that you'll come out and say hello. Please direct any questions you have regarding when and where my talk will take place to Aaron, President of the Chicago Triathlon Club. The website of the Chicago Tri Club is http://www.chicagotriclub.com/ . November 28, 2005 It sure has been a long time since I have written a road diary to everyone. Thought I would let you know what I've been up to the past few weeks… and keep this entry short. I'll be writing some more from the road in the upcoming weeks, so be sure to check my website to see what's happening. I've just returned from my last World Cup race of the year in New Zealand . I finished 4 th in the Nov. 13 th World Cup in New Plymouth, NZ. It was only disappointing in that I have finished off the podium only twice this year – out of 14 races. The race came down to a sprint with around 400 meters to go between Bevan Docherty (NZL), Kris Gemmell (NZL), Rasmus Henning (DEN), and myself. Kris Gemmell lifted the pace with just over 400m to go and I was unable to respond. Bevan and Rasmus did and those three fought it out for the podium spots, with Bevan getting the win. Gemmell was 2 nd and Rasmus Henning finished a strong 3 rd . Although I was unable to reach the podium in my final race, I was ecstatic about holding the #1 World Ranking position for the year. Val and I have just returned home from a 12-day vacation in New Zealand after the last World Cup race. This was the first time I've been able to take considerable time off since the start of my season. We spent most of the 12 days on the south island of New Zealand . We visited the major cities of Christchurch and Queenstown on the south island and Wellington and Auckland on the north island. The best time we had on our trip was in Milford Sound on an overnight 60-person boat. It was so beautiful waking up on the water with such beauty all around us. I will be sure to share all the pictures we took on our vacation with you very soon on my website. One thing I did learn is that there are sheep everywhere in New Zealand ! I'm talking everywhere… about 40 million sheep compared to 3-4 million people. This 2005 season has definitely been a dream season for me! I have been able to maintain a consistent level of fitness with consistent race performances throughout the racing season. This will be the first time that an American male athlete has ever finished the year #1 in the ITU World Rankings… and I have enjoyed every day of this journey at the top of world rankings. It's been an enjoyable year and I have learned a lot about myself not only as a person, but also as a competitor. I hope to share much of what I've learned this year with you in my upcoming road diaries. May all your transitions be fast and smooth… Hunter August 24th, 2005 I've been really busy since we last talked! I've raced 3 times... Life Time Fitness, Edmonton ITU World Cup, and Pro Nationals. I managed to get on the podium at all 3 of these races. I finished a disappointing 3rd place at the Life Time Fitness "Battle of the Sexes" race in Minneapolis on July 17th. I definitely biked too hard in this non-drafting race trying to be aggressive and go for the win... and it ended up costing me a better finish. When I got off the bike and started running, I said to myself in some very negative self talk, "Uh-Oh... We could be in trouble here." I was hoping that I would find my running legs sometime during the 10k, but they never showed up! I gave it my all that day and that's all I can ask of myself... my best on that day was only good enough for 3rd male, 3rd overall - behind winner Craig Alexander (AUS) and Simon Whitfield (CAN). The following weekend I competed in the Edmonton ITU World Cup. I placed one spot better on the podium - 2nd place. I was pleased with this result after missing the lead group coming out of the water. I had a great start to my race and led for the first 400m of the swim, but then got passed by Craig Walton (AUS), Andy Potts (USA), and Courtney Atkinson (AUS). I was unable to stay on the feet of these guys. I came out of the water in 4th place, about 20 seconds down from the 3 guys off the front. I was unable to attack early in the bike and was therefore stuck in the chase pack for the remainder of the 40k bike. Our pack kept losing time to Potts and Walton... we came off the bike almost 2 minutes behind. Our pack didn't work very well together, to say the least. I knew that I might be able to catch Walton, but Potts would be a challenge. I gave it my best shot and had the fastest run split of the day, but it was not enough to catch the winner - Andy Potts. I lost by about 30 seconds. I am very proud of my friend and swim training partner for pulling off his 1st World Cup win... he deserves it, because he trains tremendously hard and is very talented. After the Edmonton World Cup on July 23rd, it was off to race at our Pro Nationals on August 7th in Bellingham, WA. I always love competing at our National Championships and especially enjoyed this year because of where the race was held. I have raced several times on this Bellingham course and it's always challenging. The bike course has a hill on it called "Alabama Hill"... 