Ironman 70.3 Raleigh - Triathlon

IM started the older athletes first and the waves were large and the swim lanes narrow. It was full contact out there! I probably ran into 10 different athletes with all variety of swim caps as the different waves started overlapping.

The water was also very choppy toward the end of the swim. Despite this, I really enjoyed it. This time last year, I was terrified of lake swimming. In this race, I found it almost relaxing and meditative. I kept my cool even when being beat on by other athletes and feeling almost sea-sick from the choppy waters. Lots of DNF in the swim in this race, so I felt good despite the slow pace.

Start my watch earlier. My GPS was still locating when the horn blew.

A long transition because (1) this was a point to point race which meant everything had to be packed up, and (2) my bike was literally the second one you came to in T1. This meant I had a very long run in bike shoes to the mounting area. I also sprayed on some extra sunblock.

This was a strong bike for me as it's usually my weak event. I felt strong on the bike and took some satisfaction in passing some $3k bikes on my cheap Raleigh road bike. I felt really good all the way into T2 and was up in the 30MPH range in some areas.

So to get my bike in my trunk, I have to remove the front wheel. When I dropped it off, I put it on backwards which resulting in the bike computer not working at all. Test the equipment next time!

There was a pretty long jog into T2 as well. It took me a minute to fish my shoes out of the drop off bag and I also changed into fresh socks. I also fished out some salt tabs.

Usually the run is my strongest event. Not this time. OMG it was hot! The race course goes right by my workplace, so I've driven and walked those streets many times. But never like this. Almost no shade on the run course and lots of asphalt. I never really felt tired, but anytime I pushed the pace or went uphill, my heart rate went through the roof. Not having trained in the heat a lot, I was a little worried about a heat injury, so I ended up walking a lot. In training, I was pulling <2 hrs for a HM. I wasn't sure if I was getting too much sodium or not enough.

Thank God for the well supported aid stations. Cold sponges saved my bacon and I finished the race with something like 6 of them crammed in various parts of my jersey.

Despite feeling like this was a terrible run for me, I managed to finish it faster than most others. It really was brutal conditions. On the upside, the crowd was amazing and all competitors were friendly and supportive walking up the hills as we all tried to not die out there together.

Forgot to body glide the nipples, so there was some chaffing. Enough said.

Pizza in the reception tent followed by a reception with my local Tri club.


Lack of training in the heat and sun. I wasn't sure how my body would handle it, so I was afraid to push through the heart rate spikes.


Overall this was a great race in a great location. The support from crowd and volunteers was amazing. The run was HOT but otherwise, a wonderful experience.