<img src="https://www.drfields.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ironman-austria-logo.jpg" alt="Ironman Austria Logo" width="220" height="82" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-154" /> 

<p class="text-center" id="athletic-event">Sunday June 29, 2014<br>
2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run</p>

<p >My time was 13:32:36.  A new PR for me.
For the details, please read the story below.
Thank you</p>

<p><strong><u>GETTING THERE</u></strong></p>
<p> It started with a 12 hour flight from Los Angeles to Frankfurt going via Dallas. There was 3 hour delay in Dallas so it took even longer. I thought that I had missed my train connection in Frankfurt. Fortunately I got through customs very quickly.  35 minutes from arriving at the game, I was not only able to get through customs but pick up my bags, take a bus to the train station, then re-book my ticket and make my train with 5 minutes to spare!  Of course being able to speak German helped out a lot with getting directions. Then a 3 hour train ride to Munich where I switched trains and then a four hour train ride to Klagenfurt, Austria.  The views from the train in southern Germany and Austria were spectacular.
The next days were just getting settled in. Usually I'm a very good sleeper but unfortunately, for about 4 days, I was unable to sleep a lot at night. I tried to make up with this naps during the day.  Sunday would come all too quickly. 
The rest of the pre-event days were spent meeting everybody, seeing the triathlon expo and having a chance to swim in the lake and then take a van ride around part of the biking course. When my bike did arrive (I had it shipped), I rode it for about 20 miles and then had the mechanic adjust it slightly. The rest of the time was spent trying to stay calm and relaxed while not working out a lot.</p>


<p>Saturday we checked in at the race which included leaving your bike and all your gear. The race number paper for my bike did not fit properly and I was advised not to tamper with it and ask an official when I went to check in my bike. When I got out of the van at the check in point I realized that I have left the number back in the hotel. In German I asked one of the check in officials what he could do about it. He said he could not do anything and that I would have to go to the registration area to have a thing done. Not an easy thing to do as it was one a mile away and I had all my gear with me in bags, so walking the bike would not be an easy thing. So I opted to go back to the van and have them take me back and get the number. As I was walking away one of the spectators came up to me and said in German that someone wants to talk to you back from where I came. I looked back and saw someone standing there who had a race official badge around his neck. So I walked back (not an easy thing to do with several thousand people there) and asked him in German if he could do anything about this. He said no problem he could help me. I was surprised as the first guy had said no. I asked again if he was sure about this since my van ride was about to leave. He turned over his badge which and it said race director.  He said "I'm the boss and I can do it for you".  And within minutes everything was taken care of. He told me he travels to the states sometimes so I gave my card told him to look me up. He said he would.
All’s well that ends well. Plus a good omen for the race.</p>


<p><u>RACE DAY</u></strong></p>
<p>I got up at my usual time of 3:30 am. Breakfast is at four am and we leave for the race at 4:45am. It was about 58 degrees (heading into the 70's) and very clear and no signs of rain. It has rained the last 2 days on and off so this was a good thing. Got to the transition area and prepped my bike for the last time. This is always a very exciting time with 3000 athletes plus spectators trying to stay calm. Since it was about a 500 meter walk to the water, we all took our wetsuits and changed over by the lake.
At the lake we were greeted by a rainbow over the lake.  It was very beautiful and again a good omen. In a short time, we were already go. The pros and another group of 800 people started 15 minutes early. These early starting non-pros for had signed up to start early. I missed this sign up and at first I was disappointed as I am a very strong swimmer. But Ken Glah, the former pro triathlete whose company I travel with, found out it was a good thing as I would be the fastest in the next group of 2200 athletes and not all bunched up with the fast group (it gets very jammed up at the beginning of the swim).
So after many months of training, I was ready to start my fourth Ironman. I was dedicating this race to two people.</p>

<p>On my left arm I had head initials JP written. This was in memory of my friend Jeff Patterson. Dr Jeff started me off in the wonderful world Prolotherapy which helped save my back from surgery. He was my mentor and dear friend and died much too early only a few months ago at the age of 67.
On my right arm I had the initials FFF, for my father Fred F. Fields. Simply put, he was everything in the world to me. He would have been so proud of me, as he always was. It was with great honor and pride that I am able to call myself his son.  He died almost 10 years ago and there is not one day that goes by that I do not think of him.</p>



<p class="text-center" ><strong>Peter A. Fields, MD DC</strong></span><br>
<strong id="athleticdoc">The Athletic Doc<sup style="font-size: 14px;">®</sup> and 3X Ironman Finisher</strong></span></p>


