Lone Star Triathlon Festival - Half Iron - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I stood on the dock and thought ok I need to have a better attitude about my swims. I knew conditions were going to be tough so I decided to relax and have fun. The course didn't look that long and I was ready.

I jumped in and thought whoa that drop from the pier was a little bigger than I thought. I positioned myself back left closest to the buoys. My coach had told me to go up front on the outside but I knew I could never swim tha fast across. Anyway I'm not bothered by a little bumping and people tend to swim away from me pretty fast.

I started off trying to get into a long, smooth stroke but that resulted in being pushed off course. I had to resort to a survival type stroke as the current was tough and the waves were going over my head. I focused on staying relaxed and on course. I only got one mouth full of water along the back side when I popped up to site and was met with a face full of water.

When I got the exit ramp, I was pleased. I didn't feel like I had been out there that long and I felt good. So I was in shock when I looked at my watch and saw my time. So I knew right then and there that my sub 6 hr. goal was gone. But I shook it off and quickly readjusted to 6hr. 15/20 min.

I'm very proud of my swim. It was a tough mental challenge. I think in better conditions I would have been faster than Mooseman. I put a lot of time/effort into lessons this spring although I could have put in a little more pool time. Still I just need to keep trying and get my good stroke more natural so I don't fall back to bad habits when conditions are tough.

My goal was to try and remember to do/get everything that I needed in T1. I even taped a list on my rack for me to look at as a reminder. I was in a bit of a fog still trying to figure out my marathon swim time. But I got all of the important stuff done and put on enough various creams to feel like a greased pig.

Nothing - until my seconds wasted in T1 matter there is no point in messing up the rest of my race.

My coach told me to ride at a Z3/tempo pace. I trained most of the winter on the computrainer w/ watts but don't have a powertap for racing. So I used my Garmin to monitor my HR.

I decided to start off the ride by spinning comfortably to get into a rhythm then try to settle into the correct zone. I got into a super comfy cadence and speed but the HR was high. However, there was no burn in the quads and my breathing was very comfortable. I made the decision to stick w/ it since my RPE seemed like Z3. I felt like I could pedal all day.

The course was easy and the only challenge was the winds. Mostly crosswinds and swirling winds on the way out. I saw Tony on course when he was on his way back in. I stopped at the 2nd aid station to switch my infinit around, eat half a bonk bar and use the porta potty. I was happy to see the turn around and was hoping to crush it coming home but for every tailwind there was a matching headwind.

My nutrition was great. I went through about 550 cal. finishing both bottles. I even managed to grab a bottle of water for a few sips at the last aid station even though I almost took out another biker and had to make several attempts at the grab. Still a small victory.

I felt really strong on the bike and only my neck got sore starting around mile 30. I passed a ton of people on the bike and was only passed a handful of times. Although I never saw any my AGers.

Not a thing. I rode this course to absolute perfection for my current ability/conditioning. Obviously, I still want to get up to 19/20 mph on the bike but that will take more time in the saddle.

I felt good getting off the bike. I did not run to my rack deciding to give my body a chance to adjust to my land legs and keep the HR in check.

I should get zip laces in my next pair of shoes. And look at my list - I forgot my infinit.

MY RUN WAS AWESOME! I set a final time goal as well as individual sport goals. I always set the bar high so I don't always make them. I was hopig to do a sub 2 hr. 1/2 and I did. I felt strong off the bike. I wasn't interested in eating but I did force myself to eat a gel and a handful of beans at the 30min and 60min marks along w/ 2 electrolytes at the 60 min. mark.

I drank water at most but not all aid stations and I did walk to make sure I got a full cup. The rest of the time I just grabbed sponges to try and cool off although the heat didn't really bother me.

I liked the 4 loop setup and mentally thought about 4 loops instead of 13 miles. I saw Tony and John on course and we wished each other well. I saw lots of people melting on course and that kept me running hard.

I definitely tired as the laps went on and my walk time through the aid stations increased w/ each lap but I held it together. At mile 68, I realized that I had 68 racing miles in me and the last 2 were going to have to be gutted out. My cardio and breathing were fine but my legs were heavy and out of juice. But I was on the last lap so I kept one foot moving in front of the other til the finish. At the finish chute, I saw Tony then Andy and Kelly then the finish line. I was very happy to be done!

Nothing - I came off the bike in great shape.

I was very happy to be done and it was wonderful to see Tony and our friends at the finish. I got a huge plate of food, drank a beer and sat down to peel off my wet shoes and socks.


Overall I am very pleased with my race even though there is plenty of room for improvement and I did not hit all of my goals. I put together a good solid effort and my training was evident.

My weak swim is my biggest limiter at the moment. And I just need to keep training and building my base. I think by the time I hit my next age group I'm going to kick a$s!


The organization and volunteers were great. The run course was really well stocked and stationed. We needed all of the water, nutrition and sponges out there.

Not so sure about the Ironman race though. It seemed really commercial and impersonal. I liked Keith's races before Ironman infiltrated.