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Sam Stenzel

@samstenzel

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Pins, good vibes, and a whole lot of competition 🎳

We kicked off the semester with a night at Pins Mechanical, taking on duckpin bowling and bocce before heading over to Cabo Bob’s to wrap up the night 🌯

Good food, good games, and even better company 🤘

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We technically had the food at the end of the ride. Nevertheless an amazing Saturday

Go check out @officialcareyrouse, he’s biking the 50mile loop we did for 24 hours!

@quickprousa @formula_369 @spexcelcc

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Athlete Spotlight: @samstenzel

We are extremely proud to recognize Sam Stenzel for an outstanding performance at IRONMAN Wisconsin, where he completed the full 140.6-mile course in 10:50:39, achieving his goal of a sub-11-hour finish.

“Completing an Ironman has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I watched my brother complete his first Ironman in 2014, and ever since, it’s been a goal that stuck with me.

I came into this year with a strong endurance background from trail ultras and road marathons, but almost no triathlon experience. I had never consistently swam laps or done much cycling outside of social rides. I took each day as a new challenge and worked to balance training with a full-time engineering internship.

It was extremely gratifying to see that consistency compound. By race day, I felt ready. I set myself a goal I wasn’t sure I could achieve — breaking 11 hours — and I was able to do just that.”

Sam’s journey is a great example of what steady work, patience, and a willingness to take on something new can lead to. We’re proud to have him representing Texas Triathlon and excited to see where he takes his endurance career next.

Congratulations, Sam.🤘

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If you have the time, and care to read this anecdote: In the past 5 months, my life stopped measuring itself in A+ and B-, syllabi, and deadlines, and instead in quieter things. In the small challenges of becoming—

I went from taking 15 hours a semester to none at all, and suddenly there was no structure left for me to follow. I forced my own hand to taking on and creating my own forms of challenge. I began to learn Arabic. Training for an Ironman. Exploring/navigating my relationships as some deepen, and some drift. Spending afternoons babysitting three growing kids and being humbled by their naïve wisdom, reminded me how naturally imaginative humans are before life teaches them otherwise.

And somewhere between physical injuries, mental exhaustion, I realized something uncomfortable: I had stopped noticing the miracle of simple things. I haven’t had the time to look within. To slow down. To be grateful for something so simple such as the clean water that fills my cup and quenches my thirst each and every morning.

Last night, for the first time in a long while, I watched the sun disappear beneath the horizon. And I realized I haven’t seen as many sunsets as my heart needs.

So maybe this next chapter is not about chasing money, or security. Maybe it is about chasing MY version of what success is. Travel. Wonder. Presence.

It is time for me to go chasing sunsets.

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Wrappin’ up my junior

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postcards from utah

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20/03/2026 The DeCaLiBron Loop

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Happy Easter Sunday from Arches National Park y’all 🐣

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Stop #2 across the American Southwest provided a beautiful addition to the stories that I might tell my children

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IFWTS

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Comment if you know this spot 😯🙌

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My journal entry from the night before these photos were taken:

Tue Mar 17, 2026
12:05 AM

I am sitting here in the tent. The stars looked amazing tonight—clear, endless, almost close enough to touch. Joaquin and Sam have been incredible company. It took us almost a full 24 hours leaving from Austin to get to this place, and somehow that makes it feel even more worth it.

Our first stop after driving through the night (Sam did most of the driving, I did most of the sleeping) was in some Radiator Springs-esque town. That’s where we switched—I took over driving while Joaquin slept, and the road stretched on until Albuquerque, where we stopped for breakfast. The food carried a distinct New Mexican and Native influence—earthy, unfamiliar, and good in a way that felt tied to the land itself. Joaquin drove next, and Sam finally got his turn to rest once the caffeine wore off.

Somewhere along the way, we crossed into Arizona. The land shifted—drier, redder, more exposed. The Navajo Nation made its presence known not just through signs, but through the people, the architecture, the pace of life. It felt like stepping into another world—one where we were clearly outsiders. That feeling wasn’t uncomfortable, just… noticeable. It made us curious about the history of the land and how people live here now—having their own sovereign nation within federal guidelines. It was cool. And so was their land.

As the slopes began to rise higher and the shadows stretched longer, we made our way into Utah. The road started winding, the light faded, and we caught a sneak peek of what’s waiting for us tomorrow driving through Zion. Just enough to know it’s going to be unreal.

Eventually, after the long drive and those final turns, we found ourselves camping on BLM land at the dispersed sites off Dalton Wash Road. Quiet, open, still.

And it is there—here—where I say to you: Goodnight.

Also, I can’t wait to see Zion tomorrow!

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