Ironman 70.3 Raleigh - Triathlon

I think this was the strongest leg and my worst performance of the three legs. I didn't feel slow or thick in any way; had good feel for the water, but the time was off. First time ever swimming a race without a wetsuit which may have contributed about a minute to 90 seconds - but even still, I should have been done in about 27 minutes. I swam strong off the front line and somehow was next to the one guy who was both as fast as me and crazy bad at navigation. He bonked into me at least 3-4 times. This was only the beginning. This was probably the most full contact OWS I've ever done.

Swim a whole bunch faster. Not sure really why my time was off.

I ran hard through the whole thing. Only thing that was slow was putting on arm sleeves. Still, I was about a minute slower than some of the better times.

figure out how to do sleeves onto wet arms.

I pushed hard right from the start line. I didn't go to the red line but right up to it thinking that I could hold it. I did. Although around mile 45 I started to have creeping doubt that I had destroyed the chance of a solid run.

I held aero up all the hills. I hit all my nutrition. I entirely screwed up four attempts at grabbing a bottle at a station -- it was water and I only planned to cool myself. The problem I realized later that I was going to fast.

I forgot to take the salt tablets -- and it worked out -- but it could have been a bad error.

Often cadence was above 95 -- I'd find myself up at 105 and shifting twice to get to the right gear.

Very strong ride -- very happy with it.

It was a big transition area. But like T1, I ran the whole way and don't know why my time was so high. Really need to examine this to engineer a better time.

Average heartrate in T2 was 113.

Don't spray sunglasses/face with the spray sunscreen.

I was 3rd in AG and fell to 10th during the run. The two loops around the museum were mentally the hardest.

Lots of ice down the shirt.

I pissed myself while walking the aid station near mile 8. Good: Kept moving forward. Bad: It filled my left shoe more than at Lake Placid when I pissed essentially standing still and it ramped off my knee and ankle band. Once I got the piss started, I should have resumed running. That may have let it spray back like when riding.

A guy in my age group ran up on me coming back on Hillsborough. The splits show where. We ran together for about 3 miles and he dropped me at the final aid station when he ran through it and I made the mistake of stopping for ice/water. He put about 20 yards on me and I could not shut him down. He finished about 50 yards ahead.

Push earlier. For the first four miles I picked people off by chasing down people down who were about 50 yards ahead. Around Meradith College I entered into a "just hold this pace" attitude and it shows...because the splits went up on the hills and I stopped stalking people down. I needed to lean into the competition more. I'm not unhappy with the run -- it was a half marathon PR -- but I think I had about another 90 seconds to 3 minutes that I left on the course midway.

I wish I would have seen the kids in the finish shoot. Evidentially, I ran right passed them and was staring at the arch.

Sat down nearly immediately and didn't get up for 10 minutes. Talked to all the kids and the Roarks and Tony/Mary Ann. Went and drank three waters, ate banana and couple orange slice for 20 minutes.


Transitions. Swim kept me from getting to my absurdly fast goal time of 4:44:59.


Outstanding execution of the race. The Fayetteville Street was marquee. The crowd and volunteers were world class and it was an inaugural race. The point to point bike segment was additional -- but not overwhelming -- logistical challenge. The pros who turned out were also clearly impressed. May be some complaints that the bike course wasn't hard enough but I think the back end rollers were enough of a challenge especially if you didn't mind your pace. The hills midway through the run were all fair game and though hard, reasonable. However, they were not as advertised on the maps etc. and therefore caught everyone by surprise. (Two loops?)

To my great surprise, I finished well enough to earn a roll-down slot to Las Vegas for the championships. For that reason alone, I may have rose colored glasses about the race but I've been to nearly 20 races and this really was an excellent combination of venue, competition, course and the people.