Ironman 70.3 Eagleman - Triathlon

No wetsuits allowed today unless you didn't care about the awards and didn't mind going out in the last wave over an hour later.

The swim went well. Plenty of open water. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to draft off of anyone. A couple of people from two waves behind me caught me and passed. It got extremely shallow at the end so we walked in to the finish.

This was the first time I noticed heat on the bike. I made sure to drink. I took 3 Endurolytes each hour for a total of 9 on the bike. I brought my own Gatorade (2 full bottles) so I didn't have to drink the flavor that I can't stand on the course. I grabbed a bottle of water at each aid station. If I wasn't finished with it by the next one, I dumped it on my back to cool off.

I had a pack of Clif Bloks, a chocolate power bar and a GU. I had to force the power bar and GU. I wasn't hungry.

Two women in my age group passed me on the bike. I kept the first one in sight for most of the ride. Marianne Moore was the second woman to pass. She eventually passed the first one and I never saw her again on the bike. I ended up passing the first woman on a turn. She might have fallen; I'm not sure. She went wide and went on to the grass. I never saw her again and still can't figure out who she was by the results.

I thought I rode really well this year until I looked at past results and realized that this is the same pace that I always ride. But I FELT faster. LOL!

I took my time here. Frankly, I wasn't anxious to start the run. I changed my socks. I globbed Aquaphor on my toes, which limited the number of blisters but I still got them anyway. I peed. I changed my sunglasses and put a visor on. I also squirted sunscreen on my arms.

The run was brutal. It was so humid and sunny. I prayed for the sun to go behind the clouds but that wasn't happening. There were so many people walking and when I would see them walking, I wanted to walk. I tried to keep running no matter how slowly I went. I didn't perk up until I saw Marianne Moore about mile 4.5 and she was walking. My spirits lifted. I passed her and convinced myself to not walk (aside from all of the aid stations) after that.

About two miles from the end of the run, a woman (Carol Defazio from Little Silver, NJ) passed me with a 65 on her leg. I struggled to keep up but couldn't. That was humbling. On a good note, she wasn't in my age group!

I started eating pretzels right away and took 3 Endurolytes on the run. I didn't eat the GUs I brought. I just didn't feel like it. I took Gatorade and water at all of the stops. I dumped two cups of ice down my top at each aid station. That held me to the next one.

Good news--this was the first year that I did not get crippling cramps on the run. I suspect it might be from adding the third day of biking to my training. But really, who knows? I felt twinges but nothing ever materialized.

More good news--no medical tent for me! They had their hands full anyway. People were dropping like flies. The ambulances were coming and going fast and furious.

Weirdest thing seen on the run: the guy running barefoot. He was carrying sandels.

I could not find the results posted anywhere and asked several people. A woman volunteered her boyfriend to look up my results on his iPhone. When he told me I took first, I seriously almost cried. It kind of made that torturous run worth it.

Sat at the picnic table in the shade. I saw Wendy finish and talked to her for awhile. I talked to Stephanie after her race. I heard Skip get on the microphone and talk about how that was the anniversary of his and Sharon's meeting and how she was still on the course and was expected back in soon. I never saw Skip and Sharon at the race.


Race support was phenomenal. Well stocked aid stations. Plenty of ice on the run.