1/2 The Man I Used to Be

After 4 ½ months of training, 19.5hr (38miles) swimming, 65.2hr (1100miles) cycling, and 35.2hr (220miles) running I finished my first ½ Ironman Distance Triathlon in Austin, Texas this past weekend. Overall it was a rewarding, humbling, and positive experience. Read on for a full race report

Swim (1.2miles - 37:48min) – Swim start was broken up into age groups and my age group was large enough to make to wave starts. My wave didn’t start until 8:20, about 50min after the first professional wave. There were probably about 30 people in my particular wave. The start was a water start (everyone stands in water about waist deep until they say go). The swim went exactly as planned. It was only mildly rough as far as kicking, elbowing and other contact goes. I felt good the entire swim, sighted well with only a few detours after rounding the last buoy, and came in 10-12sec faster than my goal time of 38min.

Transition 1 (5:47) – My goal with transition was to take them slow and relaxed which I did by my time. I have a new triathlon love…. Strippers! Now before you call Milina let me explain. They have a mat shortly after you exit the water with strippers, wetsuit strippers that is. Now if that still doesn’t sound appropriate let me explain further. After you get your wetsuit pulled off your arms and down to your waist a volunteer, known as a wetsuit stripper, will grab the wetsuit at your waist and pull it off you. This is far faster than trying to strip out of your wetsuit on your own.

Bike (56miles – 3:00:21 or 18.68mph) – My bike goal time was 3:15-3:30 with the idea that I knew the run was my biggest weakness and I wanted to take the bike slow and reserved. I felt great on the bike!!! Austin can be hilly, that is why they call it the hill country. I felt relaxed and comfortable the entire route no hill was really that challenging or difficult. About 48miles in I even backed off a fair amount to rest and prepare for the run, otherwise I would have easily averaged over 19mph.

Transition 2 (7:48) – Yes a very long transition. The plan was to keep my heart rate low in transition and be rested for the run.

Run (13.1miles 2:46:36) – This where the race went from the perfectly planned execution to a very challenging and somewhat painful process. The run course was 2 laps of 6.55 miles, very exposed with little if any shade, very hilly, and a mixture of paved and off road terrain. The first lap was great; felt good and even had to hold back a bit with the full intention of running a negative split. I finished the first lap in 1:13:47. About 1-2miles into the second lap I found myself walking through every aid station and often past each aid station, walking up hills, fighting calf/hamstring/quad/ and low back cramps, dehydrated, and nutritional empty. I did muster enough to run the last 1mile strongly knowing it was the last mile. That last 6.55 miles took 1:32:49, 20min slower than the first lap.

The FINISH!! (6:38:20) Despite the discouraged feeling I had the last 4-5miles leading up to the finish the joy and emotion of crossing the finish line after months of sacrifice and training was more than I expected. The best part of the finish was crossing the finish line to my waiting family who had sacrificed so much to allow me the opportunity to be ½ of an Ironman