Rappstar wins 2009 ironman Arizona

TM: congratulations! You now have 2 ironman wins in 2 races. How does this one compare to the last?

JR: Canada was one of those rare days that come maybe once or twice in a career where everything feels great. Not "effortless," but very smooth. Today was not like that. Today was an exercise in knowing that a given effort, pace, power, etc. was possible and forcing myself to do it. It was painful. And very hard.

TM: Your execution looked flawless on the live universal sports feed although ibeas wetting myself watching you in t2 hoping you got out before tj showed up. Was it really the perfect race for you?

JR: Well my T2 was pretty off! I made some small mistakes, since normally I'm a bit quicker in T2 than I was. This was not a perfect race. That was Canada. This was a race about sticking to the plan even when I didn't want to.

TM: we noticed you were checking your watch quit a bit in the closing stages. Did you know you had a good shot at the course record at that point?

JR: I actually had no idea. The watch checking was to make sure that I wasn't slowing down, since I really, really, really, wanted to.

TM : you spent a fair amount of the bike with tj keeping close by. Was it a help or a hindrance mentally to have someone with you? Did Knowing he had come close to a win in April 2008 give you any cause or concern?

JR : Once we started the second loop, TJ never passed me, so I didn't actually realize that he was as close as he was until we hit the turnaround points. I don't know that it either helped or hindered me. TJ is a very good rider, but he also did Kona only six weeks ago so I didn't know what to expect. The year that he was second here was the year that I also came close to win, and in that race I rode quite a bit faster than he did, so I thought I was capable of doing it again. But two years is also a long time to go and people get fitter, etc. so I didn't assume that I'd be the same thing. Plus in that race, I got to chase, which makes a difference. I do think that I am a bit better of a runner than TJ, so if it came down to a foot race, I thought that favored me.

TM: So today you get to practice your public speaking once more before the big day next weekend. Do you have the speech finalized for next week?

JR: I'm giving a speech next week?! Jill didn't tell me that...

TM: do you have a honeymoon planned and what is the rappstar plans for the off season?

JR: We didn't really before, but I think now we will. I discovered a neat looking hotel in Miami reading "Spirit" (Southwest's magazine) on the flight to the race. So maybe we'll go there. Never been to South Beach.

TM : finally, thanksgiving turkey - wrapped in bacon by any chance?

JR: I keep trying to get my mother to let me do one deep fried. No luck yet. I'd rather do that. Or a Turducken first.

TM: Congratulations and best wishes to you and Jill for next weekend and your future together