Epic Race

Imagine running miles upon miles in a torrential downpour after swimming 1.2 miles and cycling 56 miles through the long climbs of the Ozark Mountains. Yeah, I hadn't imagined it either, but that's what those of us who did the Branson 70.3 Ironman encountered.

All the details are below, but suffice it to say, this was the most challenging single athletic event I've ever accomplished. Had the weather been great, it still would've been extremely challenging but the heavy rain added another dimension. In a word it was brutal. The bike is so hard the run is almost an afterthought, but the rain main the run extra-difficult. It was a feat I was not only happy to finish, but happy to improve my time from my first 70.3.

The long-winded details are below. Hope you enjoy my journey.

Pre-race routine:

The day before race day started like any other Saturday in the fall. I left at 7am to go setup our tailgate for the Razorback game, this week against the Troy Trojans. The difference this time is that I wouldn't be attending the game - my first missed home game since sometime in the mid-90s. I still had a job to do, though, and was happy to do it. The problem - rain, and lots of it. In the early hours it was intermittent but heavy at times. A sign of things to come.

I finally got on my way for the short 2-hour trip to Branson. It had cleared up a bit until I got about 20 miles out from the Chateau for check-in. The heavens opened and the rain would not stop for hours. It was so bad I couldn't see the road, though I knew it was there, because I had been on it many times before. Well, "knew" is a strong word. As hard as it was raining the road could've been washed out.

Finally made it and got checked-in. Found some killer deals in the expo. Went to check-in the bike, in the rain. I had a mild panic worrying about the stupid bike sticker, because it wouldn't stick to the bike with all the moisture. I brought extra tape for this but it wasn't working very well either. I finally got it good enough and made my way to the hotel - about 10 miles away. The run transition and finish line was right near my hotel. Great move staying there versus close to the start.

Took a while to get prepped for the race. The race called for warm, dry, cool and wet, which meant taking a lot more stuff than usual. Finally got all my bags ready for anything and everything. Met my tri club for dinner. Had salad, bread, grilled chicken and fries. Pretty safe meal.

Watched some football and fell asleep. Woke up at 3:50. Took a shower. Had a couple cups of coffee. Ate a Snickers bar. Yes, a Snickers bar. I forgot to bring something good, so I got one of these at the hotel. It did sit well on my stomach and gave me some carbs, fat and protein. Not a first choice but it worked for me.

Headed to T2 to drop my run stuff and then got on a bus and headed to the start. Funny sidebar. The buses were "ducks" that are used for tourists. These buses are amphibious and can go in water, which was fairly fitting given the weather.

15-minute ride to the start and then played the waiting game. Saw some friends. Visited the potty a few times and it was finally game time!

Event warmup:

Not much. Did some stretching. Was able to get in the water to dunk my wetsuit. The water was said to be 70 degrees but it didn't feel that cool.

Swim

Comments:

I'm still a slow swimmer but I couldn't have imagined a better start to my day. I got very near the back and to the outside. I didn't want to get too much into the mix. A lot of other people felt this way, too, so there were a lot of people to the back and the outside. So much for planning.

A little tussling at the beginning but soon I got far to the outside and settled into a rhythm. I had no idea if I was doing well or not. I did pass a few people, which was new for me. I didn't get passed by anyone from the group behind us until almost the final turn, which was also new for me. The water was fairly smooth but there was a little chop on the last stretch, which was 900+ yards.

I was definitely not swimming straight. My Garmin showed I went over 300 yards too long. No big deal in the end, but I will have to get comfortable with swimming inside at some point.

I had no idea how well or bad I was doing. I got out of the water and saw a couple of my good friends cheering us all on. That was very nice. Made the long run to my bike. It was a good 1/10th of a mile to my bike. The good thing about that was that my bike was very close to the bike exit.

Had very little trouble getting out of my wetsuit and into my bike gear. I was prepared with socks, arm warmers and a rain jacked if needed. It wasn't raining and wasn't too cold (around 55 degrees), so I skipped all that stuff. Had a really good transition for me. Less than four minutes total and I was out. I planned for 5 minutes, so I was very happy.

What would you do differently?:

Just keep working on swimming. I got coaching this summer and dropped 18 minutes from my first half Ironman. I just want to get down to a 35 minute swim for a half.

T1

Comments:

Very little trouble at all. Was prepared for cold and wet temps. Skipped all that stuff and went no-socks, no jacket. Considering the long run to my bike, getting out of the wetsuit and getting the clothes bag filled for transport, I was extremely happy with sub-4 minutes.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing.

Bike

Comments:

What all can I say? This is a tough, tough course. 4500+ feet of climbing over 56 miles. Nothing very steep, but fairly long climbs with little break from one to the next. My strongest discipline is the bike and I do fairly well on climbing. It has helped me finish well in several races. That being said, this was an abnormally hard ride.

I had a good start climbing out to the top of the main section. So, you climb to get to a point to do a lot of climbing. Yeah, makes sense. For a sadist.

The roads were a bit wet from the rain. It was just to a point where I was a little scared to go hard down hills and around curves. I kept on as hard as I could go, passing people along the way. The only good thing about being a slow swimmer is that you pass a BUNCH of people on the bike.

I was carrying some good speed on the first lap of the hilly loops. Got up to 19.5 mph average at one point. Then the long climbs hit. Settled down in the 18-19 range the rest of the race. Two types of carnage started to be prevalent. Hills and flat tires. Never seen this many flats in a race. People were everywhere. I guess the rain washed up a bunch of crap and it got people left and right. I just kept praying not to get one.

I got to my second loop and the sun came out. Yes, the SUN. Holy crap! I literally smiled. I thought the day would be perfect. I just kept going and going as hard as I could without getting into difficulty. I took liquid every 15 minutes and gels every 30. Everything seemed to be going well.

One funny thing, though. My speed averages would get to 18.8 and then after a climb would go to 18.2. It happened almost every long climb. It was almost comical. It's really the small things that keep you going when you're hurting.

The last 9 miles were finally off the loop and down to T2. It was mostly downhill with a couple of small climbs and a couple miles on a trail system. The trail system probably cost me a bit of time but nothing bad as it was nice to throttle down before the run.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing.

T2

Comments:

Not much to say (shocking, I know). Got in, bike stuff off, running stuff on, stretch a bit and gone. Quick and easy.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing

Run

Comments:

I felt really good starting the run. My first half Ironman (Kansas 2011) I got about a quarter mile down the run and my quads cramped so bad I had to stop and get the cramps gone. Well, this time I made it a mile longer.

