EagleMan Ironman 70.3 Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

K knocked out a great swim and gave us a big lead on the competition.

I saw Kristin coming out of the water, so I grabbed my bike and handed it over to Heidi who said she would hold it while I took the chip off of K's ankle. She had a great swim and was exhausted when she entered the transition area. Her exact words were, "I feel like I'm going to vomit." I congratulated her on a great swim while putting the chip on my own ankle and took off.

I started out aggressively (surprise, surprise) and my HR was immediately in the mid 170s. I think it was a combination of adrenaline and the fact that I just did a half-Ironman last weekend. I passed quite a few people in the beginning, and I looked down at my speed. It was consistently around 22-23 mph in the beginning stretch. I settled in, and got caught among a strong group of women. We all took turns passing each other and getting passed. No drafting, though. Everyone was good about dropping back when they were overtaken. I saw Cheryl, a HRC teammate, and we exchanged greetings. I passed her, she passed me, I passed her, she passed me. Then, she was gone. She rocked the bike. Approximately mile 5, I see some of the pros coming in. I saw Natascha Badmann, and yelled for her. It was an awesome feeling to know that you are actually doing the same race, the same course, the same everything as the pros. Its awesome to share this day with them. Thats one of the great things about coming to a race this size.

I felt relatively good on the bike, despite my high HR. I spun the entire time, keeping my cadence between 92-105. I never felt like I was overworking or killing myself. In the back of my mind, I kept telling myself that I just did a half, and that I have the Ironman in 2 weeks. I pushed myself, but I didn't kill myself. I think I raced pretty smart.

At mile 47, Kristin was waiting for me, and it brought my spirits up (I had just completed a really strong headwind section and was hating the bike at this point). I again saw her around mile 54. I hammered the last two miles and felt strong coming into the transition area. I saw Heidi anxiously awaiting my timing chip, and I told her good luck as she was unfastening it from my ankle. She was off like a bullet and had a great run.

I could have had a better split time if I was fully recovered from the half-Ironman the week before, but overall, I was happy with the way I raced.

Heidi looked great at mile 2.75 and again when I watched her cross the finish line!

After I got off the bike, I immediately put on my sneaks to do a brick. Tim joined me, and we ran to mile 2.75 of the run course and saw Heidi pass. She looked great! Then, we continued on and ran for another 15 minutes. Afterward, I hosed off, changed, and waited for Brad and K to cross the finish line.

I must say that this was one of the most inspiring races I have been to thus far. It is the most humbling experience to see 2,000 plus athletes come together to share in this sport. Hearing the pros speak was also very moving. Natascha's speech was most inspiring. Even though it was 80 degrees and muggy as all hell, I still managed to get goosebumps listening to her talk. She is so humble. She was thanking community members and AGers for their support, and she said that her win was for the community. How inspiring that she is such a great athlete, and yet so aware of the people around her. She also gave a great talk about cheating/drafting on the bike course. From now on, I'm taking her advice. I'll put my fist in my pocket and let it motivate me to perform better.


Having done the half 7 days before.


I've only been doing triathlons for 13 months, but it is by far the best thing I could have done with my life. It has brought a great boyfriend and four other great friends into my life. Eagleman is just one more memory I can place on my shelf, along with my medals and hardware (including the ugly Eagle plate that we won here!) This race was most special, because I got to share it with those 5 special people.