Congratulations, you should write an article about doing an Ironman as a first tri and how using the BT planned worked or didn't work. Especially, in doing an event that had a hard bike and run. That was a great run time after 8 hours on the bike. Way to go.

Ernie

Great report. I wanted to do this race but could not b/c of scheduling conflicts. Definitely intrigues me now!

Where did you stay, was it worth the price, and would you stay there again? Did it have a kitchen? The more I travel, the more I want the comforts of home. And being across the street from the venue is always a good thing.

Tremendous accomplishment, Ironman as your first tri is just unbelievable. Thanks for the race report.

Thanks for your kind words, Ernie.

Perhaps one of the best things about BT in all of this is that once I got going with the training, it was about the only source that didn't say, "that's crazy," or "there's no way you're going to make it."

I probably completed 85% of the BT training program (I had two brutal bike crashes that slowed me down twice), and I'm pretty well convinced that if someone follows the program better than I did, they could complete an Ironman event in about 12 - 13 hours. It's just a really great training program. I developed the endurance without injury, and accomplished the goal of the whole thing, "to finish."

Even though I've never done another triathlon, I figure that all full-distance bikes and runs are hard, and the feeling that comes with completing one of the hardest out there is pretty cool.

Thanks again for your kind words,

Rich

Dear prof40,

I really appreciate your kind words. I'm sorry to have missed you at this event, but can tell you that if you're interested in having a wonderful race experience, the Silverman is phenomenal.

Having never done this before, I was pretty freaked out and rented an RV to stay out at Lake Mead near the start. That turned out to be funky and unnecessary. It would have had all the comforts of home if I lived in a trailer, I suppose, but I think there's a better answer.

Right across the street from T2 and the Finish is a resort called "Green Valley Ranch." I will likely participate in this event next year (and will bring a few friends), and if so my plan will be to:

1) ship the bike to ProCyclery again (these guys are pretty amazing, actually),
2) fly in and rent a Suburban to get around,
3) stay at Green Valley Ranch the nights before and after the race.

While the rooms don't have kitchens, and I don't gamble or really care for casinos, the bathrooms (tubs) are spacious, and I had a couple of critical meals at "Maggiano's Little Italy" and "The Original Pancake House" in the facility. While I was out in the middle of the Nevada desert pedaling around like Kermit the Frog, my family enjoyed the resort. There really are a lot of things to do around the facility. So, although it was a bit pricey (I believe), in the context of the costs associated with doing this in the first place, it was well worth it. To be able to pick up all of my gear and basically cross the street after the race and go to bed was pretty phenomenal. I had a massage the next day that was just amazing.

I hope these ramblings are helpful to you. One of the amazing things about Silverman is that I'm confident that you can set it up any way that you like. If you want a less expensive hotel, there's the "official" race hotel (that includes transportation, I believe). If you want a little adventure and your own home away from home, rent the RV (by the way, I was the only participant in an RV as far as I can tell, so it's certainly quiet out there). If you want to make this really easy on yourself, stay and Green Valley Ranch. Hey, we can ride out to the start together...!

Happy New Year,

Rich

Congratulations, I'm actually training to do Silverman this year as my first ever Iron distance triathlon using the BT beginning Ironman program. I really appreciated your race report and I hope to complete this year's race. I'll have to find a place to swim in open water however as El Paso only gets 12 inches of rain a year and I haven't seen a lake since I've been here (but whole lot of hilly empty desert. If you have any other tips for completing silverman as your first Ironman please let me know

jim

Congratulations on finishing the race and doing that distance first - great courage and ability there! I'm still deciding whether to register for it - my first tri was a sprint last august (i had a blazing time of 1hr 34 mins) but got hooked and really wanted to do a full. I'm going for Ralph's Half in 3 weeks, and after I made the schedule this year, came across the Silverman. It sounds like it would be an amazing experience, and just to finish would probably be fantastic for me.
Thanks for the report and suggestions, as now I'm even more leaning towards signing up for it.
LT

Awesome job, Rich. Thanks for the race report. I too am thinking of doing Silverman this year, partly because it works well with my schedule and partly because of the glory of finishing one of the hardest full distance triathlons in the world. Your enthusiasm and hard work are truly inspiring. Keep it up!

Mike