Got a bit over a mile in and my right groin started twitching. Dammit! I thought I had done so well and this was not a good sign. I finally seized up and had to stop. I stretched, squatted and slapped my groin until the cramp subsided. Started a slow walk and then was finally able to run again.

About mile 3 I started feeling okay. I got settled into a pace that was just shy of causing cramps on my quads and hamstrings. This was just over 8 minutes per mile, which was more than enough to hit my goal of under 2 hours.

About the time I finished my first loop there was lightning and thunder - big thunder - off in the distance. I just begged for it to hold off. I hadn't ridden than damn bike course to not finish this race. I saw several friends as I went through the end of the first loop. What a great boost to see people you know cheering for you.

Fast forward a couple of miles. Mile 5 the rain started and it didn't start lightly. it became a downpour within seconds. Well, crap. Yeah, it sucked but I had to keep going. What's a little rain? Well, a little rain got harder and harder. Before long it was raining so hard you could barely see. By mile 8 there was standing water everywhere and little rivers where the water was flowing down the roads toward the lake just east of the Landing.

At this point I just started laughing. What else could you do. It was raining so hard you couldn't see. You couldn't run anywhere without stepping through 6-8 inches of water. Oh, yeah, it was thundering and lightning.

I was still on the edge of cramping but kept at a pace where I never had to stop again, although I did walk through most aid stations. At one point I needed something solid. I was sick of gels and sports drink. Was able to get a PowerBar and it was like a prime rib. Goodness, it hit the spot. Toward the end I started to take coke and mountain dew. Very good for a quick energy boost.

I hit mile 11 and was feeling pretty good. Much better than Kansas where I had stomach cramps. I hit the gas a bit and went a little harder to the finish. I had a goal of 5:45, which I felt would easily have been 5:30 at a "normal" course. After the bike I really didn't think I had a chance but when I crossed the finish line I saw the time and calculate back given my start time and thought I had a small chance.

A short while later I found out I finished in 5:43 and I just about jumped out of my shivering cold skin. That was a 15-minute improvement over Kansas and this was definitely a much harder course. I trained hard and it worked well. I just wanted to get under 2 hours and hit 1:53. Very, very happy.

What would you do differently?:

I'm not sure what to do to help with the cramping just after transition. I have to work on this. If I hydrated any further I would get sick. I think it's just a matter of going beyond my fitness. So, MORE TRAINING.

Post race

Warm down:

Got some quick replenishment and talked to some friends. I was so cold I couldn't stand it. I quickly made my way back to transition to get my bike and gear and go to the hotel to get a hot shower. I was literally shivering and was miserable.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Still need to work on my swim and plan to do so. My run off bike needs more work.

Event comments:

What can I say. This is one of, if not the most brutal 70.3 races in the world. The weather stunk but the volunteers hung in through a torrential downpour. They were OUTSTANDING! Other than the weather, I have zero complaints. A great race.

I have to add that I saw some disturbing things I wish I wouldn't have seen. Yes, the mankini. I encountered the first mankini on the bike when a younger, fairly fit but too-plump-to-be-wearing-a-mankini guy passed me. Then I saw at least two more on the run. It was very disturbing and I hope a trend that dies a quick death.

Warmup for Branson

A week before my "A" race I had the opportunity to do one final "sprint" race as practice. There was a Razorback game in Little Rock on Saturday and the race was in Conway on Sunday. Perfect! I could go to the game, race on Sunday morning and be back to the hotel in time to have breakfast with my wife before heading home. It's like it was meant to meant to be. So, it was.

I had a good race. I didn't go all out but still went hard. Had my best swim in any race. Had a very good bike but never felt 100%. Very solid run with no complaints. I knew I was in decent shape for the finish but didn't really know where I stood. Ended up I was the second best in the 40-44 age group and the 1st best guy won the overall "masters" award, so I got the first place for the age group. Pretty nice! Great practice race and some hardware to top it off.

Definitely worth the effort and I will do it again if the opportunity exists again. Details below.

Pre-race routine:

This event timing worked out well, because there was a Razorback football game the day before. We drove down and arrived in Little Rock just after lunch Saturday. Tailgated for a few hours, went to the game (52-3 win over New Mexico) and then made our way back to the hotel in Conway. Finally got in bed a little after 11pm.

Woke up at 5. Quick dress. Cup of coffee and then drove the short distance to the course. I arrive early at the course so I wanted to drive the bike course, since I had not seen it. Relatively flat bike course with just a few moderate climbs. Got a few miles into the course and a deer is right in the middle of the road. Scared the shit out of me. It would figure that I would hit a deer, wreck, etc., 3 hours before the race. Luckly, Bambi scooted across the road and we were all okay.

Worked my way back to the start and got parked. Plenty of parking. Lots of volunteers at 6am directing the way. Good start.

I was pretty early, so I took my time getting ready. It's funny. Even for an event lasting less than an hour and half, there is a lot of prep that goes into it. There is not a ton of difference between a sprint triathlon and a half Ironman. A full Ironman does take it to another level, however.

Made my way to the check-in (I couldn't do early check-in the day before). No line at all. Sweet lady helped me. Took about a minute. All good.

Then, wave 1 hit. Gotta find a porta potty quick. You ever try taking a crap in the dark? It's not fun. Thank God for the iPhone Flashlight app. More later.

Back to the truck to get my bike and move into transition to setup for the day.

Still a lot of time before the race. Got my race number attached to my race belt. Bike bottles filled with fuel (Gatorade). Tires pumped up. Spare tube and toolkit attached to bike. Lubed body for chafing resistance. This is IMPORTANT. Ready to go.

Make my way to transition. 30 or so bikes already here. Over 200 will be soon. This is a difficult decision. One think I like about bigger races is that the transitions are numbered, so whatever your race number is, is where your transition is. This, however, is an open transition so you can pick your spot. Stupid, I know, but it all matters. Do I want to be close to the swim exit or the run exit or the bike entrance? Too much stress!

I find a decent spot and start to setup and immediately see some familiar faces from NW Arkansas. It was an immediate stress relief. It's always good at these events to be able to talk to people you know, or at least "sort of" know.

From now until the race there was a lot of bs'ing and just a lot of s'ing. Good grief. I went to the potty 4 more times. It's crazy how these events act like a laxative. Ex-lax has NOTHING on nerves before a race. NOTHING.

