With an Ironman racing bike propped against a wall in his office and a detailed spreadsheet of weekend races on his desk, Jeff Dorrill is mentally and physically preparing for his next race.
Dorrill is an elite racer and endurance runner who has competed in more than 40 races over the past year. At age 58, he is recognized as one the best triathletes in his age group. He also is a longtime partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP and chair of the firm’s Tax Practice Group.
Dorrill’s grueling training regimen helps him at the firm by giving him the confidence that he will never be outworked. It also helps him maintain balance in his life.
“If all of your focus is on work, for example, you can tend to neglect yourself. Racing makes me more motivated in everything else I do,” he said. “My endurance and ability to handle pain carry over into other aspects of my life.”
Dorrill generally functions on six hours of sleep per night. He works out three times a day, getting up to swim at 5 a.m. while the rest of his household sleeps, running around uptown and Victory Park at lunchtime, and cycling and lifting weights at the gym in the evenings before heading home.
On the weekends, Dorrill spends an average of four hours a day working out – if he is not already participating in a race.
His dedication paid off on Aug. 18, when he became the National Champion in his age category (55-59) at the Ultra-Distance Triathlon National Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich., winning his age category by over eight minutes.
Dorrill’s story is one of resilience, as he experienced the worst crash of his racing career during the same race a year ago, suffering two pelvic fractures, a broken clavicle and a severe concussion, all of which prevented him from running or swimming for four months.
“This one means a ton to me because of what I’ve overcome to make it happen, not only withstanding the physical damages caused by two pretty horrific bicycle crashes in 2018 but facing head-on the mental challenge of racing on a bicycle without fear,” he said.
Earlier this summer, Dorrill had another podium finish at the 2019 Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast, a half Ironman in Panama City Beach, Fla. Having started in 23rd place, Dorrill leapt ahead of the competition with a faster run time than several professional racers in the event. He also ran 11 minutes faster than anyone else in his age division (ages 55-59), finishing the run in 01:39:53. Dorrill ended up ranking 5th in his division.
Dorrill also won the State 5 Mile Championship in Dallas and received the Grand Masters Award for his division (ages 50 and older). “Competing against the best and being on the same playing field as them is an adrenaline rush,” he said.
Driven by his desire to win, Dorrill is determined to get back to where he was before the wrecks in 2018.
“I can take a win out of everything I’ve done. I’ve finished in last place and still felt like I won. I always want to do my best, but finishing is a joy. There is no negativity in losing.”
Dorrill shows no signs of slowing down. “I want to do it for as long as I can,” he said.
Dorrill has competed in more than 550 races in his racing career, including 11 Ironman competitions. Most recently, he completed the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Hawaii on Oct. 12 and said, “I had an absolute blast!”
Dorrill has been recognized as a leading lawyer by D CEO Magazine, D Magazine and Chambers USA, Chambers & Partners. His practice at Haynes and Boone is focused on structuring and negotiating partnership, limited liability company and shareholder agreements (including those for real estate investments, technology and energy businesses), federal income tax planning (including partnership and corporate taxation, real estate and energy tax incentives, REMICs, and tax issues relating to debt instruments) and controversies, as well as property tax controversies and negotiating local tax and finance incentives for development projects. He also helps clients with state and local tax planning.
To read a previous article about Dorrill, click here.