Ironman 70.3 Branson - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Very little swimming in the last month, so I'm happy with the results. My time is miserably slow, but until I learn how to swim, I'm really just interested in having relaxed, comfortable swims. When I finished, I think I could have done another lap of the swim course without too much struggle.

More swimming is required for me to have any kind of respectable swim time.

T1 brings you out of the water on a sandy beach, and then a fairly long uphill to the bike area. I started to jog this, but decided I was better off walking and getting a little recover time in before the bike. I know I was slow, but I'm glad I did it this way.

Nice and steady was okay with me.

This was a GREAT bike course. It was hilly and tough, but the roads were good and the scenery was fantastic. Compared to the other HIM races I've done, this was the best bike course by far. I live in the Houston area, so I was worried about the hills and went into this race with a compact crank and 11x28 cassette. I was glad I had both of those. I felt like I always had the right gear for these hills, and ended up spinning by quite a few people who looked like they were struggling to mash their way up the hills. I think the compact crank saved this race for me. I would have really struggled without it.

My only complaint about the bike course was that some of the my fellow riders didn't seem to think that they were supposed to ride on the right. This was no big deal on the closed section of the ride, but it made the section into town a little dangerous. A few people I passed weere riding right in the middle of the one lane we had, which made passing a little treacherous. I also thought a little more traffic control on this section would have improved things.

The only other minor issue I had was with some of the rules they went over in the pre-race meeting. They asked everyone to wear their bike shoes in and out of transition rather than leaving their shoes clipped in. I'm fine with that, but not everyone went to the meetings, so some people complied and some didn't. I have a small pet peeve with "rules" that are not followed by everyone and carry no consequences.

Nothing. No major issues or problems.

My bike rack was right by the entry to T2. Smooth and easy transition. Sat down to put on socks and tie shoes.

Nothing. No issues.

Things heated up by the time I got to the run. I started off running 9-1/2 min miles, but only lasted about 3-miles before I dropped to comfortable 10-min miles. I ended up walked through the aid staions as I gulped down a couple cups per site. While this is an easy run course, the heat and the bike ride made it tough. I kept thinking that the med tents were going to get a lot of business. The course was well marked and easy to follow, and the five aide stations per loop were great. The volunteers did a super job. Again with the rule thing....if the rule is everyone has to wear shirts, why don't people get penalties for not wearing their shirts? GRRRR! My favorite part of the run course was the section in the subdivision where the guys had their hoses out spraying down the racers. These guys were out there for several hours and had a huge impact on people!

I'd like to get a pair of racing shoes, something lighter with drain holes. The Nimbus shoes I train in are like sponges. After 4-miles on a hot day I squish with every step. One or two guys commented on it as I came up behind them.

Grabbed a couple bottles to drink and headed to the hotel to shower and pack. We stayed at the Convention Center Hilton which ws literally two blocks away from the finish.


This was a "B" race for me with the build-up for Silverman. I think a planned taper, and some hill training would help my time. I also think I'm giving up 10-minutes on the swim due to poor technique.


Excellent Race! Very well run and organized! Great swim venue. Very difficult & challenging bike course. Run course is an easy couse, maybe a little on the boring side, but great for spectators.

Of the HIM's I've done, I would say the total experience puts IM Branson at the top of the list. It's a challenging course, but not so tough that it's out of reach for most people.