Las Vegas Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I found out it was going to be a mass start the night before the race. First mass start for me (but only 85 participants). I was able to avoid most of the kicking and kept my goggles nicely on my face the entire swim. Strategy wize I located myself about 4/5 back and to the left (clockwise course) to avoid getting pummled. The water was warm even without a wetsuit. I had debated wearing a wetsuit, but the water was just too warm and the day was only going to get hotter. I figured I would enjoy being comfortable while it lasted. The water was calm throughout the swim.

That was pretty much spot on for me for my swimming ability. I don't think I varried more than 5-10 feet (side to side) off the best course to get around the course. That is pretty much my practice pace and I shouldn't go any faster for my first HIM.

I took a little extra time to get the sand off my feet and to get some glide on my feet. Always putting socks on wet feet is a pain. There was a fairly long run between the end of swim and the bikes, so this went fairly well.

Try to get those socks on quicker.

See above. I don't feel like I could have taken much off the bike, like you had to get to the top of the hills or tip over. I am suprised that my average speed is that high considering how much time I spent plodding up the hills.

I think I did as well as I could for the challenge of the bike course. Practicing hills more probly would help, or just overall fitness.

It turns out that my left sock had gotten put on heal up when I got out of the water in T1, so I had to spend some extra time getting it turned around. Dang and my headband was in my bag somewhere, I was going to need that in this heat. I also took some extra time to get a few Gu's onto my running belt for later and to get a quick swig of water.

The sock thing slowed me down, I forgot the headband setting up in the dark and all, could have been faster in a number of ways. I need to get a race top with a gu pocket in it.

Ok so those hills from the bike had kicked my butt and my legs were more stiff than they usualy are after the bike. I did not want to drink any water right out of transition as this usually makes my sides ache, but it was sooo hot that I did anyway. I ballenced water intake and risk of side ache throughout the entire race. So my legs were stiff, my side did start to hurt and it was HOT. In the first mile I passed a number or folks who were doing the HIM and were already walking (some with IM tats). After about the first mile with a slight stitch in my side I was afraid that I was going to have to walk the remaining 12 miles myself. I slowed my breathing down, kept to a plodding pace and just kept at it. First 2 miles dirt with fist sized rocks (uphill). Mile 2-5 steeper uphill grade, but now on pavement. There were 3 aid stations in the first 2.5 miles (one right outside trasition) and then nothing for the next 2.5 miles, uphill. I was getting thirsty. I had let my stomach settle into the run and was looking to take a Gu, but I was already past the first 3 aid stations and the 4th ended up being as I said 2.5 miles away uphill. The trail just kept a going up, and up. Finally I got to the aid station, hit a gue, drank 15 oz of water and a cup over my head ah, jogged 50 feet and was thirsty again... not a good sign. Ah the 1st turn around and Down Hill! Life was good, but HOT. Then 1 mile down the road it pretty much flattened out and back onto a gravel road. I was just a plodding along. My bladder was a little full, but not really anywhere to go and I didn't want to stop the feet moving anyway. Hrm no aid station 1 mile out, no aid station 2 miles out, I am hotter and thirsty and dang where is the aid station. About 2 1/2 miles down the trail is the aid station. I drink 2 cups of water and hit a gu and ya one for the head. Plod on, hrm wonder where the next turn around is. Oh look a sign (first mile marker) says 6 miles to go. Cool, I think. Anyway there is a little cover from the sun as the trail goes through some cliffs with nice tunnels. And yay the turn around, no longer going farther from the finish line, but getting closer now. This aid station was only like 1 mile or so, so I didn't really want to hit a 2nd gu so quick. I think this is where I should have hit the gu where I had some water to wash it down. In my mind I am thinking 5 miles to go, will I really have the time to benefit much from it. (Well since none of the 5 stores I went to before the race had salt tabs (including REI in Las Vegas sigh) I should have probably hit the gue for the salt alone if not for the callories (yall see where this is headed right?) Remember this was my first HIM and I have never exercized in temps hotter than 95.. it was 105. By this point in time my shirt was turning white from the salt from sweating. Oh well two cups of water and one for the head plodd on. This strech was another 2.5 miles with no water. This last one is what may have done me in. Anyway plodding on, cool the trail starts to go down hill again. Just relax into the down hill. Cool the Oly turn around, that means I am just 3.1 miles from the finish, keep plodding. Aid station, finally 2 cups of water and one for the head. More people walking here. Dang the distance from 3.1 to 2.0 miles from the finish is really long. Ah there is a sign. Another person walking jogging walking. Hrm, I am starting to feel like walking would be good, well suck it up! Finally got to the last aid station at about 1.5 miles from the finish line. I stop 2 cups of water one for the head. And keep walking...walking... a guy who had been close enough to me that we were at every aid station together catches up to me at this point. He gestures to me and said come on lets finish her. This was really cool. I try to plod on next to him, at this point my respiration is up, my heart rate is up and my hands start to tingle. By the way when my hands start to tingle from like low fluids and too fast of breathing that's not a good thing. I let him slowly pass me a little ways and about 1 mile out I am walking. Danm it. Nothing to be done for it, just walk and try to slow the breathing down. Danm fist sized rocks here everwhere. I know I can finish her, just walk it out. At one point I try to jog a bit more, but after about 100 feet it just feels wrong so I go back to walking. My breathing won't slow down, my heart rate won't come down. Screw it just walk it out less than a mile now. I finally get to the last hundred yard and the trail turns to the finish line. I suck it up and jog somewhat unsteadily toward the finish. Perhaps not the best decision, but I am able to pull it off. It was enough to let me know that walking most of that last mile was the right decision. I cross the finish line at 6:48:29 my goal was 7 hours. They have stopped announcing finishers at this point. There are 2 people at the finish line, 1 takes my timing chip, the other hands me my finishers medal, a bottle of water and asks if I am ok. I drink it in one swallow (ok well it felt like one swallow). I have finished my first HIM! I know what I need now, more fluids and some callories fast, I am marginal. I take the spare time to put on my casual shoes (out of those running socks and into something more casual. My legs are not bending so well to get the shoes changed out. I bend over to get them tied, a bit light headed there, best get those callories. I hadn't mentioned it, but from mile 3 on on the run I was looking forward to an ice cold Coke at the post race reception. I go there, and they have oranges, pretsals and oreo cookies. Oh and close by some water. No coke, no gator aid, not much of anything. I have 2 cookies, a quarter orange and another 20 oz water. It is enough, but dang that was the suckiest post race everything I have ever been to.

