Triathlon: Big Red in a Black & Gold State

By Ron Adkins

Heart of America Triathlon News

The majority of Heart of America triathlons are raced in eastern and central Iowa, so it's not uncommon to see a roster peppered with competitors hailing from nearby states like Illinois, Wisconsin, even Minnesota.

It's also common to see triathletes sporting the colors of their alma mater. Hawkeyes and Cyclones are an especially proud bunch.

But lately, more crimson and white Nebraska jerseys are spotted on the course. There were enough Cornhuskers at the 2012 Pigman Long that their numbers couldn't be ignored.

Brett Miller of Blair, Nebraska, credits the quality of the Heart of America series for so many Nebraskans making the long drive to compete. He, his wife Carie, their infant son, and parents Rod and Jacki, drove six hours (after working their day jobs) to get to eastern Iowa in time for the race. They faced a similar return trip that night (after, of course, a stopover in the Amanas for supper.

“Brett needs the carbs,” joked Rod.

The Pigman was Brett's first half-Iron, and his first race in Iowa. He started his career with the Lincoln Marathon, then competed in the Omaha Triathlon. “After that,” he said, “I immediately wanted to do the Pigman, although I was worried about the swim.”

He needn't have worried. Brett finished the swim strong with a 54:37, finishing the race with in 5:52:57.

On top of the long drive to get to an HOA race, Brett puts in a ton of hours to train. He's swimming by 4:30 in the morning and running at night. This, on top of working a full-time job, and being a loving husband and father to 17-month-old Hunter.

Wife Carie misses him when he trains, but knows that Brett trains for more than just the satisfaction of the race. “He wants to be healthy for Hunter, to make sure he's around to be a dad for a good long time,” she said with a proud smile. “For that, it's worth the time away.”

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