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

Somehow, Anne, Erin, and I nearly missed our wave! Not really nearly, but we were a little behind the power curve--whoops. It sucked being over an hour after the start of the race. Just sitting around doing nothing.

This swim sucked. The first leg out wasn't too bad and I felt okay. More contact than I've had in other age group wave starts--these 30 year old women are rough (I'll fit right in). After feeling okay getting to the first buoy we turned right into the current and the chop, and then the buoys were different half-way through and it just seemed like the swim would never end. I was focusing on good strong strokes, form and felt fine--not whooped like I did last year, but the swim would just never end. I caught feet a couple of times, navigated fairly straight too--so I have to guess the swim was pretty strong and/or long. Saw some interviews a few pros did, and checking out the times, it affected everyone. I just hate that it shows me so slow cause that's not the pace I swim. I know I need to get better here, but there really wasn't much positive in this swim after it was over. There was some chop and I did end up swallowing a bit of Galveston Bay and the as I was near the final turn buoy to head in my stomach started feeling not so hot...I was a little worried cause that had never happened before. I hoped it'd go away when I got up at the end, but not so much.

Not swim at Galveston. I've never had a good swim there. Swim more, yes, that is needed for sure--as well as some form critique that I need. Not drink Galveston water.

So, I got up to the end, and I started my usual run out but the stomach thing was not feeling well at all and I had to slow down. Got to the wetsuit strippers and was headed to two guys when the guy in front of me suddenly cut to them. Went to the two ladies next to them and they got it off, but struggled slightly on the heels. Got up and tried running again, but had to jog it to my spot and even slightly walked. Got everything on without much issue and then jogged the bike to mount line praying the stomach would behave on the bike.

Not have a bad stomach.
Despite what was a not great transition for me, I was no more than 15 secs from any of the leaders in the AG, and actually beat several of those ahead of me. I like to do fast transitions...could've probably done 15 secs or faster on normal belly.

So, for about the first 10 miles it was about not working too hard and getting my stomach settled--I actually felt like I was thirsty and this may have been the start of later troubles, my lips couldn't moist and I probably had a full aero bottle over the first 10 miles. Just felt so super thirsty--maybe cause of the salt water? I noticed lots of salt accumulation on my shorts--anyhow, the stomach really didn't bother me much and we were into a headwind. Because we were in a headwind, I decided not to work too hard into the wind and hammer it back with the tail wind. About 18 miles in though I think I started to realize it wasn't going to be a super tailwind--though I still hoped for it and it was my "carrot" to the turn around. I was hitting my nutrition without issue and started picking it up as I got closer to the turn around and I knew I had passed some gals in my age group. Got to the turn around and even though the volunteer there uttered "tailwind all the way back" there was no such luck...none at all. Immediately it was strong crosswind. The folks in front of me all looked like they were riding leaning to one side, and I figured I probably was too. Anyhow, I was feeling good by this point and just kept going, some of the gusts after the turn around slowed me down, but from 40+ onward I was feeling super and pushed it. I might of regretted this later. The whole time I was still drinking a fair amount of water...too much maybe? But I felt like I needed it. Earlier I had passed one of the "Dots" gals in my AG, and then she ended up passing me again with 10-12 miles to go. I did some legal drafting off her for a bit, and then decided I could push harder and did for the rest of the way into transition and she never caught me. The whole bike though I kept looking for Erin. I knew she'd beat me out of the water as I a.) expected her to and b.) her bike was next to mine in transition when I started, but not in T1. I never saw her. I had told her she was going to make me work hard to ever catch her and I told her there was a good chance I wouldn't see her till after the bike cause all her hard work had definitely been paying off. So I kept looking for her, never saw her on the bike. Not necessarily good for me since we're the same AG--but good for her cause it meant she was doing well, and that makes me glad too cause she's a friend before she's a "rival". :)

Bike- (every 10 miles)
10 mile: 18.6 mph avg
20 mile: 18.9 mph avg
30 mile: 20.1 mph avg
40 mile: 19.7 mph avg
50 mile: 21.2 mph avg
56 mile: 20.6

Spread out the push. Not drink so much water. Winds and stomach definitely slowed me down the first bit, and then may have done too much.

So, stomach didn't seem to be bothering me and I brought it in with no issues, feet out of the shoes far enough in advance, and got off fairly quick and ran to the rack, shoes on, grabbed the rest of my gear and off I went.


