Tinker Airman competes in Ironman competition Published June 19, 2008 By John E. Banks Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Mother Nature showed her power at the Kansas 70.3 Ironman competition and proved she could outlast anyone, including an Airman from Tinker Air Force Base. Kyle Jansen, 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron, tested his running, biking and swimming skills against the best ironmen in the world during the June 15 event that Mother Nature ended up winning. No official awards ceremony was held at the completion of the event due to severe weather forcing participants and volunteers to leave the race site. Before Mother Nature took over, Jansen was holding his own against more experienced triathletes. "I was kind of disappointed," he said. "I really wanted to finish the event." Jansen said the event was set in a good place. "Before the race started we all were treated to a performance by the U.S. Navy Jump Frogs who performed 12 jumps," he said. "That definitely got us all excited and ready to race." The first leg of the ironman competition was the biking event, which took riders 56 miles through the hilly backdrop of Lawrence. Jansen fought both the weather and the uphill terrain and completed the bike portion in 3:13:57. "I normally am a sub 3 hour performer on the bike," Jansen said. "Due to the conditions this was an acceptable time for me. I did not expect the bike race to be quite so hilly and had to adjust to it." A 1.2-mile swim was the second competiton in the ironman event. Jansen's time in the water was competitive, allowing him to maintain his mid pack standing. The final leg of the competition was a 13.1-mile run. Jansen averaged an 8:40 pace for the first several miles of the run. Unfortunately, the race was terminated at the 11-mile marker due to the severe weather conditions. Jansen total time was 5:31:52. He was awarded a finishing medal and will use this experience and he further prepares himself for upcoming ironman and triathlon competitions. "My motivation for these competitions is anything is possible" Jansen said. "I never dreamed I would get involved in this type of physical fitness. I want my brethren in the services that I will be there and they can rely on me and the ironman and triathlons put me in the best possible condition to achieve that." For further information on this event visit http://www.ironmankansas.com/.