18% grade at the top of the 1/3mi. long climb. We do this hill 6 times. A good swim put me in 2nd place out of the water and after about 3 miles on the bike we had a group of 5 guys that were working well together. The hill was challenging, but I made sure to ride up it as conservatively as possible every time. I started the run in 2nd place and quickly went to the lead after about 400m. I ran with Matt Reed (USA) for 1 lap of the 4-lap run. I knew Matt would be tough to beat because he was the defending 2004 National Champion. I was able to post the fastest run of the day which was good enough to WIN my 5th Pro National Championship! I especially enjoyed the day because lots of family and friends were there to support me. I race again this weekend, Sunday, August 28th at the Mrs. T's Chicago Triathlon... haven't competed at this race since 2000. I plan on having fun this weekend and hope to maximize my result on race day. The race expo is on Saturday... I'll be there and hope to meet some of you that make this sport as great as it is! I love racing at the same time as all the age-groupers and look forward to meeting each of you racing in Chicago this weekend. Wherever you are racing... “May all your transitions be fast and smooth!” Hunter. July 9th, 2005 It was a rollercoaster ride the 1st two weekends in June. In my last road diary I mentioned that I was off to a World Cup in Madrid, Spain, on June 5th and then racing at the Escape from Alcatraz race in San Francisco the following weekend, June 12th. My goal at these two races was just to do my best on what I had that day. I was able to reach that goal in only one of these races - Escape from Alcatraz. A 4th place finish at the ITU Madrid World Cup... it was my worst race result of the year. Usually I would be happy with a 4th place in a World Cup race. However, in Madrid I finished the race without "emptying the tank," if you know what I mean... I didn't race aggressively and I let the other competitors dictate the race. Therefore, I didn't reach my goal of trying to achieve my best on what I had that day. I must admit that I was sulking for about 24 hours, until I saw my beautiful wife, Val, back home in Colorado Springs... how could I sulk anymore when I come home to such an amazing woman. She told me, “Suck it up and get tough... you have another race in a few days and you need to start putting your energy towards racing well at Alcatraz.” So I took the next few days to recover from my Madrid trip and then Val and I left for San Francisco on Thursday, June 9th. I was definitely looking forward to racing again – especially after such a disappointing result the previous week in Madrid. There is nothing like making a bad race feel better than getting back on the starting line the next weekend... oh, do I LOVE short course racing!!! I was looking forward to my first Escape from Alcatraz. I don't know why I haven't done this race before, especially since the distance of the race plays to my strength with an 8-mile run. The swim went really well. I was able to exit the water with Andy Potts (USA) and only 10 seconds behind Craig Walton (AUS). After the ¾ mile run to the transition area, I caught Walton and exited T1 in the lead. I tried to stay with Craig on the bike, but after about 4 miles he dropped me on one of the many downhills on the 18-mile bike course. I realized then that I had to bike steady and under control. At the end of the bike, I was about 1:40 behind Craig Walton with no one in sight behind me. I had 8 miles to make up less than 2 minutes on Walton... I was really happy with how things were going. I caught Craig at about the 4 mile mark and ran to a very comfortable WIN at ALCATRAZ. It's nice to win a non-drafting race. I know that I can ride a bike well and it was nice to show it off a little bit in this race. My next race will be the Life Time Fitness “Battle of the Sexes” Triathlon in Minneapolis, MN on July 16th. This race will air on NBC on Saturday, July 16th – the same day that we race (check your local listings to see when we it will be shown in your area). Until I write again from the road, “May all your transitions be fast and smooth!” Hunter June 3rd, 2005 I'm sorry for not being more consistent with my Road Diary entries... the past month has just flown by. Since the last time we talked I made a last minute decision to go to a World Cup race in Ishigaki, Japan. Now that I am ITU World Ranked #1, I felt I had to go to Japan to protect my World #1 Ranking. On race day I didn't feel great, but was able to gut out a 2nd place performance. I was really pleased with the way I was able to challenge myself, even when things weren't feeling IDEAL... and retain the top World Ranking spot. After returning from Japan, I then decided to go down to Tempe, AZ, and compete in an ITU points race on May 22nd. The