Ironman 70.3 Boulder Race Report

My first 70.3 distance race was a great success, and I must say that it was easier than I thought it was going to be. Pete, you trained me well, thank you!

Training Totals:
Swim: 128,225 yards; 49 hours
Bike: 872 road miles; 58 road hours; 71 trainer hours
Run: 416.8 miles; 76 hours

To start, I want to thank God for giving me such a great training and race experience, thank Trey for being so supportive during my many months of training, thank Pete and Sara for spending time educating and coaching me thru the process, and thank everyone who came out during the race to support me on such an important day. I know that I had a great race because of all the support I get from my family and friends.

The first wave started at 6:30am so my alarm went off nice and early – 3:30am. We arrived in Boulder around 5:00 so I had plenty of time to set up my transition area, meet the girls I would be racing with and take pictures with Pops. He was able to get a media pass so he was allowed in the transition area. As we waited for my wave to start, I started getting really nervous – to the point of causing my stomach to hurt.

Once I started my swim, I calmed down, my stomach didn’t hurt anymore, and I got into my groove. I felt good and enjoyed my swim. As I came out of the water, Mom was there to yell out my time. She did this for me during my Olympic and I really like it. I asked her to do the same for this race too, thanks Mom! 37 minutes was about what I had expected; not disappointed but not thrilled.

I had a hard time transitioning from the swim to the bike. My water bottle got caught under the bar, the straw got knocked off, and I had to crawl under the bar to pull my bike thru the other side. What a mess. At least this time I remembered to buckle my helmet so I didn’t get yelled at at the mounting line.

Once I was on my bike, I had a great ride. The course is fast and smooth. I was able to get up to 42mph; the fastest I have gone on my bike so far. On the hill where I reached my top speed, the pros started to lap me. I was booking it at 38mph or so, passing people, and the pros where passing me like I was just out for a cruise. It was amazing. Sara come out on the bike course to see me. As I finished my first lap, I heard Mom yell my name and my time, then I saw Pops snapping pictures and Trey cheering me on. It is so uplifting to see people you know out on the course supporting you! After seeing everyone, I was re-energized for the second lap. For the 56 mile ride, I was able to average 19.7mph. I was really pleased with my time, but I was worried that I didn't pace myself for the 13.1 mile run coming up.

As I started my run, my legs felt strong and I felt good. I planned to run each mile and walk thru the water stations. The first station came up, but I didn’t feel like I needed to walk so I didn’t. Sometime during the second mile, Chris started running with me so when the second water station came up, I didn’t walk thru that one either. Chris and I ran together nearly the entire rest of the race. Talking to my newly found friend took my mind off what I was doing and it made the time pass really fast. I only walked a few steps thru each water station while I refilled my bottle, but then I would speed up to catch back up with Chris. Although I wasn't following my run/walk plan, I felt good. Sara and Mom met me at mile 5, Dad was snapping pictures at mile 6, and several other friends were scattered around the run course too. I had so much support throughout the entire race, it was truly amazing. Each time I saw someone along the course, it gave me an extra boost to keep going. Around mile 12, my legs started to get tired and I couldn’t keep up with Chris any longer, I had to walk. It felt good to walk, but I knew I was really close to the finish line. I allowed myself to walk only for a minute, then I pushed myself thru the last mile. As I approached the finished line, Mom was there shouting my time and urging me on. Under 6 hours total! I was so happy!

I enjoyed the race so much more than I could have ever expected to. It was an amazing experience and I'm looking forward to my full IM in Houston. Thanks again to everyone who came out to support me during such an important day; it means the world to me!