http://gulfcoasttriathlon.com/
1.2 Mile
Swim (
56 Mile
Bike Ride
13.1 Mile
Run
Well everyone
during my quest for the IronMan
I decided
to enter a half distance race to both gauge my training and hopefully boost my
confidence.
It was a
success as I was looking to finish under 6 hours and managed to squeak out a
The
conditions were very difficult as the water (which is typically very calm) was
very choppy with a strong current, making the swim slower and tougher. The winds were pretty light for the bike ride
and the course was very flat. The run
was HOT the heat index put it at around 103 with the raw temp at around 90 –
91. Here is a quick run down on
how things went.
Somewhere
along the first 200 meters I manage to swallow several mouths full of water,
get kicked, scratched, and pulled under.
This is all normal but a lot better then if we had all started at the
same time (2,100 swimmers).
I make it
to the first turn buoy at around 20 minutes and am impressed with my ability to
stay on course. They parked a large boat
at the turn so it was hard to miss.
After completing the turn I realized that I was so worried about the
turn I hadn’t managed to identify what building I was going to aim for towards
the finish. Not a big problem, at least
the current wasn’t against me now. I
could only manage to keep my head down and swim hard for about 30 strokes at a
time as I was so worried about going off course. As I was in the middle of one
of these efforts I feel a sudden wave and smell exhaust. I lift my head and see a guy on a jet-ski, he
apologizes for almost whacking me in the head, I push him off and say “no
problem” head back down and swim for home.
Finally, I can hear the crowd and feel the waves pushing me in, and then
pulling me back out. It was over (or had
just begun depending on what your best event is).
Not
exactly, they managed to find me 3 (maybe 4) more times along the 56
miles. Each time I rode past I couldn’t
keep the bugs from smacking my teeth J
Things
didn’t get off to a great start on the bike though; I lost a water bottle at
mile 3 after hitting a large pot-hole. I had to stop and go back to pick it up
as it was very dangerous for other bikers.
After that smooth sailing, the wind was to our backs the first half and
in our face the second half. Still, it
was a very nice ride with a few very bumpy roads.
I take a
sponge at every station and squeeze it over my head, arms and face, fill my hat
and shirt with ice, and pour a cup of ice-water over my head. I am soaked, squish with every step.
At mile
five I tell myself it’s a simple training run from here, you do this every day
(not in this heat my brain whispers). Well time for plan B, the stomach is not going
to co-operate so I decide to walk for a minute at each aid station. I keep an eye on the watch to make sure that
I can make it within the 6 hour time I set.
Somewhere (maybe mile 11) I see the fans again, ahhh!! I can do this
now, no problem.
The mile 12
marker comes up quick (wow! I have almost 15 minutes to go a mile NO
PROBLEM). After about another half of a
mile there’s a crowd of people cheering you can do it only a mile to go. I think “no it should be ½ mile”. They were right; the mile 12 marker had to be
off. At this point I realize that my
shuffle may not be enough to make the time, so I pick it up a bit. I swear the last half mile of any race is the
longest you’ll ever run. I see the
finish line, keep trotting and smile as I cross it. Everyone is there to see it, which is
surprising as they had to beat it back to the start in a heavy crowd of cars
which were stopped at every intersection for the athletes.
What a
perfect day, my friends, family and wife all here with me to share it. I think they are as much a part of this
accomplishment as I, it’s not easy following someone for 70 miles in 90+
degrees, fighting traffic, and taking pictures, all the while cheering like I
was going to win the damn thing. Thanks
guys you really made it feel easy.
Here’s the
breakdown:
Swim Time Swim Transition Time
44:58
Bike Time Average MPH Bike
Transition Time
Run Time Average Pace (Per Mile, I am so embarrassed) Total Time
Entering
the
Hotel Room
$189.99
Having your
Friends & Family there cheering, “PRICELESS”