A sales team that races together, sells more…right? We hope that’s the case, because LockNet now has two employees who can proudly say that they have joined the rank of Ironman finishers. LockNet CEO, Chad Miller, and director of national accounts, Rob Owen, and his wife Kristine all completed the half-Ironman last weekend in Galveston, Texas.
Chad conquered the individual course for his third year in a row, and Rob and Kristine completed the course as a relay team. Kristine swam and ran, and Rob biked.
What does a half-Ironman course entail? It certainly tests the most fit of athletes with a 1.2 mile swim in open water, a 56 mile bike ride, and a half-marathon (13.1 mile run).
I don’t know about you, but when I think about just one of those legs, I’m exhausted. But, in true LockNet form, they rocked it.
Team LockNet: How Did They Do?
Chad had a personal record and shaved 29 minutes off of last year’s time and smashed the course in 5:23:52. Here’s his breakdown:
- Swim: 42:29
- Bike 2:35:28
- Run 1:59:52
Rob and Kristine finished the course in 7:36:48. Their stats are as follows:
- Swim (Kristine) 46:05
- Bike (Rob) 3:38:12
- Run (Kristine) 3:07:13
All of us at LockNet are incredibly proud of them.
Team LockNet: Their Inspiration & Preparation
When we were kids, Chad was always an avid outdoorsman. He spent summers at camp and did both National Outdoor Leadership School and Outward Bound, but he was never a gym rat. That’s why I was so surprised when all of a sudden he went to the gym and really owned it.
His newfound enjoyment of fitness sparked a desire to achieve more. When I asked him what got him started with Ironman, he said, “I wanted to really push myself beyond my comfort zone and accomplish something in the physical realm that seemed like a huge undertaking.”
In true Chad form, he has poured himself into his goal to first become an Ironman finisher, and second, to improve his times each race. Before a half-Ironman, he trains an average of 10-15 per week. Bump that up to 15-20 hours for a full Ironman. He does all of this while he is the CEO of LockNet. He wanted to give a shout-out to his trainer Mike Hermanson who has helped push him and hold him accountable for his workouts.
Rob and Kristine have their own inspiration. Rob’s sister, Cori Hunt, passed away two years ago to cervical cancer. Kristine said, “This devastated both of us, and out of frustration and anger at a disease that we felt powerless towards, we turned to fitness to feel as though we were doing something to battle our enemy.”
Since Cori’s passing, Kristine has finished multiple 5ks and a few triathlons, but this was her first half-Ironman. Cori remains her steadfast motivation through all of her training and racing.
Fitness helped Rob grapple with Cori’s passing as well, but his main motivator stemmed from his own health issues. He was diagnosed with osteopenia and osteoporosis at the age of 30; however, through improved diet and exercise, his osteoporosis completely reversed, and his osteopenia is almost negligent. If that’s not motivation to keep at it right there, I’m not sure what is! Rob is considering swim training to potentially compete in his first individual triathlon this summer.
Join us in congratulating team LockNet in the comments! We’d also love to hear about what team activities you have participated in.
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