Ironman 70.3 Boise - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

This was a good swim for me. Right at the time I expected. A little bit of contact here and there, but nothing bad.

There was a long run up the ramp and over a small hill to the parking lot with the bike racks. Along the way, I visited the wetsuit strippers and sunscreen appliers. I decided to put socks on, so I lost a little time wiping sand off of my feet on my wetsuit, but it was well worth it by the end of the day.

Considering that I wasn't terribly concerned about my time, nothing. In the future, I'm sure I could nearly cut this in half if I really tried.

I got started on the bike feeling really good -- not tired at all from the swim. After the short downhill section right after crossing the dam, I got down into the canyon and the headwind hit. We fought 25-30 mph headwinds most of the day. There were a few times on the out-and-back when the wind was at our backs, but it didn't really help me to recover very much. I ride those roads all the time and I've never seen it that windy.

I guess I just need more bike fitness. Definitely need to put in more long rides as I am still relatively new to biking. In my training rides on the same roads, I was averaging 18 mph for 2+ hours and feeling fresh afterward, but not in that wind. By the time the bike was done, I was already very tired.

This was pretty slow considering all I needed to do was change shoes and remove my helmet, but I was pretty beat up from the bike. My lower back was a little sore and tight, so I took my time changing shoes.

Assuming I feel better coming off of the bike next time, just move a lot faster. My T2 time is usually pretty good.

As I left T2, I really didn't have any idea how I was going to finish. I knew I wouldn't be able to jog for very long, so I just hoped to be able to make it past the crowds downtown. It quickly became a process of jogging, then walking, then jogging, etc. -- with longer walks as I completed the first lap. My time goals were out the window, so I just kept moving and focused on finishing. The volunteers and crowds were great. I was able to jog the last half mile or so just because of the atmosphere.

More long bike rides and more long runs in training.

A volunteer wrapped me in a mylar blanket and got me some water. I found my family and sat for a couple of minutes. I didn't feel like eating or drinking anything besides water, so we just gathered up my stuff and headed home.


A fantastic race! Very proud of Boise, all the volunteers, fans, and the race organizers. I liked the afternoon start and the evening finish downtown. The weather in early June here is usually mild, so there isn't much you can say about the wind.