At almost 40 years old you would think this could either be a bad problem (due to age) or no problem at all (due to experience). I'll just leave it at that. It happens at every race. 5K, Marathon, Ironman. It's just part of the deal.

At some point. You. Are. Ready.

Event warmup:

Pretty much, none. I went under to make sure my goggles weren't leaking. I did do some stretching but I'm not sure that counts.

Swim

Comments:

Lord have mercy. I am so frickin' slow at swimming. If I can ever get even decent I will kick some ass.

That being said, I chose to wear my wetsuit simply because the Branson half Ironman was 7 days away and I thought it would be good practice. The water was plenty warm enough to swim in comfort.

My friend and I, who are both comfortably slow, tried to line up to the outside of the swim to avoid chaos. Well, apparently that was a popular stance, so we were screwed. This was a beach start, so you could be partially in the water or entirely on the beach. When the horn sounded the chaos began. All well-laid plans ... out the window. Good grief.

I actually loved the swim course, because the first buoy was only 100 or so yards out. The bad part was the congestion. O.M.G. In my very(VERY) short triathlon "career" I have done distances of sprints, super sprints, olympic and half Ironman. I have never been physically swum "over" but I have now. Some guy swum completely over the top of me. I'm glad I didn't drown.

After the first turn, which was a CF of the highest order, things went pretty well. I breathed way too much to one side but still felt pretty good.

I still hate the swim but I am getting much, much better thanks to my coach. Hopefully, I will be decent at some point.

What would you do differently?:

Kick the guy who swum over me?

T1

Comments:

I did not have to use a wetsuit for this race but I did use it because I will likely use it for the Branson half Ironman. I did a great job getting my left foot out, but my stupid right foot would NOT come out. It was frustrating as all get out. I could not for the life of me get my left foot out. Finally did it and got out of T1. Good grief!

What would you do differently?:

Not be an idiot trying to get out of a wetsuit.

Bike

Comments:

The bike is without question my strongest discipline. I have found through doing a few triathlons that it takes a while for my legs to really be able to "work" after the swim.

This has been a reasonably consistent trend. I suppose I'm using my legs more than I realize on my very poor swim.

As per usual on the bike, I passed a LOT of people. It's almost comical. I am so damn slow on the swim, I pass almost the entire field on the bike. It has happened on every triathlon I've done.

I was kind of excited for this course because it was reasonably flat, compared to my previous courses. I got started out and it didn't take long to start passing people. I was constantly saying "on your left" all that way to the turn (half way). Before the turn I could finally see the people who were ahead of me.

I kept counting the racers. In the big picture, I didn't really care where I finished, in the overall or my age group, but it's nice to at least know how you compare.

I saw 15 or so riders ahead of me before I made the turn. I knew I had made up a lot of ground from my slow swim, but I had no idea where I really stood.

When I got to the finish I was reasonably pleased with my time. I wanted to finish under 40 minutes, which I did, but I also wanted to average 23 mph, which I did not. In the the big scheme it doesn't matter. It was just a goal. I was still better than the vast majority.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing really. Perhaps go a tiny bit harder.

T2

Comments:

Pretty quick transition. I don't do the flying dismount yet but still have a reasonably quick transition. No complaints here. Sockless shoes are the BOMB!

What would you do differently?:

Work on dismount.

Run

Comments:

Not much to say about the run. Got off the bike and felt pretty good. I quickly saw the one and only person who passed ME on the bike and I ran right past him. BOOM! Feeling good! Then one of my age groupers comes flying by me like the earth is standing still. Jeebuz! I kept pace for like 2 seconds and quickly (and smartly) gave up on him.

I ran hard the entire race. I wasn't full-out but was pretty close. Got to the half-way turn and then started seeing some of my friends on the way back. That was really nice. It's always a boost to see someone you know.

I got to the final half mile or so and one of my friend's sons came up beside me. I was three minutes ahead of him overall, because he started three minutes before me, but he said "thanks for pacing me" and he took off. Well, then I took off right behind behind him. I was carrying a 6 minute pace following him to the finish. I had to resort to talking to myself but I went as hard as I could go the last quarter mile.

I can't explain how hard it is to to give it your all in an event like this. If you've done it, you know. If you haven't, then just imagine being in tremendous pain and wanting to throw up and then multiply it times 1,000.

I think the volunteers probably though I was crazy hearing me talking to myself that last bit, but it worked. I went HARD and was happy for it.

I averaged 7:01 for the entire run, which I would be happy for during any 5K but after swimming and biking, I was ecstatic.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I went as hard as I could reasonably go.

Post race

Warm down:

I took in several bottles of water immediately after the race. I met with my friends and talked about the race.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Nothing. I went as hard as I could go. I was ready to puke after I finished. You know what? That tells me I timed things pretty well. I have no complaints, except for my dumbass not getting out of the wetsuit better.

Event comments:

Course was really good. Events were on-time. Check-in was easy. Goody bag was WEAK at best. Volunteers were awesome! No complaints at all.

1st Overall Podium

2nd triathlon in as many weeks. Last week's was super short but was followed by a 100 mile bike ride and 10K run, so it posed its own challenges. This was to be my second "sprint" tri, but it had its own challenges, because it was riddled with hills, hills and more hills. Such is the plight of an event in Bella Vista. (the only flat spots are 1) on the water and 2) the little spot between downhills and uphills).

I pre-rode the course a few days ago (thank you PS!), so I knew what to expect. A lot of hills. A LOT. Even the few flats were "false flats" that seemed flat but really were slight inclines.

It was a great course, although in a sprint tri it's hard to take account of the scenery. You're oo busy suffering to notice much else. I detail most of the race below with some final comments after. Thanks for reading.

Pre-race routine:

Wake up at 4:10. Two cups of coffee. Banana and granola bar. Drive 45 minutes to Bella Vista. Setup transition. Gel 30 minutes pre-race. Go to bathroom 800 times.

Event warmup:

VERY short swim.

Swim

Comments:

One of my more comfortable swims. I was really concerned because the cove was fairly "thin" and the chance for contact was high. I got as far to the outside as I could. I still suck at swimming but I'm better thanks to a swim coach. I was able to get into a regular breathing pattern for at least part of the swim.

I finished at 11:30, which was a good 20-30 seconds per 100 yards compared to my last sprint. I'm getting better but have so much more to go.