Of all the women ahead of me in the final rankings, only the one who won our AG beat me in the T2 time, so I'm happy with this. Had a long way to the rack with the bike, so not bad at all.

Oh man...not the run I'm capable of, that's for sure. Started off too fast and tried to get it down, did the 2nd mile, and tried to hold the same for 3-5 but then it was all downhill. I was able to take my first gel just fine, but all that water on the bike had made my stomach feel full from the moment I started, and I didn't feel bloated or nauseous but it didn't feel right. After mile 3 I didn't want anything else, definitely not GUs, and so I just didn't take anything for that loop besides some water (cause I really needed that...probably not, but who knows, I felt thirsty--but water on top of full belly of water??)...did a lot of water dumping on my head, ice down the top, and my legs felt sore, but it definitely was much more just not feeling good. I'm sure I was lacking some nutrition, still didn't want Gu, so took some Gatorade--again--probably not the best choice, but did that on and off. The loops were mind numbing...too many of them, too many people and I hated the hairpin turns, they actually kind of hurt to slow down that much to turn. Anyhow, I just wanted to be done. I wanted to surge that last loop but just couldn't--I'm sure I was nutrition bonking some, and probably too much liquid. My hamstring and quads were burning...but I was happy to finish and had tiny last kick down the finisher chute. Kept expecting to see the "Dot" gal pass me on the course, but she was just back from me and never caught up. I did catch Erin after mile 1 and we ran a bit together--we saw each other throughout the course--I didn't realize how much she was hurting though too--she manages to smile all the time regardless. I was mentally willing her to stay with me, but I could hardly think straight either. It was nice to see the BT cheer crew out there

Lots of things...not go out too fast, just do the gels, don't drink too much water if I feel like there is too much water in my stomach, a little bit more careful on the water dumping--got a bit too much in my shoes and that caused some foot discomfort...more even pacing. This was a rough run for me...in fact, it was only 12 secs/mile faster than the pace I held for IMAZ...yeah...I should be doing 8 min/mile or faster on this. I've been fortunate to not have too many nutrition issues before, so guess it happens sometimes and this was my day.

Cry...okay, not really, but sort of...I was hurting and going to get some ice for my knee cause it was sore some, but then went back to watch Erin come through cause I knew she was right behind. Her husband Chad was there too, and when she finished she was talking about an asthma attack--so we both went to medical, Chad got her help and I got some ice. Will Ritter was in there too and Smilford was talking to him. Phew, rough day apparently. I got the ice, went out, and kind of just wanted to cry--seriously, I was exhausted and my legs were hurting. thankfully found Anne, got over and signed up for massage and sat there for a while to get it. So glad I did thought as Anne made me put my feet up and then when my legs were worked on I felt much better. Found Chad and Erin and had some food. Saw a few other BT'ers too. What a day.

That night though, got to go to dinner with Anne (my tri-friend from Killeen--fellow Army buddy) and Kathy and Kevin. We had also had a great BT lunch the day before. It truly was awesome to have so many BT people cheering, going to lunch the day prior...I love BT--you folks are awesome.


I think I've listed it all. This wasn't an A race. I wanted it to be when I signed up for it, but life exploded. I was trained for the distance, but I wasn't fully trained to "race it" due to too many things in life going on, and that's okay. Sometimes you have to prioritize different things. This was going to be a test of long course racing without much focus--I've decided I need to focus for the long stuff. Oly/Sprint I can do without focus, but not a HIM--not that my time was "bad" but it's not what I can do in peek--and these hurt if you're not peeking and/or in IM shape! I miss IM shape!


In the past I'd give this race a 5. To be honest, since it became a 70.3 it lost A LOT. The Expo, bottom line, sucked. It was great in the past to have different vendors--now only IM shop? Suckage. The post race food was nothing compared to what they've had in the past when HEB was part of it; no fun give aways to hang around for...Endorfun does better without Ironman attached to it. I do hate the swim at Lonestar--never had a good one there, swimming against the current or whatever. Salt water doesn't bother me that much, but don't like this one. Moving to Cali will afford me some different races to do, and that's okay. Done this one in the Quarter Iron, the HIM Aquabike, and the 70.3. Probably won't do it again for a long time.