Order salt tabs by mail months ahead of time as no one carries the stuff, like no one sigh. I should have hit that last gue at mile marker 5, or any time later. I was worried that I didn't have the fluids to digest it, but it might have helped.

Slowly walk to the lake and ease myself into the water. I came back to look at finishing times and stuff, they hadn't bothered to even post any HIM times. I hadn't figured I had placed anywhere so it wasn't a biggie I would look it up online the next day. I had a 650 mile drive to do and it was time to pack up my stuff and get going... to McDonalds to get a very lage Coke with lots of ice... ah. It turns out I placed 3rd in my age group WOW.


The swim was good, right at my ability level.. need to swim more in general though. Those hills on the bike sucked, need to do like thousands of hills on the bike I guess. The temp on the run was a limmiter, needed salt tabs and should have hit that last gue at mile 5 or 4 or 3... General fitness in all 3 events with hill focused training. Oh and a hat. My headband didn't hold enough water to keep my head as cool as it looked like some other folk's hats did, worth a try. But it was my first HIM and I started training from the couch about 1 year ago so I am very pleased.


The main problems with the race were those 3 sections on the run where you go 2.5 miles with no water (remember temps reached 105 F), only 3 stations had gator aid (and they ran out early, they advertised water stations every mile, gator aid every 1.4 miles), no anouncement of finishers after well they stopped before I got there anyway. It is always cool to hear your name as you finish. The post race just sucked. oranges, oreos and pretzels and limited water didn't cut it. It would have been nice to see a printout of results or to have an opportunity to get your place medal. They were basically closing up shop before folks were done. I was 33 of 85 and they were taking away the bike stands and laying people's bikes down on the ground when I was clearing out my transition stuff. So basically, the race was very pretty, very HOT and they need to not put folks health in danger by not providing enough aid stations and the post race everything sucked.