The ramp was slick as ... well, it was slick. I couldn't walk I went back to swimming the final 20 feet or so. Stupid.

It was so nice not to get tackled the entire time. #Winning.

What would you do differently?:

Keep working. See my coach ASAP!

T1

Comments:

My worst transition to date. Not my slowest but definitely my worst. I couldn't get my damn helmet on and then my sunglasses. The aero helmet is much more difficult to get on and I totally failed at this. I easily should've been 30 seconds faster. Good grief. Oh, and I pulled my dang strap out of my shoe so I had to fumble with that.

HORRIBLE.

What would you do differently?:

Quit being an idiot.

Bike

Comments:

Once again, my swim put me behind the 8-ball. I passed people constantly. I am a decent cyclist but I'm even better on the hills, so this course played to my strengths.

I have found that it takes a few miles after a swim before my legs feel worth a damn. That lasted longer today. My legs didn't feel good until the final downhill to the transition. Ha ha.

This course was pretty brutal. It was virtually all up or down hill. Even the few flat areas seemed to be mostly false flats. It was difficult to get into a groove. The good thing for me was that everyone else was suffering worse than I, so I just kept passing people.

The passing got fewer and farther between the further I went. I didn't know where I was in the pecking order, but I knew I had passed dozens of people, including the women who had passed me on the swim after starting three minutes behind me. I have to get better on the swim. HAVE TO.

Just a few miles before the finish was a nasty, long climb. I looked back, which I don't like to do, and the guy behind me was quite a ways back, so I laid off a little and cruised up the hill. The finish was all downhill.

Sometimes you know you're near the front of the pack, because of how the volunteers and fans react. I can't explain with words how much it means to have people cheering you on, and these folks were some of the best.

The finish included an incredibly steep downhill with an immediate left turn into the final stretch. I was worried about this turn, because it was REALLY steep and sharp. No problems, thankfully.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Totally happy. I think I had the 2nd or 3rd best bike time. Hard to complain.

T2

Comments:

Look at my first transition and do a 180. This one ROCKED! It wasn't the fastest of the day but it was my fastest. I killed it. Shoes on super fast and race number belt on as I left transition.

What would you do differently?:

Dismount out of my shoes. I haven't practiced that yet, so I need to work on it. It's a bit scary but would save some time.

Run

Comments:

What to say, what to say. I'm a crappy swimmer but my runs really scare me, because I just don't know how my fake hip will react to hard intensities. Uphills don't hurt my hip - flats and downhills do, or can.

It has been a challenge to figure out how hard to go on the bike to enable maximum run performance. I went hard (HARD) on the bike, so this was a question. Add hills to the mix and it is a big ????????

The run starts by leaving the park (1/4 mile maybe) and then straight up a super steep hill. 12+% grade for 1/3 mile. It sucks. Sucks. Sucks. And then you turn and climb some more before finally descending down a hill you will soon climb back up.

At this point there were 5 people in front of me. 5! Holy crap, I made up some unreal time on the bike. I mean UNREAL. The leader and follower were pretty far out front. No way I could catch them. As a matter of fact, I didn't think I could catch anyone in front of me, but I did think I could hold my position. That would be pretty cool!

2 miles, I was reeling in the next person. She was part of a team. I was not concerned with her, because she was a totally different timed group. I did pass her, however. That put me in 4th overall. Holy freakin' crap! This is a decent sized, and extremely hard race, and I was doing well!

Hit the turn at 3.2 miles and it was all downhill from there. The 3rd place guy was 100 yards ahead of me. I knew who it was. He is an incredible swimmer, and I do mean incredible. I didn't know anything about his running, though. I decided to go for it.

Downhill running is probably the most dangerous of all road running. You can really damage a lot of muscles and bones by running too hard downhill. I slowly reeled him in and with about .2 miles remaining I passed him and increased my lead. I was running sub-6 minute mile pace that last bit. Easily the fastest I've run since my hip replacement. Easily.

I finished third across the line. UNREAL! I should probably hang up the shoes now. I don't know that it will get any better than this. It was not a huge race by any means but there was some very, very good competitors in the race, so I am proud and humbled to finish where and how I did.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I did everything I could. I think I had the 7th best run overall. For a 39 year-old with a fake hip, that's pretty alright.

Post race

Warm down:

Quick massage with Dr. Bennington (Maximum Performance Therapy in Rogers). My shins were killing me after that downhill and he made them feel so much better. I can still walk!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Talent and fake hip.

Event comments:

Incredible race. Most organized and well-supported race I've done. Goody bag was AWESOME! (More Jack Links - Mike, are you listening?) Grilled chicken, burgers and dogs after the event. Plenty of drinks and food. Quick results. Awesome event.

This was far and away my best triathlon finish. It helped that it was a hilly course, because I do well on hills. Even with the horrible swim, I still finished solid.

In the grand scheme this is all small stuff, but even as a very-near 40-year old, it feels great to finish near the front. It's all made better with the fact that I have an artificial hip and can finish better than folks with good (original) limbs and joints! :)

I have to add a small blurb. My wife and I had plans today after my race and her work (she had to work this morning). Going into the race, I had 0 (ZERO) idea that I would place in my age group, let alone the entire event. Well, it all unfolded and I TOTALLY FORGOT plans my wife and I had talked about. So, I waited around for the award ceremony and got home way (WAY) too late and screwed up my wife's day. I can never apologize enough to make it better, but I know that I screwed up and I am beyond sorry. I love my wife dearly and am very sorry for whatever inconvenience I caused her. I need to say this, because she supports my crazy obsession with this ridiculous (?) sport without question.

I LOVE YOU, BABE! THANK YOU FOR DEALING WITH ME.

I'm a Eurekan ... with my first Triathlon podium

It's called the Eureka Springs Multisport Festival. It is three days filled with all kinds of athletic events. It started on Friday with a super-sprint triathlon, many distances of bike rides and races on Saturday and a 10K run on Sunday. If you completed the triathlon, 100 mile bike and 10K run, you got special recognition as a "Eurekan" competitor. A bit hokey but also extremely cool for those of us who do these sorts of things.

I have to open by saying this is one of, if not then, coolest events I've ever been a part of, let alone heard of. Here in NW Arkansas we don't have a ton of multisport events, so anything is good, but this was extraordinarily fun and challenging.

I've laid out the triathlon details and then the rest of my commentary is below. I got my first podium finish (top 3 in overall or age group) in a triathlon. Difficult to remove my smile for a while.

