LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Started the swim easy to use it as warm up and avoid the initial mosh pit. Once I got going, I settled in pretty good, caught a few feet here and there. I knew I wasn't going particularly fast, but I just kept reminding myself it would be a long, hot day. I was a little wide of the buoys (there weren't very many...6 total I think, and I drifted a bit left). Had to stop quickly two times: once to clear foggy goggles, then to drop water out of the left goggle that was threatening to dislodge my contact. Swim seemed long and looking at some of the finishing times, it may have been; or it may have been from the extremely warm water.

Aim a bit to the inside of the buoy and hope for a better line.

Not bad for me. I made quick work of getting it together, stuck my gloves in my shorts, and put those on when I started down the road.

Nothing.

Wow! This was a hard, hard bike ride. Between the hot sun beating down and the relentless hills, it made me hurt all over. I might have been able to ride this course faster, but again, kept reminding myself that it was a long, hot day. So, I never tried to hammer up the hills, just kept a good cadence and comfortable effort. When the road flattened out, I would use that to make up some of the difference and put it into moderate tempo speed around 18.5-20mph. For a while, it looked like I might get right at 3 hours, but the last 20 miles started to suck the life out of me.

I think given the course and the weather, I did this just right.

It felt like I was in transition a lot longer. I'm a bit surprised I was in and out so quickly.

Nada.

I was cooked by the time I started the run and thought it was going to be a 13-mile slogfest. The first 2 miles were not so good, but then I seemed to find a rhythm and was able to basically run from aid station to aid station, only walking extra up the big hill around mile 12 and a little bit before mile 13. I really thought my run was faster than at Gulf Coast, but it appears I made up all my time in transition! Anyhow, this was a good run overall because even though it was impossible to keep cool, I felt strong and in control.

Maybe try and run up that last hill...

Cold towel, some cola, and a squat in the shade. Then, load up and drive 9 hours back to Mississippi.


Heat and hills.


I say this couse was "just right" based on my abilities, but that doesn't mean it wasn't very hard because it was. Endorfun Sports puts on a heckuva an event. Extremely well organized and plenty of support, fluids, food. Especially given how hot it was.