Ironman Kansas 70.3 - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

The swim portion of races is the event that I work to complete. I try to not lose too much time to the folks around me but I never expect to do great. I placed myself to the back and outside of the group. My swim wave included the folks competeing in the Collegiate Nationals and I didn't figure getting in their way would help out my start. The gun went off and the last wave of the Innaugural Ironman Kansas was hopping in the water. Ran until I lost speed and dove on in. My expectations were that with over 100 people in the wave drafting could be done effortlessly once I moved in from the side and even when I wasn't on someone's toes, all these people swimming right together would make a nice little current anyway. I was soooo right. It was awesome. The first bouy was a way out looking from the shore and I knew getting there would be tedious. I was wrong on that. Most of my focus went to swimming my own race and going around the slower folks infront of me. Suddenly I breahed left and I was passing the first bouy. Awesome! I hoped the whole swim could go that easy. Bouys kept flying by and then I realized, I'm not passing only green swim caps anymore (my AG), I was passing pink, and eventually white. I think I ran into at least 3 bouys on the way out. I guess I kept on a good line, maybe I should have gone around them a little better. Made the first turn great and kept passing people. I knew by the time I hit the scond bouy I was over halfway done and it had all seemed effortless. I had been in rythmn the entire way and wasn't feeling bored or tired like I normally do. This was awesome. I rounded the next corner and we were far enough out you could barely tell you were swimming to a beach. Now I was starting to pass blue caps. I think these guys started 9 min ahead of me. I never pass people swimming, let alone people that start 9 minutes ahead of me, this was amazing. I started to get closer to the shore, I could see the patchwork colors of a bunch of spectators and everybreath I could hear the cheering getting closer and closer. The beach was obvious infront of me. I wanted to book if up and coming running out. I think I had more energy now then I did when the gun went off and I'm almost 1.2 miles through this event. I made myself reach a little in my stroke but relax while I did it so I didn't jack up the HR. The water got shallow and I got out feeling soo good. I couldn't have had a better swim. I wouldn't totally relaize my succes until later in the race. The swim time included a long run to transition, probably about 100yrds. The beauty was it was running through sand around water that had crept in with all the recent rain. You left the sand for the grass at the end of the puddle so I cut through the egde of the water to wash the sand off my feet, worked perfectly.

What limited me the most is my lack of experience actually racing on the swim. I still haven't learned what that true race pace feels like. I was sooper happy with my swim but feel like maybe the relax through the swim method isn't always the best. Maybe I could trim a couple more minutes if I pushed a little more. Maybe I could find a better person to draft if i started a little farther up in the pack. All in all, I wouldn't have changed anything on this race. I wanted to enjoy this.

Stopped on the carpets at the edge of the transistion area to take the wetsuit off. It came off almost perectly except where it got hung up on my timing chip. Slipped my hand in, pulled it off and I was on my way. Stuffed my pockets with nutrition and tossed my helmet on and shoes on. clipped the helmet as I ran through transition and I was on my way. Oh I need to turn on my garmin, it has no satellites...

something to hold my food on the bike would have cut down the transition time. If I had tri shoes for my bike instead of mountain bike shoes I could put them on while I ride too.

