Timberman - Half Iron - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Started front row center. The buoys weren't exactly in line, so my plan was to go straight to the far corner buoy, not worrying about the two smaller buoys leading up to it. Didn't exactly work since it was too far away to see.... Fortunately I swam fairly straight, maybe drifting a bit far to the right.

The swim felt good. I kept the same even breathing pattern throughout, never feeling like I was pushing myself much, but still doing well in my wave and passing plenty of swimmers from earlier waves. I felt bad for a woman I passed well before the first turn as she was in for a long, long swim!

I couldn't really see the buoys during most of the course (direct sun on the long part of the rectangle). I relied mainly on following the slower swimmers from previous waves, who I assumed (rightly so, I think) stopped and looked at the buoys often enough to be on track. I didn't sight often and more than a few times ran into some slower feet unexpectedly. About half way into the swim I remember thinking it so odd that in a lake this big that I could accidently run into other swimmers!

I came around the last turn feeling strong and confident, not breathing any harder than when I started.


Not much. Maybe try swimming a bit faster.

My wetsuit strippers were two jr. high school boys and had no fear of pulling off the suit with a lot of force. I guess they practiced well on the previous nine waves. They were good!

I bought arm warmers the previous day out of fear of cold, but decided not to use them.

My T1 time was #2 of 142 in my AG! Wow! Maybe it helps coming out the water not fatigued at all?

I started off feeling quite good and got through the first 12 miles of hills without much concern. I figured that the next 16 miles of slight downhill to the halfway point would be fairly easy. The wind seemed to be picking up, sometimes from the side, sometimes as a headwind. I figured the second half of the course (with 16 miles of slight uphill) would have a nice tailwind to help out. Around mile 20 I started getting a pain in my right knee, which was odd, but I didn't let it bother me. I got passed my lots of people in my AG, and lots of fast cyclists from early swim waves. I got to the halfway point in about 90 minutes, slower than I had hoped, but still reasonable for my bike training and ability.

The second half of the ride, particularly the 16 miles of slight uphill, was bad news. The tailwind I had hoped for ended up being a nice headwind, my knee started hurting more, and my butt was getting sore (this hasn't happened in a long time!). I ended up taking a lot of short 10 second pedaling brakes to rest the knee and ass. Oddly enough, I didn't have much trouble on the last 12 miles of hills, though I was clearly pumping harder with the left leg that the right. The downhills were a lot of fun! I coasted down them at over 40 mph, not pedalling at all to save the knee/ass/legs for the run.

Nutrition: Shot Block every 15 minutes (33 cal each). Three cups Gatorade Endurance every hour (150 cal). I may have been short on the GE since the weather was cool and I didn`t sweat much.

On top of riding more, I need to check the bike fit. The knee and ass thing were a surprise!

Everything went smoothly. #33 of 142 in AG. I got my socks on quickly, but lost a few seconds getting the shoes on quickly.

My combined transition times placed me ahead of 4 in my AG who were faster on the S/B/R, but slower in transition.

I forgot the 8 oz water bottle I had ready in transition and planned to run with...

I really had no idea what to expect. My longest long run was just under 12 miles. I started off with a side stitch, and legs not feeling all that great either. I stopped at a port-o-potty at about mile 1. The one minute or so break helped my legs. So I decided to walk at most of the aid stations for 10-15 seconds and get a quick drink at each.

My four splits were at the following paces: 9:07, 9:09, 9:38, 9:06. The first quarter was good despite the bathroom break and side stitch. The right knee pain would come and go, but not constant like on the bike. The second quarter was good despite the slight uphill. I apparently loafed the third quarter, but I made an effort to pick things up on the last quarter and passed a number of people in my age group (not something that happens often on the run!). I surprised myself with a solid sprint to the finish line. Just missed the 2 hour mark I was hoping for.

Work more on the bike!


Great race. I enjoyed the pre- and post-race activities. A good destination race to take the family!