Atlantic Coast Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Started on the inside about 3 or 4 people deep. I knew the race wasn't going to be made or broke in the first 100yds of the swim for me. So I made my way in and over and under the waves. Was a little crowded to start with but not as bad as some other races I've been in. Got in and started swimming. Had my own little area and was doing great. Got in around some people and started passing. Sighting was hard if you looked in the valley between chop. Chop wasn't horrible, but could have been a lot better as well. When I couldn't see the buoy, I justed followed the other swimmers. Felt like I zig-zagged a bit but was always right on the buoy as I passed them. Had some people on my feet as they would hit me every once in awhile. Saw a few people out further to the right but wasn't going to go out there to find a draft. Got a couple drafts and followed them pretty well. But either couldn't stay with them or just passed them.

My goal time for the swim was ~35mins. Goal Accomplished.

Nothing

Ran up the beach and my stomach wasn't feeling the greatest. About 50yds from T1 a little of the ocean water I had swallowed came back up. Then I got into T1 and tried to make it to the grass median but couldn't and everything in my stomach just came up. Decided I needed to walk the rest of the way (50yds) to my bike. Didn't want to get on the bike with my stomach in knots. Got to my bike and suit came off easy, helmet on and off on the bike I was. Coming out of T1 my pedal hit off my leg and somehow caused my rear brakes to shift. Had to fix that before I got on the bike.

Not hydrate on the swim

Decided I was going to go out to the first turn around and try to average about 19-20mph. Held this pretty good. Had to pee from when I was in the water, but couldn't go. Though the bridge would be my best chance as I could cruise and not pedal. No luck on the way out. Only 'hill' was over the bridge, everything else was really flat. Hit the first turn around and took it a gear down and wanted to average 21mph for the middle part of the race. Started taking nutrion about 7mins into the bike. Plan was food every 45mins through the bike and drink every 15mins. Did this extremely well. On the way back over the bridge, thought I would try to stand and pee on the way down, but must have gotten stage frite. After a couple GUs decided I wanted to try the Sport Beans I had with me. Had some problems opening the pack and they were a little stuck together so it was hard getting them out. But they were a nice chance from the GUs. At one part in the middle section I tried to get a Gatorade from the aid station but both attempts just whacked off my hand and never got it. Didn't matter because I didn't need it, just thought it would be nice to have another bottle that was a little bit colder. Hit the last turn around on the out and back and geared down again and wanted to average 23-24mph on the way back in. Was doing well on this for a couple miles then we hit the little bridge, no climb, crossing the counties and I hit the headwind. Did what I could to try to stay around 20, but would go down to 18mph at somepoints. Struggled with the wind all the way in. About a mile or so left I geared up and started to spin easy. Took my feet out and got ready to dismount.

Nothing.

Great dismount as no one was in the dismount area. Ran in and racked the bike. Sat down to put socks and shoes on. Put my visor on and grabbed my race belt and I was off.

Nothing, this was a really good transition for me.

Started out a bit fast and ran an 8:06 mile for the first mile. I was hoping to hit about 9:00 mile but I always do this coming out of T2. The first few miles were uneventful and totally in the sun. Saw a few people finishing up the Olympic distance but the half had spread itself so thin that there were not many people around. At about mile 3.5 you enter Fort Clinch State Park and the shade. The shade was like heaven and I think I would have melted on the ground without it. Just before mile 5 you turn right and do an out and back. The road then splits again but they had no one standing at the corner, so I followed the person I could see in front of me and stayed straight. As we are running through the dirt parking lot there is just no one around and my body said, Time to Pee. As I was running I was finally able to relieve myself. Just widen my stride a bit so I didn't pee on my shoes. Coming back in two girls were coming towards me. One of them points to the ground and ask the other girl which way they are suppose to go. At this point I see chalk on the ground. Not a chalk arrow, just chalk. Which is there way of telling you to turn. So I ended up doing the wrong part of the course, but so did a lot of other people. The distances were actually the same no matter what way you went, but I missed the mile 6 marker and aid station. Coming out me make the right turn to continue through the park and there is an aid station. It was at this point I decided I needed to walk the aid stations to make sure I was getting enough hydrate. GUs just didn't sound appealing at this point so I wanted to make sure I was getting Gatorade down. I would walk for maybe 15" and start running again. Hit mile 7 and saw a friend of mine who was there supposing us and I told him I was dying out there. He talked me up and told me what I had left before turning back again. At the end of the park you come out through a gate and immediately you are in the sun and have to go over a short steep bridge that just kicks your ass. Come down the other side and within a 1/4 mile you do a little loop and turn back. There was an aid station at this loop and I grabbed a gatorade and a bottle of water. Sipped the water and poured some on my head, carried the bottle for awhile. Up over the bridge again and back into the park. This hits you at about mile 9. Running through the park you hit an aid station just before mile 10. At this point I was really tired but saw my friend again and told him just a 5K left and I could do that. Little would I know that I wouldn't hit another aid station for over 2 miles. The next aid station was just after mile 12. :( This really killed me. I started to feel bloated from the hydration at mile 10, felt like nothing was being absorpted, just sitting in the stomach. These next 2 miles were the longest 2 miles I have ever run and they really play mind games with you. Plus there was almost no one around to even pace off or talk to for that matter. Just before mile 12 there was a volunteer on the side of the road and he cheered me on and told me the Gator game was about to kick off. That gave me a little pick-up. The final mile in the park seemed really long as well. But once you get out of the park, its only about 1/10 of a mile to the finish. Rounded the corner out of the park, then another quick left and the cop says turn right at the next police car and you are almost there. That was music to my ears. You can start to hear the people at the finish line. Made the final right turn and there was a descent number of people cheering everyone on at the finish line.

Need more run endurance.

Got a bottle of water at the finish, walked around and decided I would sit down in the medical tent. I was still feeling bloated and it was the only shade in the entire place. Got a Gatorade and sipped on that. Watched a lot of people come in with Jellyfish Stings and a couple people who needed IVs. They kept asking me if I was okay, which I was, just needed to sit for a few minutes in the shade and rest. Couple of my friends came into medical shortly after that as well. We finally made our way out of there and over to the food tent. They were waiting on another order of pizza so we snacked on fruit and cookies while we watched the results on the flat screen TVs. Sat around for a bit and talked to other races. Went to get our bikes out of transition and ran into the cute girl with my tire. We talked for a bit and then I finally made my way to my bike and packed up the truck and went back to the place we stayed for a shower.


Lack of run endurance. But this was my 1st HIM so I am very happy with how I did.


This was a great race for the 1st time be put on. They hope to do the HIM again next fall and move the Olympic distance to the spring. Besides the one corner have no volunteer and the lack of aid stations (and lack of cold drinks or fruit) at the aid stations this was a very good race.