After the swim that felt like merely a warmup I was ready for this. Today the course felt like mine and everyone else was hear to visit. I was cruising quickly and it seemed effortless. Started passing people early and every little hill I came to it seemed someone new was being fooled by the idea of a hilly bike course in Kansas. I holled at anyone I passed to try to motivate them. I was having fun why shouldn't they. Hit the cross and cruised to the top of the first big downhill. Of all the hills on the course I found this one a little intimidating. I've never peddled down it and I think I've also gone over 35mph by about halfway down. It has a bridge at the bottom too and I never liked the idea of hitting that brdige in aero at 40 mph and having someting go wrong. I wasn't all the way down yet when I realized the big hill had already taken two victims, and one was very bloody, laying by the aid station. My first thought was a bad fracture of the leg. I cruised by and couldn't help but laugh at what I saw next. The first time I rode the course in may I lost the yellow poofy thing from my aero bottle on the far sie of the first bridge. Seems that is the place to lose it. There must have been 20 in that same spot. Made sure I avioded them and I kept racing and passing people quickly. Starting behind so many poeple I would eventually finish infront of meant a lot of passing. Every hill seemed to be packed with riders. A solid line going up them, many probably too close to each other but at 10 mph up the hill they certainly weren't getting m uch out of it. I cheered them all on and kept cruising. I was drinking a fair amount of water to make up for any drinking I had gotten behind on on the swim and before the first turnaround about 30 min into the race, I downed a GU, mmm, Strawberry Bannana. Cruised by more people on the way back, pausing to joke at how "flat" kansas was and trying to pick something out to motivate each person with. This always keeps my spirits up too to see people smile on the course. Got back to the base of the big hill and slowed down to grab some water from the aid station and nearly had to stop as an ambulance drove the same wrecked rider up the hill. I would later find out that this was BT's own Veganman, you can read more details on the wreck on his blog. I trucked up the hill, it seemes shorter then before, cruised through the corss and onto the second leg. Not forgetting to cheer on the spectators first. The Second leg started out like the first. My spirits were still high and I was still cruising by people. I knew that the halfway point of this leg would be halfway through the bike course and the harder half complete. As some fo the hills would continue gradually I was still passing some folks like they were standing still. The early waves had almost a 25 min head start and I was closing that gap quickly. I passed Lisa, she looked good like she always does. More people were riding 2 and 3, sometimes 4 abreast on the road. Frustrating as I tried to pass without crossing the center line. Eventually I came up behind 3 ladies doing just that and riding easily 10mph slower then myself as I moved over I heard "Careful! On your left!" Someone was passing me, so I slammed on my breaks so I wouldn't collide into the ladies infront of my. It brough me right up on their back wheels. The other rider cruised by them, balancing on the center line and I did so as soon as I could after him. Turns out he was in my age group so I caught back up and passed him letting him know I could let him stay ahead, I was racing him. He looked a lot stronger on the bike, not to mention he had a much nicer bike. Then the race changed for me. A motorcycle driving the wrong way in the other lane pulled up beside me and said "1092, did you know you crossed the center line?"
I was shocked. "No, when? I never crossed it!"
To that he responded, "And you were drafting too!"
I was in complete disblief. I asked him again when I did this and all he did was quote the rules and tell me "Go to the tent when you finish!" Then he sped off. The rider in my age group who I had just passed came up and asked if I got a penalty to. He had been called for crossing the center line as well. Both of us couldn't believe it. We were blocked behind 3 ladies taking up the road and we were the ones getting penalties. I asked him when they meant by "go to the tent when we finish," he had no clue. He went ahead and I let him go. I knew if I worked to keep behind him I would be smoked for the run. I kept drinking gatorade and water and munched on some shot blocks. My excitement had turned to anger and frustration. Shortly after the second turn around my stomache felt wierd. It felt like I had drank or ate a little too much and I was on the edge of being queasy. I made myself lay off for a couple miles and the feeling went away. Those two miles revealed something new to me. I was ahead of Brian and Jason. Wha? How did I beat them out of the water? I later found out I came out of the water a full minute ahead of them, I was amazed. I must have had a great swim.
I cruised through the rest of the second leg and onto the third. Jason caught me about halfway out on the third. Then he started having chain problems and had to fall back again. I never imagined I would ever be ahead of him in the race, this was a new occurance for me, I enjoyed it while it lasted, I knew it wouldn't last much past T2 if that long. As I hit the last turnaround I began to think I might just finish this course in under 3 hours. By far the fastest I'd ever ridden it. I turned at the cross again and headed toward Clinton Lake. I let up on the intensity a lot. Making an effort to keep the bike over 20 the whole way, which wasn't hard at all. I ate a GU for some run course energy. I few folks passed me but I knew that spinning my legs out here would help a lot when I took off to run. Jason caught me again just before I entered the park and passed me. I pulled my feet out of the shoes, did the running dismount and found myself right behind Jason into transition.

I felt like I may have eaten a little too much but recovered from that nicely. In all I was very pleased with the bike leg. In the future I need to work on my bike/run bricks so I have more confidince I can push harder through the bike and still run well.

This went beautifully! I forgot a sip of the Nuun I had laid out but everything else went great.

Nothing. This contiued to be a smooth transistion for me as it has in past races.