Pre-race routine:

The race didn't start until 3pm, so I just had a normal morning. Left for the race at 10:30. Had to go to packet pickup first, which closed at 1:00. Had lunch with some friends, went to transition and took my time getting ready.

Event warmup:

Very short swim warmup.

Swim

Comments:

Swim was only 300 yards, so even a bad swim would go reasonably quick. I started toward the outside with a good friend. I took a line toward the buoy and got mixed in with the madness. The pulling and hitting and tackling was ridiculous. I should've known better than to get in the middle of it. My friend stayed completely to the outside and never touched or was touched. I wish I had done that, because even swimming a longer distance would've been faster. Still, I got out of the water with a faster per 100 time (by far: 2:16 vs 2:31) than my last sprint.

What would you do differently?:

Get to the outside and stay there!

T1

Comments:

Reasonably quick transition. No real complaints. Big benefit by using my new tri-specific bike shoes.

What would you do differently?:

Learn how to get in the shoes with them already on the bike.

Bike

Comments:

Short but very intense ride with some nasty curves and constant elevation changes. Had a bit of trouble getting my legs going again coming out of the swim. I'm obviously using my legs too much in the swim. The start was a bit uphill which added to the problem. Very sharp curve about half a mile in. It should've been marked better or had someone there slowing people down. I locked up my brakes and barely stayed on the road. At least one rider went down pretty hard. Ultimately it is the rider's responsibility to know the course but the race director has a responsibility to keep people as safe as within reason.

My swim once again put me behind a lot of folks, so I started passing people constantly. My strength is cycling and specifically hill climbing, so this was a well-suited course, although a difficult one. Some of the roads were very rough chip-n-seal with some loose gravel, so that cost some speed.

I had the 3rd fastest time out of 156 people, so it's hard to complain.

What would you do differently?:

Might have gone a bit too hard because my run hurt a bit, but it was worth the risk.

T2

Comments:

Probably my best transition to date. Bike racked quick. Shoes swapped fast.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing.

Run

Comments:

The run started on the same start of the bike course. Then at the sharp turn I mentioned earlier the run course moved to the golf course cart path. It was hilly. Way hillier than I (or anyone else I talked to) thought it would be. My calves were hurting a bit when the run started, but when we moved to the course my hamstrings really started to lock up on the first hill. I had to really shorten my stride to keep from seizing.

I had caught up with my good friend on the bike, since he beat me on the swim. We are pretty close to the same pace on the bike and the run, so we ran with each other until the last hill about quarter mile before the finish. I got a small gap on him and finished just four seconds ahead of him.

My time was 10th best overall and 2nd in my AG. My first triathlon podium! I couldn't believe. It was a short but intense triathlon.

What would you do differently?:

Don't know really. I went hard but not all out on the bike, but I cramped on the run. The hills were the issue and I didn't take them into account enough.

Post race

Warm down:

Got some water and a little stretching.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Swimming was better but still needs a lot of work.

Event comments:

This race was part of a 3-day multi-sport festival. It was the kickoff event with a 100 mile bike ride the following day and a 10K run the third day. That's the reason it was so short.

So, that was day one. I got second in my age group and 10th overall of over 100 competitors. This is obviously really small in the big scheme of things, but for those of us who train constantly and race what few races we can get to, getting a podium finish is really the big payoff. Finishing and feeling great is awesome, but getting some feeling of accomplishment compared to your competitors is incredibly rewarding.

Okay, on to Saturday. The big day. 100 miles through the Ozark mountains. I've done two previous century rides (100 miles) but they were in Texas and flat as a pancake. The total opposite from this. The route took us from Eureka Springs to Green Forest up to Missouri, back down to Berryville and then back up to Missouri and across one of the busiest highways in the world (86, which is a route to Branson) and then back down to Eureka Springs. The last 30 miles were the hilliest. The last 15 were the worst. Yeah - it was HARD. Even for someone like me who can climb.

We started off like bandits. Holy crap! The first part of the course included a lot of flats and downhills. We had some packs develop and averaged 24+mph the first 15 miles and then 22+ for the first 26 miles, before the turn toward Missouri.

We had some smaller packs develop as the hills thinned the crowds. We had a good group of about 9 people who, more or less, rode together most of the ride. The next 40 miles or so were pretty uneventful. We all stopped at the aid stations to refuel quickly. The aid stations ROCKED! I had some of the best homemade oatmeal cookies I've ever had at the first station and an incredible gooey, hot (half) cinnamon roll at the next. These endurance events require sugar and these snacks were 100000000% better than gels. I wish I had some of those cookies right now :(

The final 30 miles of the ride is where it got really interesting. The hills became steady and increasing the further we went. It was pretty much constant ups and downs. You were either climbing or descending. We were all starting to suffer a bit but made it to the aid station at mile 85. That's where the real fun began.

At that station I got some homemade pumpkin muffins (little mini bites) that were awesome! And then two really, really, really difficult climbs hit us. Those of you who have traveled to Branson on 86 are probably familiar with the area of Eagle Rock. Yeah, trying peddling up those hills. Goodness.

I made it up the two biggest climbs to that point and each time was first in the group over the climb and just coasted to wait for the group to catch up. We FINALLY got off 86. What a relief. That is such a busy road and is a bit scary. So, that meant we were on the final stretch down 23 to Eureka Springs.

We regrouped, I think we had 6 or 7 remaining of the pack, and got to mile 91 and that's when the fun began. OMG. The worst hill of the day was at mile 91! Pure torture, I tell ya. Pure torture. This hill pretty much shattered the group for the finish.

I worked with another rider to get to the finish. After the mile 91 hill it was up and down until mile 95 and then the most euphoric downhill I've ever encountered was upon me. I don't know the actual distance but it was a good 1.5 mile descent and it was fast. Over 50 MPH. Words can't even explain how AWESOME this was. I want to drive over there right now just to go down that hill.

After that it was smooth sailing into downtown Eureka Springs. My one remaining buddy and I cruised in the remaining few miles and were welcomed with applause from the fans. It was great! Super support from the community.

I crossed the line in 5:37 (5 hours 29 minutes total ride time). Considering the incredibly hilly course, I was very happy. I soon found out that I was the 2nd (Yes, SECOND!) Eurekan competitor to finish the 100 miler. I was 6th overall, but there were 4 riders who just did the 100 mile ride and weren't doing the other races.

