LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I’ve heard veterans tell of a magical line just inside the buoy line where the water is clearer than the Bahamas and the sailors rejoice but for the calm seas. Such stories are true! I cruised without bruises for the entire swim in this veritable Atlantis and passed a few people from the waves ahead of me for the first time in my experience.

I felt great throughout and didn’t run out of breath like I usually do. Tried to push the pace more than usual and I ended up with my best swim time for a course that was spot on for the right length with no current. Although I’d hoped to go faster, the true sign of improvement was that I exited the water and ran all the way uphill without dizziness or fatigue. I’d trained right and it would pay dividends on the bike.

Sight better.

2,400 athletes were registered for this monstrosity of a race. This means huge transition areas and lots of running between racks, hence long T-times.

run faster

Usually when I get on the bike my heart is pumping so hard from the swim that my legs go numb for lack of oxygen. This time they felt strong, so I settled into a cruising pace that gradually increased for the first 20 miles. The plan was to hold back until mile 40 where I usually fade faster than jeans from Target. Said plan fell apart a little as I hit 22.8mph average at mile 20 and I knew it was too fast. Backed off and suffered some headwinds and very rough road, as did most everyone else around me.

The branded vs. local debate has been hashed ad nauseum, but I’ll say this for the big 70.3 events: if you can do a solid clip on the bike, you’ll feel like a rock star passing people along the way simply because the course is so crowded. But it’s a helluva lift for the adrenaline.

With the persistent IT band pain and inability to run over 5 miles in the last few weeks, I knew the run would be medieval, so I pushed the bike more than usual and finally broke 2:30. I forget, did I already say that I beat Alaina on the bike? No? Well I did beat Alaina on the bike. In case I forgot to mention the fact that I was faster than her on the bike, I said it here. That alone was probably worth the price of admission. Oh, she smoked me on the swim and run and beat me overall, but just sayin'.

Another long transition, blah.


run barefoot.

3 loops on the run. 2,000+ athletes. One might think it would be a little crowded. One would be correct. Great nutrition support out there though, with more than 13 aid stations, ice cold water, cold sponges, cold washcloths, volunteers with water hose guns to spray you, frozen slurpee straws, banana chunks, strawberries, candy, and Gatorade, making it a pulled pork sampler away from doing the rounds at Sam’s Club on a Saturday.

But oh IT pain, how much we’ve missed each other the last 2 races. How I’ve pined for your chisel at the outer knee sensation, your twisted rope on the patellar tendon, and who could forget your ability to twang the popliteal like the Reverend Horton Heat? On the second loop I convinced myself I would really push the last loop and I should just hold on for a while at this pace. Then on the last loop I swore the last 2 miles were where I’d really start pushing it. So I had a good last mile, but that really wasn’t good enough to get my run where I want it. I’ve got more speed in these legs, and I guess that’s why we keep racing.

The finish line was inside Luedecke arena, ending this long season. Time for offseason!

Rehab my IT band

4:49 is a new PR for me, cutting 3 minutes off my Muncie time, which going into this race I didn’t think I had a prayer of breaking, so overall a very good race for me. Also happy with an 11th in my AG, especially considering the first place in my AG did a 4:09! These people are freaks I swear.


The chip seal roads were kinda rough to say the least. Post race food was tacos and baked potatoes that weren't good. But whateva, I enjoyed the ice cream they had.