reason I wanted to do this race is because USAT (www.usatriathlon.org) is promoting a 5-race "Haul to the Great Wall" series... and if you have the highest point total in 3 of the 5 races, you win an extra $5,000 as the series champion. My final race for this series will be on Aug. 7th in Bellingham, WA. The Tempe race went well and I was able to win. It was definitely a hot day with temperatures approaching 110 degrees... my philosophy on those hot days is that it's not only hot for me, but it is hot for everyone out there! As long as I keep telling myself that, I usually feel a lot better. I left for Madrid, Spain Thursday to compete in another ITU World Cup race. Madrid was where I won my very first World Cup in 2003. You can follow the race LIVE on www.triathlon.org. We will be competing on Sunday, June 5th at 1pm Madrid time... that's 7am (EST) Sunday morning. My goal for all of these races is to always maximize my result - no matter how the race plays out. I will get back from Madrid on Monday, June 6th, and then get ready for "Escape From Alcatraz" on Sunday, June 12th in San Francisco. This will be my very first time competing in the Alcatraz race and I'm really looking forward to it. Although what I'm most looking forward to is spending a few days in San Francisco after the race... as Val and I celebrate our 2-year anniversary (we got married on June 14, 2003). I absolutely adore my wife and I must admit that this has been the greatest two years of my life! I sure hope to see many of you in San Francisco. Please come up and say hello to me, before or after the race - especially if you are a member of Team Kemper. You will make my day - trust me! Check it out: Next time you are at your local Barnes & Noble or Borders Bookstore, look in the June issue of Men's Fitness magazine (page 72)... I was recently featured as one of the “25 Fittest People in the United States.” Also, the next issue of Sports Illustrated will have an article about me... so please check it out. I'll update you as to which SI issue it is, once it hits the shelves. Thanks for all your support and I look forward to seeing all of you at Alcatraz. May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter April 27th, 2005 I have just returned from Mazatlan, Mexico, after competing in my second ITU World Cup Event of the 2005 season. One week ago I lost the first World Cup race of the season by 1 second in a sprint finish. This past weekend I was hoping to get on the podium again... it's always good when you can finish in the top 3 of a World Cup race. I flew to Mazatlan only the day before the race... very last minute. I got this idea from Matt Reed, who assured me that it would be okay to fly in the day before and race within 24 hours of landing in Mazatlan. It was a direct flight from Denver to Mazatlan, so the travel was not difficult. Race Update Swim - My swim went very well. I started beside Matt Reed (USA) and Andy Potts (USA) - these guys are definitely two of the fastest swimmers in the sport. The ocean swim was very rough! The two-lap swim made it even more difficult to deal with the waves and rough conditions as we went in and out of the water. I exited the water 4th, about 5 seconds behind Andy. Bike - Once I got on my bike, I knew it was important to ride as hard as I could early. This gives you the best chance of creating a breakaway right from the start of the bike. After about a lap, there were about 8 guys in our group and we began to work together. For the first few laps of the 8-lap bike we were not working well as a group... we only had about 30 seconds on the chase pack behind us. However after about 4 laps of the bike, we began to work a lot better as a pack. The strong riders in our group were Rasmus Henning (DEN), Stephan Poulat (FRA), and Matt Reed (USA). They definitely helped the pack finish with a 1:40 lead on the big chase group. Run - When the run started I knew the race was only between the guys in our bike group... and the guys I knew that would be strong were Petzold (GER) and Matt. The first 1 1/2 laps of the 4-lap run were very comfortable. I decided to throw in a little surge at about the 4k mark, and then by 5k I had dropped both the Germans and Reed. For the last 5k of the run I made sure I ran strong and steady... I knew I was going to be able to win my first ITU World Cup since September '03. It felt great to win in Mazatlan! I have been there the past 2 years and have always raced well. The people of Mazatlan definitely know who I am... it's almost like racing in front of a hometown crowd. The best part of this past weekend was that I raced well enough to become the first U.S. male ever to be ranked #1 in the World. I still can't believe that my current ranking at the www.triathlon.org website says Hunter Kemper - #1. I will definitely have to race a lot more to maintain this #1 ranking... but right now, it feels UNBELIEVABLE!!! Continue to have fast and smooth transitions... Hunter April 20th, 2005 I am very happy to