I could've finished faster had I left my group but it was extremely fun riding with other folks. I have no regrets at all and am so proud to have finished where I did.

Post race - I got a massage to help get my legs ready for the 10K run on Sunday. Ate and drank to refuel and congregated with friends. Honestly, while I do love doing well at events, hanging out with fellow competitors is my favorite part. Well, second favorite part, but that's what is so fun about the entire event.

Quick trip back home. Compression hose on to sleep in. A few hours rest and up before dawn again. The 10K run race was the final stage. I was 2nd overall in the Eurekan competition. I was first in my age group (40-49) and my buddy was 2nd in the AG 4 minutes behind me and 3rd place was 15 minutes behind me. The 3rd place guy was a really fast runner, so that was my biggest concern. My buddy in 2nd place is pretty close to my speed, so I just had to make sure I stayed close to the speedy guy.

I was really worried I'd be super sore from the ride, but the massage and compression hose must've helped. I felt pretty good and took off pretty fast. The run course had some nasty hills, so I knew if I could hold steady I could do well and hold my finishing position.

Not much to report from here. Several brutal climbs and a downhill finish, which isn't easy for a run. I crossed the line at 42:50, easily my best post-hip replacement 10K time, and in 7th best finish on the run and kept my 2nd overall and 1st place AG.

Pretty damned good weekend and a fun one to boot. I finished in 7 hours and 1 minute. 10 minutes behind the winner and 6 minutes ahead of 3rd place. Even though I finished with a great time, the best part of the weekend was hanging out with fellow competitors.

This truly was a challenge to be a "Eurekan."

First Sprint

I have been so lax in updating. I get busy with training and life and just forget to write. I do find writing therapeutic, so I should do it more often. I am wordy and boring, so I think I could have a future as a sleeping aid if my current career doesn't pan out.

If you've read some of my previous posts, you may know that I started my triathlon adventures by doing an Olympic distance event (1.5K/40K/10K) and then three weeks later did Ironman Kansas 70.3 (1.2M/56M/13.1M). This is not the normal route by any stretch but as I've found out not that uncommon either. I just didn't have a chance to start slow this year and I'm fairly (or severely depending on definition) impatient.

So, my first sprint distance was the SharkFest Sprint in July. This is probably the most popular local triathlon. I don't have numbers to back that up, but it "seems" that way. Sprint distance triathlons are not concrete distances. This one, however, was a very typical sprint distance - 500 yard swim, 15 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. The run this year was cut a bit short because of the damage caused by the horrific flooding we had in the spring. The run ended up being something like 2.9x miles.

Pre-race routine:

A cup of coffee. Headed to the race at 5am. Took my time setting up in transition. One transition area, which is great. Sunscreen on. Took a gel about 30 minutes before the start. Chatted with friends and tried to keep the anxiety down.

Event warmup:

Short swim to warmup.

Swim

Comments:

This was my third tri and third open water swim. Was still slow in this swim but didn't panic - good thing. Very anaerobic effort with heavy breathing and a struggling stroke. After rounding the first bouy(100 yards) I was having trouble and hurting but kept going. My sighting was not very good, because I kept going off course. I had my Garmin Forerunner 305 in my swim cap, and my distance measured at 650 yards versus the 500 if I had gone straight. Not good.

What would you do differently?:

See a swim coach and more open water swimming.

T1

Comments:

Long, steep run from the water into T1. Had a little trouble getting my bike shoes on.

What would you do differently?:

Get some tri-specific bike shoes.

Bike

Comments:

Bike starts with a climb out of the park. I had some trouble getting my legs going. I must use my legs way too much in the swim. My swim put me behind a lot of folks, so once again I found myself having to pass a lot of cyclists, which I did. Cycling is my best event, but within cycling climbing hills is probably my biggest strength - which boded well for this course.

What would you do differently?:

Figure out how to have fresher legs to start.

T2

Comments:

Initially couldn't find my spot. I even knew a specific landmark to help me find it and I still couldn't. Stupid.

What would you do differently?:

Not be a bonehead trying to find my stuff.

Run

Comments:

The run course was about .1 miles short due to all the flooding in the area this year. It was relatively flat and wound through the campgrounds. I love these types of courses. Lots of changes in the route (not just a long, straight run) and the campers are good fans.

Felt good coming off the bike. Was running mostly around 7:00 pace to begin. A little fast but it felt comfortable. The race seemed to go fast with all the curves. I passed a few people, but I caught so many on the bike there weren't that many people in front of me.

One of the aid stations had ice-soaked towels, which I gladly took. That was a nice touch since it was getting hot. Coming down the final half mile people were starting to tire, so I passed a few more folks including some in my AG. Very nice!

Crossed the finish line and really wasn't that tired or out of breath. That really pissed me off a bit. I should've gone harder on the bike or the run. I'm still learning a lot about how to combine the two. Oh, well. Pretty solid run for me, regardless.

What would you do differently?:

Run harder.

Post race

Warm down:

Got some water and an orange. Talked to several friends and hung out.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Swim and not using energy wisely.

Event comments:

Great local race.

I really, really enjoyed the race. The swim sucked, as normal for me, but wasn't killer. The bike was totally suited for me. Hills! I hate hills but I do well on them, so it helps me. The run was flat and I had a good pace. My biggest complaint is that I wasn't exhausted when I finished, which meant I didn't go hard enough on the bike and/or the run. That really irked me but it was a good learning lesson.

One nice bonus was that I won a nice Timex watch in the door prize drawings. Who doesn't love winning something?!!

Ironman

My second scheduled triathlon was to be a half Ironman totaling 70.3 miles consisting of 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run. This would be the longest endurance event of my life to this point. This is definitely far from the norm, because most triathletes work their way up by doing several sprint triathlons and then some Olympic distances. This helps build endurance and gets the body ready for the very hard and long events.

My own impatience wouldn't give me the luxury of building up. I felt earlier this year that I had done enough endurance activity over the past few years that ramping up to half Ironman was definitely doable. The biggest question was whether or not my hip could handle the running.

I worked up slowly with running distance and even had a few stumbling blocks along the way, including stopping for a few weeks at a time over last winter, because my hip was not agreeing with what I was doing. I was terribly upset at the time it was taking to build up running but in the end it all was worth the wait.

