6/14/2012 – SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — Before Rob Ladewig dived into St. George, Utah’s Sand Hollow Reservoir on a warm, calm and clear May 6 morning, he did so in anticipation of a glorious day.He wore an adventurous smile as he wished his fellow Ironman triathlon competitors well and prepared his mind for the battle that lay ahead, just like he did prior to his previous 20 Ironman competitions. His thoughts wavered between the upcoming events – the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and finally, 26.2-mile marathon. He repeated his strategy, contemplated his food and water intake and envisioned himself as a champion.A mere 15 minutes later, all those thoughts had vanished as he found himself swimming through a nightmare.A freak storm had descended upon Sand Hollow just as most of the field of 1,800 triathletes had reached the 500-yard mark. Stiff winds produced 5-foot, white-capped waves and Ladewig could already see people taking refuge on nearby outcroppings.”Ultimately, I had to resort to a breast stroke, just so I could breathe,” the 64-year old Missile Defense Agency analyst recalled. “I could see the waves break, but it was a painfully slow technique. It was more like treading water than actually swimming, but when I looked at my watch, about an hour in, I thought I could make the 2-hour, 20-minute time cutoff.”As it turned out, he pulled himself out of the water in 2 hours, 23 minutes, and he was crushed when an official informed him he was officially out of the race.Click here to read more from the Schriever Sentinel

Rob Ladewig, Missile Defense Agency analyst, climbs a hill during a training run prior to the St. George Ironman Triathlon earlier this year in St. George, Utah. Photo by Schriever Sentinel