start off the season with a podium at the 1st ITU World Cup of 2005. Whenever you can get on the podium of an ITU World Cup race you should be pleased. I do think it stinks that I lost the race the way I did... by only one second to Tim Don from Great Britain. He had an excellent run and deserved to win the race. I went into this race coming off a lot of base training. I had very few test workouts during my base training to let me know where my fitness level was. I must admit that I was quite nervous going into this race. I was not sure at all how it was going to go... but, it came out alright. I had a good start with my swim... coming out of the water in 6th place, only 8 seconds behind swim leader Andy Potts (USA). The bike felt great and my new wheel sponsor – ROLF PRIMA – allowed me to climb the hills super fast. Throughout the 5-lap bike segment I just played it safe, making sure that I kept a close eye on the top runners in the main pack. Seth Wealing (USA) and Stephan Poulat (FRA) had about a 1:45 lead off the bike and Matt Reed (USA) and Bryce Quirk (AUS) were about 30 seconds ahead of the main bike group that I was in. I must admit I was a little worried that these guys had that much of a lead, but I knew that I would only catch them if I was patient with my run. My bike to run transition was just average. I actually was probably about 12th onto the run from my group. In my opinion, I had to make up too much time initially to get to the front of the main group of runners. I will be sure to continue to work on this aspect of my racing. After the 1st of the 4-lap 10k run, I was starting to feel more comfortable. By the start of the 4th and final lap I was running head-to-head with Tim Don for the win. Tim started picking up the pace with around 600m to go... he gapped me by a second or two during the final 400m and I was never able to catch back up. There actually wasn't much of a sprint – NONE!!! My leg speed was a little lacking in this race. It sure is bitter-sweet to finish second and be so close to winning the first World Cup of the 2005 season. Overall I'm pleased with my performance, and I hope to carry some of this momentum into my next race this weekend – April 24th – in Mazatlan, Mexico. This will be the second ITU World Cup of the season. Please check back with me next week to see how the race goes in Mazatlan. You can also watch the race LIVE, Sunday April 24th at 10:00am PST on www.triathlon.org. Have a great week of training... with fast and smooth transitions!!! Hunter January 9th, 2005 I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year. I also hope that everyone set some new and exciting resolutions/goals for 2005. I spent Christmas with my wife and her entire family up in Grand Rapids, MI (where she grew up)... experiencing a white Christmas for the first time in my lifetime. I must admit that there is something to be said about looking outside and seeing snow on the ground on Christmas Day – pretty neat. I still think that I'm biased to those sunny, 70 degree Christmas days in Orlando, FL. Val and I flew back to Orlando to spend the New Year with my family – and to also celebrate Christmas with my family. We spent New Year's Eve watching a double-feature (we saw Polar Express and National Treasure) at the movie theater and then walking around Downtown Disney to enjoy the fireworks that Disney World put on... it was probably the most exciting fireworks display that I've ever seen. Since mid-December I've been trying to get back into triathlon training. This first week in January has been my biggest volume week since I resumed my training – 15,000 yds. in the pool, 10 hours of cycling, 6 hours of running, and 2 hours of strength training. I'm still a few pounds overweight (which is healthy for this time of year) and quite a bit out-of-shape. Luckily, I still have some time before I begin my racing season in 2005. I will be leaving today, January 9th, to drive back to my home in Colorado Springs. I know you are probably thinking – why in the world would I leave FL and 80 degrees. The one problem I have with my training in Orlando is that my swimming usually suffers. I don't have a very good swim group to train with, like I do at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. It sure will be tough to leave this beautiful weather. I can't wait to see what 2005 has in store for all of us... it's going to be one fantastic year!!! Hunter December 13th, 2004 Val and I left Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday, Nov. 27th, for Washington, D.C... about a 10 hour drive. I must admit that I really enjoy driving across this beautiful country of ours. I was excited to visit the historical monuments in our nation's capitol. Val and I arrived in D.C. on Saturday evening and we stayed with one of Val's good friends from Michigan St... her name is Deb “The Great” and she is currently enrolled in the MBA program at Georgetown University. We decided to spend Sunday, November 28th, seeing the sites in