I continued to train through the winter, learning how to swim and continuing to build up the run. I knew I wanted to do triathlons this year. In the March/April time frame I start considering the 70.3 distance more seriously. At that point I was putting in around 8 hours per week of swim/bike/run training. Kicking it up a bit more wasn't too much of a stretch. I did a lot of research and talking to veteran triathletes. Settled on a training plan and started eyeing Ironman Kansas 70.3.

I am very stubborn and too impatient but knew what I was capable of and I felt like I could legitimately finish a half Ironman, so in late April I confirmed my decision by signing up and paying the entry fee.

Goal 1: Finish

Goal 2: Finish under 6 hours

Given the history with my hip replacement in 2009 and the fairly aggressive scheduling of this race it seemed likely I wouldn't meet either goal. Even though I got clearance from my surgeon to run he has warned me that I would likely shorten the life of my implant by doing lots of running.

In my pre-hip replacement days I had planned to do many full marathons, so in my mind triathlons should be easier on my hip since I won't be running as much, even though I would be running half marathons at times. I fully understand the risks but these endurance events are such an important part of my life I feel it is worth the risk. If things get too bad I will shut it down. I have and will continue to live by the credo of "use pain for guidance." I know my body extremely well and know when to stop if needed.

Pre-race routine:

At the recommendation of several people who've done this race before, I decided to camp in the Clinton Lake State Park, which is where the race started and finished. It was a great decision. It was very nice to not worry about getting to the event and getting parked and walking quite a distance from parking to transition.

I had a good dinner the night before of pasta with grilled chicken and some fairly bland sauce alongside some mixed veggies. Nerves wreak enough havoc with the GI system on race morning, so I wanted to make sure I had a meal with some carbs and a bit of protein, but more importantly, a meal that would set well with my stomach.

Slept like crap. Won't sugar coat it. I rarely sleep well the night before a race of any sort, let alone the biggest of my life so far. It didn’t help that the weather was predicted to be thunderstorms starting through the night and lasting completely through the race. I was worried sick. Maybe I should start taking a sleeping pill.

Got up at 4am and got some water heating for some coffee. Lathered on sunscreen and liberally applied body glide to any area with the potential for friction burn. Got dressed, which was easy since there isn't much to wear. Ate a bagel with light cream cheese with a cup of coffee. Double-checked my transition bags. Had a PowerBar with another cup of coffee. Made first bathroom pit stop. All good :) Grabbed my gear, met a couple of buddies and headed to T2 to drop our stuff and then headed down to T1 and the swim start.

Event warmup:

None, except for the walk to T2 and then to T1, which was .5 mile.

Swim

This was my second triathlon. Anyone who read my first race report (KC Tri - Olympic distance) knows I totally panicked on the swim. Wanted to quit. Thought I was going to die. Needless to say, that experience had me extremely worried about doing a Half Ironman with another .3 miles tacked onto the swim.

The first tri was three weeks prior, so I didn't have a lot of time to improve. I did, however, go on vacation to Aruba and swam a few times in the sea. As it turns out, that was more helpful than I could have predicted.

For this race, I just wanted to get through it without panicking. I was extremely nervous. To add to my nervousness the swim was a deep water start, which I had not done. My group was pretty much in the middle of the waves, so I got to watch several groups get started. One of my buddies was in my wave and he being a seasoned triathlete helped calm my nerves.

The wind had kicked up pretty good and the chop was going left to right, so my buddy thought it would be a good idea to get on the inside line of the buoys. Very few people were there, so it seemed like a good idea to me and certainly started that way.

I was bound and determined to not panic, so I started out easy and just made sure to get into a good breathing rhythm. I'm normally a bilateral breather in the pool, but with the chop I breathed to the right. Things were going good for a few hundred yards. Then the heavy chop kicked in and it was ROUGH. It was almost as if a boat was going back and forth past us stirring up the wake. It was easily as rough as any time I swam in the Caribbean.

Rough water aside, I kept going and going. I purposely went easy, because I knew if I got too tired I would panic. This race was much rougher with contact than my first one. I got hit, tugged, pulled under, tackled, kicked, you name it. It was pretty brutal, but I feel like I handled it well. Never got upset about it.

About half way through my legs started cramping. Hamstrings, calves and feet were all cramping at different times. I think some of that may be due to the wetsuit, but regardless of how it happened, it was something I had to deal with. I'm already about as aerodynamic in the water as an ocean freighter and having to flex my feet forward and move my legs around to get rid of the cramps made it even worse.

Heavy chop + my slowness = more slowness. I knew it was taking me a while but in no way did I think it took me 59:40. I had hoped for 45-50 minutes. A bit disappointed, but not too much considering how nervous I was and how bad the conditions were. I did feel comforted by the fact that I heard several strong swimmers comment on how rough it was, so it wasn't just my own opinion. On to T1.

What would you do differently?:

Just more OWS practice.

T1

My transition area was reasonably close to T1 entrance, but that meant a long hike with the bike to exit. Took me a little longer to get out of my wetsuit than it should've, but not too awful. I had a horrible time getting my socks on. I just didn't get my feet dry enough. Sprayed on some more suncreen. Ate a gel. Shoes. Helmet. Glasses. All that stuff was quick. Had to stuff the official transition bag, so my things would be transported back to T2, since there were two different transition areas. This added a little extra time but not too bad and well worth the trouble not to have to walk back down to T1 after the race.

What would you do differently?:

Probably go sock-less. I've done sock-less at shorter bike rides but not a long one. Just need to work on that. Would’ve saved valuable time.

Bike

Bike course started with a few climbs out of the state park. Not super long or steep but not what I want to do just starting out. My goal was 18 mph to hit the 3 hour mark. I can do that on most any course without killing myself for the run.

The wind conditions were pretty rough, so it wasn't going to be as easy as I thought. What little tailwind we had was on the first part of the course and it paid off. I averaged about 20.5 on the way out to the turn. I hadn't used too much energy at that point, so I felt good about "banking" some time, because the return was going to be hard. The climbs combined with the head and cross-winds made the last 28 miles much more difficult than I had hoped. I knew if I got into too much difficulty with my quads and hamstrings, my run would be a suffer-fest.

Being my first WTC event, I was very worried about their strict rules on drafting. I tried to be very cognizant about getting into the passing zone and getting out of it quickly. I'm not a super cyclist but am strong enough that I passed a lot of people, so I was constantly making sure I was within the rules. With all the hills, the referees did seem to use discretion, which was nice.

