Ironman 70.3 Branson - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Branson, Missouri
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
47F / 8C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 25m 16s
Overall Rank = 384/882
Age Group = M 45-49
Age Group Rank = 42/81
Pre-race routine:

We arrived on Friday afternoon and checked into the log house we had rented for the whole family. It was awesome. (Anyone doing the race next year that would like info send me a PM). Just relaxed the rest of the day. Saturday went and picked up packet, dropped off bike, got body marked and went for a short swim. The water was perfect. Temp was low 70's and very clear water. Ate a big breakfast, small lunch and small dinner. Watched a little college football Saturday night and went to bed around 10:00. Woke up at 3:30 and had my bagel with PB@J washed down with a little gatorade. Grabbed a Diet Mt Dew and sipped that as I drove to T2. I was a little concerned about the split transitions. I had never done a race like that. It turned out to be no big deal. Dropped off my run gear and set up the T2 area. Hopped on shuttle bus and went to race start. Checked over my bike and pumped up tires. As usual I had way too much time to think about the day ahead! Walked around and hit the porta potties twice. I was waiting on the family to arrive so I could give them my bag and pump. Turns out the shuttle buses got very busy later on and they were going to be cutting it close to making the start. That didn't help the nerves any! They made it just as the wave before me took off (whew!!)
Event warmup:

Swam about 250 yards to get loosened up and get a feel for the water with the wetsuit.
Swim
  • 40m 21s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 55s / 100 yards
Comments:

Swim went very smooth. Not much contact and I felt under control the whole time. I had told myself to take it smooth and easy. The bike course was going to be tough, there was no need burning too many candles on the swim.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing, the swim went as well as I could have hoped.
Transition 1
  • 03m 36s
Comments:

Had to run up the beach on some sharp stones. Since I didn't want to have to come back to T1 to get my wetsuit after the race, it and my goggles had to be put into a bag to be transported to T2. That took a little bit of time, but not a big deal.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Bike
  • 3h 32m 52s
  • 56 miles
  • 15.78 mile/hr
Comments:

I told my family after the race it was the best and worst bike ride at the same time! It was a beautiful course and the closed 4 lane highway segment was incredible. However, it was also the toughest course I have ridden. The hills are relentless! I was either going 8 mph or 40 mph. There was never a time where you could just settle in and get down in the bars and peddle away. I think I stayed within myself pretty well. Nutrition and fluid intake went as planned.
What would you do differently?:

Not much really. Maybe I could have pushed harder on some of the climbs instead of just spinning up, but I think I would have paid for that later.
Transition 2
  • 01m 31s
Comments:

Took time to put on socks as planned. No regrets there. My feet felt great after the race.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Run
  • 2h 06m 56s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 41s  min/mile
Comments:

I got off the bike feeling good. I started running and the legs felt pretty fresh. I got into a nice groove quickly. When I got to the 2 mile marker I looked at my watch and saw 8:20/mi pace. This was faster then I had planned and I told myself I needed to back off. In hind sight that was a mistake. Anyway, I slowed down and kept a steady pace around 9:50/mi. My 6.5 mile split came out to 9:41/mi. The next 4.4 mile split was 10:37/mi. In looking back I think I talked myself into slowing down too much. I was determined to finish strong. I think that made me be too conservative in the race. I say that because my last 2.2 mile split was done in 7:49/mi pace! I had plenty left in the tank and could have spread that out throughout the race for a better overall time. I finished with fuel left in the tank. After I crossed the line within a minute I was feeling like I could start running again. I'm pleased my fitness was there but my execution could have been better. A good lesson learned.
What would you do differently?:

Push harder throughout the run.
Post race
Warm down:

Got my medal and hat, drank a chocolate milk (delicious) and talked to the family. Felt good and drove back to the cabin to get cleaned up.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Being too conservative on the run.

Event comments:

As a competitor I found the race to be very well organized. My only complaint was that there wasn't any coke on the run and there was supposed to be. Not the end of the world but would have been nice at the last aid station.

My family said the transportation from T2 to the start of the race was not well done. Not enough buses. They asked everyone to park at T2 and take the shuttles to race start. They didn't want people trying to park at T1. Since they asked people to do that, they should have had more buses running.

Good event with good crowd support. If you are looking for a challenging HIM this is your race. There is a reason it has the slowest average finish time of all the Ironman 70.3!!

I think it prepared me well for my next big race which is IM Wisconsin 2013.




Last updated: 2012-01-13 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:40:21 | 2112 yards | 01m 55s / 100yards
Age Group: 37/81
Overall: 382/882
Performance: Good
Suit: Orca 3.8 Full Sleeve
Course: 1 lap rectangle
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 71F / 22C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:36
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:32:52 | 56 miles | 15.78 mile/hr
Age Group: 44/81
Overall: 395/882
Performance:
Wind: Some
Course: A stick with 2 loops followed by another stick.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 01:31
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:06:56 | 13.1 miles | 09m 41s  min/mile
Age Group: 42/81
Overall: 384/882
Performance: Good
Course: 3 loop
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4