Atlantic Coast Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Swim: Ocean swims can be tricky, particularly with currents. This race was put on concurrently with an Oly, which I did last year. The current was so strong in last year’s race that the entire first wave missed the first turn buoy. This year was not quite as bad, however, there was a current running parallel to shore which caused some trouble. I drifted pretty significantly early on so I switch to breathing on one side and sighting very frequently. The ocean was not rough, however, the waves were big enough to obscure the buoys increasing the difficulty of sighting. Overall, I think I executed the swim well given the conditions. Also, my swim was 6 minutes faster than the macon half in more difficult circumstances.

I have a long way to go, but I feel my swim was an accurate reflection of where am.

Decent transition. I took time to put on sunscreen. Coming out of the water my HR spiked to 189, which is 10 beats below my max. I was in no rush which let my hr settle down. I saw coach shelly who had caught me during the swim. She gave me encouragement. She also wound up winning her AG. She's a bada$$.

Not sure. My approach to half IM transition is to take my time and not make mistakes or forget nutrition.

The bike makes or breaks your long course experience. My mantra for the day was “keep the pressure on,” because at my last race (Tugaloo) I let my mind wander and my pace with it. This was a very handy mantra. I was running 808s with the intention of deciding my wheel set for IMFL. The biggest concern with wheels is how they handle in crosswinds. Generally speaking, the deeper the front wheel, the more difficult the bike will handle in crosswinds. This is a particular concern for lighter riders (like me) and people who aren’t the best bike handlers (also like me). There were a couple of sections of the course that had strong cross-winds and the bike was very squirley. At one point, I had to lean to the right in order to keep the bike moving in a straight line. The IMFL course can sometimes be very breezy. I think I’m going to run a 404, or equivalent in the front. The only drama occurred early on. I open the spout of my nutrition bottle with my teeth and the top came off spilling Perpetuem all over me. I stopped to get the top and realized I lost about an hours worth of calories. This could have been very bad. Based on the results of some metabolic testing I realized if I took an extra gel I could make it, barely. I decided to continue on and hope I had enough calories to make it. After that, the bike was fairly uneventful. The course became windy as the day went on and the last 20 miles or so were directly into a headwind. Overall, I was pleased with the bike leg. This was a pretty strong bike leg for me.

My back was sore towards the end of the bike course. I'm going to move to a more slack position on the bike before IMFL.

Anticipating the need for an extra gel I grabbed one and off I went.

nada

My legs felt great coming off the bike and my first mile was right at 7 minutes. After mile 2, everyone slowed down as the heat took it tool. I stopped briefly to give some salt tabs to a runner who already cramping early in the run. Several others were walking and everyone I passed was struggling. Fortunately, after mile 4, the run course entered a state park that was shaded. I passed someone who told who asked how I liked the shade. I responded by stating “as soon as we hit the shade I became a different runner.” I felt great as soon as I got in the shade. Miles 4-9 were great. I was running well, feeling good, staying hydrated, and loving it. At mile ten I started fading a bit. Mile 12 the aforementioned Julie Moss impersonation occurred. I recovered and I finished the race pumping my fist in the air and hollering. I didn’t sprint at the end because I wanted to enjoy the final couple hundred yards. What a great time!

My run was fun, but I under-performed. My legs never felt cooked so it wasn't a pacing issue. Just like with Macon, at a hr of 165 (LT 170) I couldn't catch my breath. It felt like a was hypervenalating a bit. Also, it felt like my throat was being squeezed. After the race my little cough and lung tickle came back breifly. Perhaps my nutrition was also an issue. I'm not really sure. I ran 44 at Tugaloo (OLY) and should have been much faster....regardless, this race was a great experience!

During the run, as I was going over a short bridge that crossed some salt marshes, I looked around and was overwhelmed. Triathlon is an amazing experience. We push our bodies to the edge of breaking only to realize that by doing so, we can push harder. The body responds to this constant pushing by becoming stronger, faster, and more efficient. I looked around and realized that this sport, for me, is not about AG placing or podium spots (although I get a kick out of that stuff). It is about a celebration of the amazing things that we as triathletes are able to do. It is about waking up every morning with a purpose focused on a passion. So many people wake up, go to work, watch TV, rinse and repeat ultimately living their lives in a circle with no direction or purpose. Many of us triathletes are fortunate in that we’ve been able to break the circle and live our lives in a straight line aimed at passionate achievement. We won’t be able to this forever, so, it seems fitting that during a challenging endurance event we all take a moment to recognize the incredible thing that we are doing, whether you finish in 4 hours, or dead last. We are blessed with a passion and an ability to pursue that passion. Let’s remind ourselves to never take it for granted.

Not sure.

Afterwards, I watched people cross the finish line for about 45 minutes. I saw Coach Shelly finish and she looked strong. I also cheered when the last cyclist came into transition. Overall, I was feeling the love.


This was a fantastic race! DRC did a freaking great job. The volunteers were the best I've ever seen. Fantastic job!