Ben Hoffman

They call me Hoff.

My life in triathlon began when I was a university student in Missoula, Montana, in the fall of 2003. Looking for a way to get some fitness back from the halcyon days of youth when I played soccer, basketball, golf, and rock climbed, I jumped in with the squad and began the arduous journey of learning to swim. Cycling came fairly easy from the days of riding tours with my parents across the American west, and I had run enough playing ball sports and two years of track in High School that I was able to get that back to a respectable level. After a couple of seasons with decent results, and a trip to South America to study for 6 months, I returned to get serious about the sport in late 2005. 2006 was the Summer of Glory, in which I lived out of a car with my friend while racing across Canada and the Pacific Northwest, earning enough money to put gas in the vehicle and pay for food. Upon returning to Missoula that fall, I had spent all of my money in Europe during a month-long adventure by rail, and I took care of a cabin high in the woods for a month. During the weeks of simple living, and running in the snow, I had the time I needed to figure out what I wanted to do next.

And what to do next was move to Durango, Colorado, where I could commit to the pursuit of professional triathleticism, logging the miles at altitude and even scoring a 3rd place at my first pro race at Wildflower in 2007. After a few years of doing the part-time work gig, I bagged my other job and went all-in with racing and training, winning an Ironman and 70.3 in 2010, and spending winters in Tucson, AZ. Feeling the need for a change of scenery and a boost to the training resources, I moved to Boulder in 2011, and have made it my summer base. I always told myself that I would only keep racing triathlon as long as it was fun, and so far I’m not too worried about that. The camaraderie amongst athletes, the challenge of training and competing, traveling to new places, helping develop the best equipment, and dedicating my days to health are all reasons why I have the best job around.

Here are some super interesting facts about me, and some not so interesting ones too, depending on your outlook!

Favorite Rides:

Mt. Lemmon, Coalbank and Molas Passes, Engine Creek Trail, Lefthand Canyon

Favorite Races:

Grizzly Triathlon, Boise 70.3, Wildflower, Ironman Lake Placid, Ironman St. George

Favorite Foods/Beverages:

Good pizza, fish tacos, bacon, chocolate, bacon chocolate, COFFEE, Pellegrino, wine.

First Bike:

Huffy with tiger stripes, but I still consider my 2001 Specialized Allez Elite M4 (a.ka. The Green Machine) the first bike I really rode hard, touring Colorado and other places, racing my first triathlons, and then converting to a fixed gear that caused me to crash on my face once when I tried to answer a phone call from my mom while commuting to work.

Future Goals:

I would like to keep winning races, and then win some bigger ones, like world championships. I like the half distance, but Ironman is where you always see the most potential for improvement, and the biggest stage, Kona.

What I ride:

Shiv- Wicked fast, comfortable for the long distances, and damn sexy!

Tarmac SL4- My go to for long road bike training rides. Incredibly light and stiff, yet plush for the miles ahead.

Venge- With a name like Venge, you know it’s good! Fast, fast, faster.

S-Works Epic 29er- Best mountain bike. Ever. Lighter, stiffer, and rolls over anything. Love me some trail shreddin’!

Specialized saddles (Toupe, Phenom, Romin), Shoes (S-Works road, S-Works MTB, S-Works Tri), and Helmets (TT, Prevail).

Support Crew:

Specialized has the best support around for its athletes, and it’s only getting better. Big shout out to ace wrenches Joe and Jeff, Mal and Sean, and all my teammates.

4th Place Ironman St. George

May 24, 2011


It has been a little over two weeks since I put myself through the most grueling Ironman

on the circuit for the second time in two years. I had hopes of getting

this blog up immediately after the race, but I've been enjoying some

slow and low days of recovery, clearing my mind of the triathlon world a

little before beginning my next build.


St. George

holds a special place in my heart. I first spent time there as a member

of the University of Montana triathlon team in 2004, doing a spring

training camp before our National Championship race in Lake Havasu

that spring. We came back again in 2006, and then I returned last year

to train on the course and race in early May. It's a fantastic venue

with amazing community support, and I am guessing that it may be the

most honest Ironman

on the circuit, with incredibly challenging bike and run courses. There

is nowhere to hide in this race... the strongest athlete wins.


My

goal for the race was to win, and I believed it was possible after a

hard-earned second place in 2010. My spring training was not perfect,

but it was very good, and I toed the line with confidence that I could

execute a race capable of taking the top spot.


The

swim started out like any other, with the top swimmers pushing hard in

the opening meters. I gave everything to find some good feet early, but

instead found myself popped and leading a small chase pack with Maik Twelsiek and another athlete in tow. Around the midway point, I surrendered lead duties to Maik and prepared for a very hard bike...


I got out of transition ahead of Maiky,

pushing hard to close the 2+min. gap to the leaders, and we switch hit

the pacing duties until he pulled away around mile 30 or 35. We were

steadily gaining time on Ambrose and Hecht, and Maik

eventually made it up and through them, but I could not match his power

on the hills of the first lap. With everyone fearing the eventual

appearance of Weiss, we all continued to hammer the pace. At mile 37 or

so, I passed TJ Tollakson,

and rode alone the rest of the day. It was a great test of solo riding,

and I am happy to report that I was able to maintain good power for the

duration.


After passing Ambrose only a couple

miles from T2, I transitioned fast and hit the marathon course with a

vengeance. My Dad was on course yelling splits, and I dug deep feeling

that I could close the 3 minute gap to the lead with a great run. I felt

smooth climbing the hills, and I could see Hecht

after a few miles, closing the gap from 3 min. to 2:40, 2:20, and

eventually down to 1:20 near the halfway point. He was running the

downhills exceptionally well, and I was pulling time back on the

uphills, but as I headed out between miles 13 and 14, my 1:26 half split

caught up to me quickly, and I had to slow for aid. The next 10 miles

were my darkest racing moments in recent memory, going way inside my

mind to battle the demons and keep moving forward. TJ

was closing hard and made his pass for 3rd around mile 22, but I was

too empty at that point, and he was running well. With only a couple

miles to go, 5th

was closing hard, and I made the decision that I would not give up the

place I had worked so hard for all day... I put the head down, and

clicked out two downhill miles at 5:50, letting the legs fly wildly on

the verge of buckling. Crossing the line brought the usual surge of

emotion, mostly happiness for having finished, and to have shaved nearly

11 minutes off my time from the year before on a day that saw much

harder conditions. I'm still blown away by Hecht's gutsy performance for his first Ironman victory, and the class he showed afterwards.


Now,

with the dust settled, I look back on another memorable experience in

St. George with an eagerness to return in 2012 and take the win. I could

not have put together the race I did without the fantastic support I

enjoy, and I must thank my family, Lynne and Bill Cobb who graciously

hosted us for the long weekend, Brian Mueller for providing the perfect

spring training arrangement in Tucson, and my incredible sponsors: Zoot, Specialized, Clif, Zipp/SRAM, FuelBelt, TriBike Transport, and Wattie Ink.


Next up for me will be Boise 70.3, where I will look to improve on last year's 2nd place at one of my favorite races. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the summer!

Stats for Ben Hoffman are coming soon.