Ironman 70.3 Eagleman Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I am a slow swimmer and was aiming for a 1 hour swim. I was pleasantly surprised to run out of the water, look at my watch and see 54 minutes! The water was barely wetsuit legal but I elected to swim in my trisuit because I am more comfortable with the additional range of motion.

Swim faster? Doesn't everyone want to do that?

Took my time, drank some water since it was already scorching and I didn't want to become dehydrated on the bike.

Nothing.

Went out fast on the bike, averaging 18 mph for the first 40 miles... then the heat and headwinds hit me HARD. Slowed it down significantly - being my first HIM, my goal was to finish and not visit the med tent, so I didn't want to overheat. Ended up averaging just under 16 mph, which was slower than I would have liked, but at least I finished!

Ride more in winds.

The "Run Out" wasn't marked very well and I headed toward the "Bike In/Out" before realizing I couldn't leave that way! Many of the volunteers had cleared out by then so I spent a full 90 seconds finding the exit myself.

Should have identified the "Run Out" before the race.

By the time I got off the bike, I was in survival mode. I just wanted to finish. The weather was so hot and humidity so thick, my lungs couldn't even expand all the way. I started walk/jogging because, again, my goal was to FINISH (and try really hard to finish under 8 hours.) Great support on the course, volunteers kept us cool with ice and sprinklers. The heat was so overpowering that I literally felt the energy being sucked out of my body but I kept pushing through it. At Mile 10 I started to calculate that I could finish sub-8 if I kept 15-minute miles (I normally run 10-minute miles, so this was challenging to accept!) I turned the corner on Mile 13 and sprinted through the finishing chute - glancing down at my watch, which said 7:58, I shouted to my spectators, "I'm going to break 8 hours!" I crossed the finish line and was quickly ushered to a seat where a finisher's medal was draped around my neck and I was doused with cold water.

Nothing could have prepared my body for that intense heat!

As soon as I sat down, I felt sick. After the fact, I calculated that I had drank 80-100 ounces of water on the run, which probably contributed to feeling like I was going to throw up Niagara Falls. I didn't get sick, though. Ate a little bit of food and sat in the shade for 30 minutes before collecting my transition area and heading to the car.


The heat was brutal... my body wasn't used to it!


After losing 105 pounds, completing my first half-Ironman wasn't about hitting a certain time... it was about FINISHING. The support on the course was nothing short of amazing, and I may have been one of the last to finish, but my 70.3 medal is just as shiny as the sub-5 hour racers'!