We spoke with Jeff after his incredible feat to find out what it was like to run 275 miles , swim 25.2 miles and bike 1,076 miles in three weeks . His answers blew us away !
EH After months of planning and mapping out your route , did it ever occur to you that you might not be able to finish the project ?
JF Of course there were plenty of people who said it would be physically impossible for me to do it . But I ’ ve always liked challenges and thought of myself as The Little Triathlete That Could ! But I was just as shocked as everyone else when I finished on Day 21 .
EH You started on July 27 in Freeport , Maine and finished on August 16 in Vero Beach , Florida . After passing through 14 states , which areas will be forever embedded in your memories ?
JF The people in Maine were the most encouraging because they constantly waved at me or honked their horns to cheer me on . I was very nervous in South Carolina because I don ’ t like to swim in open water , and most of my swims were at YMCAs until I got to Kiehl Island . I had to swim in a lake and there were huge warning signs posted everywhere that said Beware of Alligators ! I asked a few locals about it and they just shrugged and said they hadn ’ t seen any gators in a week or two . I ’ m pretty sure I swam my fastest time that day ! And no one else showed up to swim with me .
EH You invited triathletes in every city to join you and kept in touch on social media . Did you ever feel like Forrest Gump , running your race and picking up groupies along the way ?
JF Definitely , and it was funny how people would suddenly show up and do one leg of the trip with me . I had the largest group in North Carolina when more than 20 people came out , and the fewest at the end in Florida because it was so hot . The best part is that I was only alone for four days out of 21 .
EH Describe your daily routine .
JF In the morning , I would usually go to a local YMCA and swim 1.2 miles . That would take about 30 minutes . After that I would eat a full meal , which was usually a veggie burrito made with beans and quinoa or a protein shake with Garden of Life Raw
Organic Meal . Actually Raw Organic Meal was a lifesaver , because I was worried about consuming heavy proteins that would take hours to digest and slow me down . I was super grateful to have a clean , plant-based protein . After eating , I was on the bike every day for 56 miles , which took 3 or 3 1 / 2 hours . I would eat again , drink lots of coconut water and another Raw Organic Meal and then tackle the 13.1 run , which took about 2 hours and was always at night .
EH What were the most difficult aspects of the journey for you ?
JF I always dreaded running , because by that time I was hurting and very tired . After five days , my legs felt like they were on fire and with running there is nothing you can do to get away from the pounding on the pavement . I went through three pairs of shoes and put about 100 miles on each one . My feet and legs really took a beating and I would have to massage them every night .
EH Were there days when you thought you might not be able to go on ?
JF Yes , just about every day ! Day three was probably the scariest , because my salt intake was off and I became so disoriented that I fell over . On other days I felt like I was being tested because I ’ d get these random “ phantom pains ” that would shoot through my body . Dealing with the pain was a major challenge , and I ’ m surprised that I was able to recover and bounce back without ever needing a day off .
EH When will we be able to see The Triumph Project documentary ?
JF We ’ re working on the final phase of editing now , so it will be ready on YouTube in early 2017 .
EH Do you think you ’ ll ever do anything like this again ?
JF I ’ ll do more triathlons . But I won ’ t do another one that lasts 21 days !
Vol 29 • Extraordinary Health ™ 65