I started the run in good spirits. I started ahead of Jason as I smoked him through transition. I figured he'd catch me after a half mile anyway. I was right. He stopped to chat for a second and give me an excuse for his slow transition time which isn't so repeatable on here. He continued on with so encouragement and I kept trucking. The run went back and forth between asphalt and gravel. I think the running surfaces did a lot to preserve my knee strength. I don't know if I can say the miles ticked by but they slowed passed on. I would grab water and gatorade at each aid station and eventually sponges when they had them. The sun remainded behind the clouds as it had much of the day, at least after the swim. That was a blessing as the forecast had called for 87 degrees and that could have been devastating. I saw Alan finishing up his first loop about a mile ahead of me and my parents cheered me on. They picked a nice stop where they coul dsee other people finishing the bike as I ran by. My goal on the run wa sto not stop at all and average around an 8:30 pace. Well I quickly realized I wouldn't hit the pace goal but the not stopping I was determined to do. Not at aid stations and not when I got tired. Around mile 8 my quads felt like they were on the verge of cramping up, thankfully I was at an aid station and I drank as much gatorade as I figured I could hold down. I had been having gatorade come back up after about every other aid station but I kept forcing it down knowing some of it was getting digested, or at least I hoped. I ate a gu at mile 3 and 9 and told my legs to keep picking themselves up. With 4 miles to go I told myself I needed to finish in under 2 hours. I would have to pick up the pace a little which had been slowing fast after the first lap. I saw Jason on the second lap, a good 2 miles ahead now. Saw Brian on his first lap and knew I would catch him before I was done. I caught him around mile 11 and he told me to pick my head up. I guess I looked tired, I wasn't fooling anyone. Storms were starting to brew over the race site and as I headed for the last little campground loop a cold wind gust hit me and it felt so good. I knew it was slowing me down but it cooled me off so well. I hit mile 12 and picked up the pace a little. I knew I needed to push a little to get in under 3 hours. It was mostly downhill and I was feeling suddenly good, I guess I knew I was almost done. My new pace didn't seem to hurt as much as I thought it should thought. I rounded the corner to the final stretch to the finish line and held my hands up. 3 or 4 people finished around me but I made sure to get where I needed to get a picture taken. I was done. I had completed my first Half Ironman. Turned in my chip and got outof the way. I quickly realized they weren't letting people complete the race because of weather. Many people were turned into the finish shoot with only 2 miles left in there race. They never made an effort to clear the course only made people finish when they came by. This would happen to Lisa, and Tony and Brian. They all ran great races though, no matter what distance their Half Ironman was.

Looking back I feel like I had a little too much in the tank at the end. Not sure if that was mentally of physically though. I was very happy with my performance but want to work on running off the bike in the future.

I knew Lisa would be coming around eventually and I told her if I wasn't on a stretcher I would be there to chear her on at the finish. Waited with my parents and friends while I tried to stretch out and drank my smoothie. I asked around and found out even race personnel didn't know what tent I needed to go to for my penatly. Eventually I talked to the timing folks and they had me as A DNF. Apparently I was supposed to stop at a penalty tent after the bike course. News to me. Tried to find an official to contest my penalty but had no luck. As of right now I have no official results. Everyone was packin gthings up in the rain. Lisa finished, frustrated to have come within 2 miles of the total distance. We packed up our stuff and with the help of our friends got it all to the car. As if to taunt us the skies were blue again. Another athlete had continued on the course to finish on his own only to be turned back by two gates that had been closed and blocked off the course. We cheered for him, tried to get him to hop the gates. But he turned back.


I think the biggest limiting factor has a lack of Bike/Run bricks. I need to get my legs moving better off of the bike. The knee pain through May wasn't helping that case either. I also think my training volume wasn't near what I'd like it to be but I guess I'm getting in enough to preform well. I'll keep at it for next year.


Only 30 athletes in my age group have official results out of the 64 that registered. Not sure what the deal is there. All my finishing times are figured from a finishers Photo with the official time and the numbers I got from the Ironman live website the day of the race. The race was a fun event but has some lessons to learn from the first year. It wasn't as accesible as most would hope. I'll probably do it again next year if time allows, hopefully they make the neccesary changes and the weather cooperates. The courses were nice and there was good volunteer support.

*Edit* As of a week and a half after the race I was able to contact the timing folks and recieve official time splits from the race. Now at least I'm not guessing at my finish time. They did note that I was disqualified for failing to stop at a penalty tent.