Matt Jackson, 25-29 age group, recently competed in his first Ironman World Championship in Kona. First entering the triathlon world at the age of 23, the past few years have shown an incredible progression with a top 3 finish in his age group at Tulsa Ironman in 2021 and a 2nd place age group finish at Wisconsin Ironman in 2021. There’s no denying that Matt has an innate ability to dig deep and persevere through tough moments. Matt ran his very first marathon in college (a 3:14) on 2 weeks of training when he took over a race registration from a friend who was injured. It’s safe to say that his first experience racing on the big island was a good one, finishing the Ironman in a fantastic time (9:29). Matt shares his training leading up to this long-awaited race and what the day was like: 1) a fast, but chaotic swim 2) a straightforward bike ride, and 3) a HOT run. What’s next for Matt? We see big things ahead! 13:50 - “So that was the first thing that [my coach] tweaked for me. I was going way too hard all the time.” 17:18 – “One of the main differences in my training was massive weekends”41:45 - “It's warm, but to me, that just means you just need to drink more fluid. You got to hit all the aid stations.” 54:38 - “…probably the moment in the race where if I were to say the race broke me, it was mile 18.” 55:38 - “I remember I was running in the say, the shadow of the guardrail. It was putting shade on my shins. I thought that that was making a difference.” 1:02:43 - “…be consistent with your training, be patient and try to find a good coach” 1:03:07 - “I said, I need to improve my bike. He said, how are you going to do that? I said, I don't know. I guess I need a coach. And he goes, there you go. We ended up working together again, and he took me all the way up to Kona.” Mike & Michelle’s favorite coffee beans - Bareknuckle Blend Boxcar Coffee Roasters, Boulder, CO www.boxcarcoffee.com Matt’s favorite piece of gear this season: Zone 3 Swim Skin Follow Matt Jackson’s journey: Instagram @jattmaxon Blog: roadtokonamj.blogspot.com (read his full Kona 2022 race report) Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message via our website at www.missionkonapodcast.com or email to [email protected]