Eric: How did it feel to cross the line under 8 hours as the first American to do so in an Ironman?
Andrew: “It sucks.  I lost. If you were to tell anybody that you are going to go 7:55 in an Ironman North American event, when nobody's gone faster than 7:58, it’s 3 minutes faster.  To lose was frustrating.”
Eric: Would you have been happier if you went 8:01 and won?
Andrew “No. It’s hard to make me happy.  I was satisfied either way. I raced the course and that day I did everything I could and got everything out of my body and did everything within my power to win the race. It just wasn’t to be.”

7:55 Ironman Andrew Starykowicz
Between October 12 and November 10, American Andrew Starykowicz finished 19th at Ironman Hawaii, second at Ironman Florida (7:55), and first at the Rev 3 Half Ironman in Florida (3:47).  He was the race leader off the bike at Hawaii, he became the first American to break 8 hours in an Ironman, and his 4:02 bike split at Florida is the fastest in Ironman history.
I interviewed Andrew and covered a wide range of topics, from his athletic background to his Ironman nutrition plan.  At 185 pounds, he takes in more calories per hour in an Ironman than anyone I’ve ever interviewed.  His cycling power output is off the charts, as he referenced a late season bike workout in which he did 3X40 minutes at 380 watts.
Andrew is confident, bordering on cocky, and likeable.   I knew very little about him before this interview, but after talking to him for an hour it’s obvious he’s very driven and, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself rooting for him in future Ironman distance events.
Links
http://www.andrewstarykowicz.com/
Andrew's Twitter Account
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