I arrived in St. George on Thursday night. The race organizers required all athletes to be at a mandatory athlete briefing on Friday at 3:00PM. I also had to have my bike dropped off at T1 by 7:00PM Friday night. I ran a quick 5K on Monday and a easy spin for twenty miles on Tuesday. I swam 1000 m on Wednesday and rode thirty minutes Thursday morning. It had been an easy week, and by Friday I was ready to race. I spent the day walking around the Ironman village wondering why so many athletes would give more money to the Ironman shop. Hats, tanks-tops, backpacks, visors, t-shirts, sweatshirts…it was all for sale in the Ironman shop. I registered for the race and went back to the condo. Cleaned my bike and greased the drive train. Then made my way out to Sand Hallow. Dropped my bike off and took a few minutes to admire the 100+ pro athlete's bikes already set up in T1. All of our gear had to be kept in different colored bags. I couldn't lay out my bike gear on the ground under my bike. It was all kept in a little blue plastic bag. The race frowned on having gear flung all over the transition areas. Next I took my running gear to the St. George town center and dropped it off at T2. Shoes, race number, visor and a little nutrition. The hot afternoon was only a glimpse of what the heat would do on race day.
Race morning came quick. My wave, 35-39, started at 7:27AM. Our group entered the water and swam about 200m to the start of the race. Once the bulk of the group arrived at the starting buoys they sounded the gun and away we went. The water was cold. Sixty one degrees. My rhythm was smooth, but there were so many athletes in the water it was hard to keep your head down and keep moving. Every few minutes I was getting side swiped by an athlete who somehow was swimming diagonally in front of me. The water was clam and easy to navigate. I had heard a quote early on in my training that I latched onto are frequently repeated to my self, "Hope is not a strategy." When it came to my race strategy I ha done everything I could to prepare my mind and body to race well. I felt calm and fast as I finished the 1.2 mile swim in 37:03.
The bike course in SG70.3 has a great deal of climbing. After 40 miles of racing you get to Snow Canyon. A 5 miles stretch of climbing that ends with some serious gradient. When I had practiced the course 4 weeks earlier I had expended too much energy by the time I started climbing. On race day I felt different. I burned some serious matches riding up the canyon, but once to the top I had 11 miles of downhill to spin my legs and get ready for the run. My heart rate averaged 157 over the 2 hours and 44 minute ride, but when I got to T2 I had plenty in the tank to tackle the half marathon.
The bulk of my winter training had focused on running. The first 3 miles of the run climbed and climbed and climbed. The heat had arrived I was feeling it in my legs. By the time I started to descendd on the Red Hills Parkway my legs started to cramp. I could feel it first in my quads. I powered through and didn't think much of it. I was getting ice chips and Coke at the aid stations and that seems to help me move through the cramping. When I turned around at mile 6.5 and began to climb the road I had just descended my hamstrings locked up. This was not cramping, it was a step above. I pushed through it, but had to stop 3 times to try and walk it off. Each time I walked my legs would relax a little and I could start running again. I had my nutrition dialed in, but it could have been a lack of salt. It might have been over-exertion. Or it could have been the heat. Either way, miles 8-11 where brutal.
I'm glad it's over. I was a challenge, and I am glad to have experienced it. I learned enjoy racing a little more and be grateful for the healthy body I have been blessed with. I learned to be more grateful for the countless people who supported me and made an effort to say something nice about the race. Hopefully, my little girls won't be afraid to do tough stuff. I want to set an example of doing difficult things, planning effectively and accomplishing greatly.
Swim 37:03
Bike 2:44:52 (20.38 MPH average)
Run 2:00:23 (9:11 pace)
Total 5:33:02
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