D.C. Deb thought we should rent mountain bikes so we would be able to see as much as possible... I thought her idea was brilliant, especially since I hadn't been on a bike in 3 weeks. I want to share with you all the wonderful places we went with Deb as our tour guide. We started with the National Archives Building – where the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Constitution are located. I must say that this is a place that everyone should visit when they spend a vacation/field trip in D.C. We then unlocked our bikes and headed onto the National Mall toward the Capitol Building. As we were riding along, Deb decided to hop the curb with her rented mountain bike. Guess who had to change the tire... that's right, I did... I must say I was really impressed with my quick tire change. After taking photos of the Capitol Building, we went to the Air and Space Museum. This is a really fun place to visit – especially for kids. We then headed back down the Mall to the Washington Monument, which was off limits due to construction work. Next, we saw the new World War II Memorial... I really enjoyed this Memorial. I'm sure it will be an emotional experience for a lot of WWII Vets. We then rode our bikes to the Lincoln Memorial and hung out with Honest Abe for awhile... took more pictures, of course! After Lincoln we stopped at the Vietnam Memorial... it is absolutely amazing how many names are on that Wall. Finally, we ended up outside the South Gate of the White House. There was definitely a lot of security around there. Deb, Val, and I had a wonderful 4 hour bike tour of D.C… I highly recommend it! On Monday morning, November 29th, we met with my cousin Craig who works for a U.S. Senator on Capitol Hill. He was able to give us a Staff tour of the Capitol Building... none of us had ever been inside the Capitol Building. I must say that this was definitely the highlight of my visit to D.C. It's not every day that you get a private tour of the U.S. Capitol. Well, that's it for now... check back in with me in a few days (at www.hunterkemper.com) so I can fill you in on the rest of my road trip, as Val and I make our way down to my parents' house in Orlando, FL. Hunter December 8th, 2004 Part 1 of a Multi-Part Diary Entry I can't believe that my vacation time is over. I do love my time off. Everyone always asks me whether or not I miss training when I'm taking time off... the answer is always NO!!! I always love the month of November because I know it usually means seeing friends and sitting on my butt. Now I want to let you know what I've been up to since my last race of the year in Rio (Nov. 6th). Val and I packed up the Pontiac Montana - “The Mini” (that's right, I own a minivan) and headed to Grand Rapids, MI. The best part about my minivan is that it was given to me by GM in 2000. No laughing, fellas! Anyway, Val and I drove cross-country from Colorado Springs to Grand Rapids, MI (Val's parents house) in two days. I must admit that Iowa and Nebraska are not the greatest states to drive through... it took us 17 hours to get to Grand Rapids – not too shabby. We decided to stay in GR for about two weeks so we could spend some time with Val's family. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Uncle Bill and Aunt Marlene's lake house. The food is always amazing. Some of my favorites are Aunt Marlene's homemade mashed potatoes, squash with brown sugar/pecan topping, and pecan pie. Yummy!!! Yummy!!! Yummy!!! The turkey with gravy was also great... I definitely had to loosen my belt one slot. I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My wife was up at 5:30am the day after Thanksgiving to start her shopping! When I asked her what time she was planning on getting up and she said 5:30, I just started laughing... “No way are you waking up at 5:30 in the morning,” I said. She said that the “DoorBuster” sales at all the stores start at 6:00am. She did it... she and her mom left before the sun was up and she said there were approx. 20 cars lined up just to get into the parking lot of the Rivertown Mall. She also waited in line for 30 minutes to check out. My lovely wife absolutely loves a sale... she tells me all the time how lucky I am that I married someone that never ever buys clothes at full price (except for a 36in. inseam pair of jeans for $92). I just need to make sure I race a little faster to support all her “double red-line” shopping expeditions. Be sure to come back and visit www.hunterkemper.com to read about the rest of my November Road Trip in my next Road Diary installment... Happy Holidays... Hunter November 13th, 2004 During the month of October I picked up my training volume quite a bit from where it was in September. However, I did NOT pick up the intensity at all during this month... I was strictly doing Base Training the entire time. I enjoyed the training and did not force myself to go to the track in the middle of October. I was also able to do something fun during October... all of the Olympians and Paralympians