Around mile 50 is probably the largest climb which is up to the damn. A lot of people were suffering here. I put the bike in the granny gear and went as easy as I could. My plan was to shut it down the last few miles to get my legs ready (as possible) for the run, so after I got on the dam I took it easy on the way in.

Ended up with time of 2:52 averaging 19.4 mph. Getting that speed on the way out was really helpful for my overall time. I got about 8 minutes I could apply toward recovering from my crappy swim. I moved from 168 (out of 212) on the swim to 118 on the bike. Pretty happy overall with the bike.

What would you do differently?:

Not much. I focused more on running and swimming during training, so I want to get back to more long and intense bike rides. Given my situation with my hip (for the run) and being a beginner swimmer, it was the right thing to do, but for Branson half ironman I'm going to hit the bike hard.

T2

Not good. Not horrible. Took longer than I had hoped but not longer than I had planned for. I knew it would take me a bit to get my socks changed. The quick laces I just put on my shoes were nice. Very glad I added those. Put on some more sunscreen, hat and clean sunglasses. Long-ish run to the exit.

What would you do differently?:

Work on socks.

Run

Run course was great. Started on the main park entrance road, down the hill to the swim start area, back up the only hill and then through the campground. Do this loop twice. Great run course. Outstanding crowd support. I literally said "wow" out loud. One of the best spectator run courses I've encountered.

Races of any kind are tricky if you want to do your best, but triathlons are very difficult. If you are really racing (i.e., competing to do the best you possibly can) then you want to hit the finish line and be exhausted and know you did everything you could. I've done both bike and run races in the past when I knew I had more in the tank. If I am walking fine the next day I didn't go hard enough! That being said, I felt okay after the bike but not great. I knew I had used up too much energy on the bike due to the wind, but felt like I would at least be able to get through the run.

Even though my legs were starting to hurt I had fueled well. Got out of transition and within half a mile my quads locked up like a steel door. Oh man, did it hurt! I stopped and tried stretching any way I could get my legs to move. I bent down as far as I could go and something just seemed to release. I stood back up and could move my legs again. I massaged them just a bit and decided to try to go again. Whatever I did must have worked. I was able to run.

I made it to the first aid station and took some sport drink and kept going. I was feeling fine but making sure to keep my strides short and not push the pace. Made it to mile 2 and was feeling really good, not pain free, but good. I don't know how big my grin was but I was in a sudden state of euphoria, because I knew I was going to be able to finish. A huge personal accomplishment that I had worked extremely hard to train for.

Realistically, I planned for a 2:10 run, roughly 10 min/mile pace. I had hoped for sub-2, but really just didn't know given I had never done that much bike and swim prior to a half marathon. I was doing around 8:30 pace for the first half of the race and felt comfortable. I was taking in sport drink and water often.

During the run I kept trying to do all the math in my head of what time I could finish in. My stretch goal for the entire race was 6 hours. I knew it would be difficult, but also knew if things went right it was certainly doable.

After the swim, I felt like sub-6 was all but gone. My bike and T2 helped make up some of the swim time, so it was all up to the run. At the halfway point of the run, I knew if I kept up a similar pace, I could possibly get under 6 hours. I was looking at my watch often to see how I was doing.

Still felt good until mile 11. My body started shutting down. My stomach was cramping a bit. I had taken in too much fluid. My legs were starting to hurt bad and I knew if I pushed the pace they would lock up. I was on the verge of hitting the wall. 1.5 miles to go and I gave up on the idea of getting under 6. I was easily on pace for sub-2 half marathon, so I took solace in that thought and tried to enjoy the last bit. There were so many fans in the park it was really uplifting. The volunteers at the aid station leading into the last quarter mile were just outstanding. They helped me get going for the final push.

There is something amazing about coming into the finishing chute in an endurance event like this. I don't quite know how to explain it. You have given all you have to give and suddenly have a small burst of energy helps propel you to the finish. I had the same feeling when I did my one and only full marathon. I got this incredible sensation of chills and dizziness followed by an incredible high.

As I approached the finish line I could see the clock. Given that the clock time is based on when the Pros started and where I thought I started, I knew I was still very close to 6 hours. I thought I was at 6:01 or 6:02, and although a bit disappointed, I was so incredibly happy I didn't care.

Two of my friends were waiting at the finish line cheering on those of us from my area (there were quite a few of us who made the trek to Kansas). It was such a relief to see friendly faces. I was in such shock I didn't even realize that Chrissie Wellington was the person who put the medal around my neck. How freakin' cool is that? I wish I could've gotten a picture.

Only a few hours later did I find out that I did meet my goal. Total time 5:58:17. 95/212 - purely MOP (middle of pack) but not horrible considering where I was after the swim. I was ecstatic. As if I didn't already feel great about being able to finish, when I found out my actual time I was stoked beyond belief. What a day!

What would you do differently?:

Be more careful with fluids.

Post race

Warm down:

Went to the food tent and had a BBQ sandwich and some chips and started taking massive amounts of fluid. I could barely move my legs, so I couldn't even stretch for a while. I got a post-race massage, which was a first for me at any event. I should do that more often. It was very helpful.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My swim was so hard it made me use a lot of energy. My legs even cramped during the swim, so my legs suffered all day. I really think getting much better at the swim will help each event. I was a bit lax on bike training, because I was already fit enough to suffice and I needed to focus and run and swim training. For the next HIM (Branson) I'm going to work harder on the bike in hopes of staving off pain on the run.

Event comments:

My first WTC event. The organization and support is unreal. The venue at IMKS is great for all disciplines. The wind caused the conditions to be tough, but that could happen anywhere. I will very likely return many times to this event.

Final Statistics:

SWIM	BIKE	RUN	OVERALL	RANK	DIV.POS.
59:40	2:52:59	1:57:27	5:58:17	641	95

LEG	DISTANCE	PACE	RANK	DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM	1.2 mi. (59:40)	3:08/100m	1176	169
TOTAL BIKE	56 mi. (2:52:59)	19.42 mph	738	118
RUN SPLIT 1: 2.5 mi	2.5 mi (22:12)	8:52/mi
RUN SPLIT 2: 7.75 mi	5.25 mi (43:28)	8:16/mi
RUN SPLIT 3: 9 mi	1.25 mi (14:03)	11:14/mi
RUN SPLIT 4: 13.1 mi	4.1 mi (37:44)	9:12/mi
TOTAL RUN	13.1 mi (1:57:27)	8:57/mi	641	95
TRANSITION				TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE				5:08
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN				3:03