were invited to the White House to meet the President of the United States of America! This was an opportunity to fly to Washington D.C. and hang out with the leader of the free world. We all took a tour of the White House, had a group photo taken with President Bush and Mrs. Bush, and watched him take off in Marine One (Presidential Helicopter) from the White House Lawn. The entire experience was amazing and one that I will never forget. On October 31st I competed in Cancun World Cup... I had a very good finish, placing 2nd in the race. I was very happy with how this race went... although I did have one major problem. When I got back home I started feeling sick and by Monday night – Nov. 1st – Montezuma's revenge kept me from getting much sleep. I definitely caught a bug down in Cancun and my stomach was not the same for at least 2 days! I was supposed to leave for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday – Nov. 3rd – but had to postpone my flight because of how I was feeling. Val and I left the following day for Rio and got there on Friday afternoon. I raced on Sunday and didn't race nearly as well as I wanted, finishing 6th... affected somewhat by the events of the previous week. Val and I had a wonderful time after the race, vacationing for a few days in Rio... neither of us had ever been to Rio or even Brazil before this trip. Rio is definitely an exotic and fun place. We went to see the Statue of Christ on Corcovado hill... we stayed on Copacabana Beach – the famous beach in Barry Manilow's song. I would like to congratulate all of you who competed at the Hawaii Ironman... hope your experience was one that you'll never forget! I have a great deal of respect for all you that compete at the Ironman distance. Every Ironman finisher should be very proud... Congratulations!!!! As a side note --- For December I'm using a little different format for my newsletter and choosing the giveaway winner. I'm asking all of you to email me a question this month - doesn't have to be triathlon related... feel free to ask me anything you want... don't be afraid to be creative. I'll answer some of the best questions for the December Newsletter. I want to try and make this as interactive as possible. Please give me as much feedback about my website as possible – good and bad, what you like and don't like about it. I'll also be choosing the giveaway winner for November based upon who sends me the best question... so let me hear from you!! I'm taking time off now to visit friends and family, so you'll hear from me again from the road... Hunter October 7th, 2004 Wow... it has been a while since my last journal entry. I apologize for my lack of commitment in keeping you posted. It has now been 6 weeks since I competed at the Olympics. I hope you realize how much I appreciate all your letters and emails of support before and after my race! I was so excited to represent my country on that day and I hope that someday – maybe four years from now in Beijing – I will be able to represent the USA again. Until then, I'll keep trying to reach my goal of being the #1 ranked triathlete in the world. I want to briefly tell you what I've been up to this past month. Right after the Olympics Val and I took a little vacation to Vail over Labor Day weekend. We had a very relaxing time... it was nice to get away. I was definitely mentally and physically drained from the whole Olympic process. I took about 2 weeks completely off to recharge my batteries... I really needed it. I was then asked by one of my major sponsors – Amino Vital – to fly down to Shreveport, LA for the USAT Age Group National Championships. It was great to see all the triathletes around this country that make the sport of triathlon so terrific! My last amateur race was USAT Age Group Nationals in Columbia, MD in August of 1997... it sure doesn't seem like that long ago. Congratulations to all of you who raced at Nationals this year! Over the past three weeks I've been trying to regain some of the fitness I lost during my time off. I spent the first week just having fun... swimming when I wanted to swim (which wasn't that often), getting worked by my wife Val in her weekly spin class, and going for some runs, sometimes with Val (at her not-to-be revealed running pace). However, these past couple of weeks I've been trying to get somewhat serious about my training again. I‘ll be doing two more races before I end my season this year... I'll be competing in the Cancun ITU World Cup on October 31 and the Rio ITU World Cup the following weekend on November 7th down in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These are the last two World Cups of the season. I have a couple of more things I want to share with you, but this diary has already gone a little long. I will be writing another journal entry early next week... so be sure to come back to my website for the update. PS... GOOD LUCK to all those preparing for the Hawaii Ironman! Here is some advice - trust your taper! Hunter | |
