2012
Ironman 70.3 EagleMan Race Report
As I waited to start my first EagleMan
and first Half-Ironman, I had as much confidence as any racer out there, but I
was definitely not the odds on favorite to win the race as Craig “Crowie”
Alexander, three time Ironman World Champion, was also on the start list.
I set my alarm for just after 4:00 AM
and was able to shower and get dressed without waking the rest of support team.
With my bags packed and water bottles filled the night before, I headed
downstairs to the lobby to eat breakfast. I had my staple: yogurt with fresh
fruit and granola and a few cups of Starbucks coffee to get things moving. All
was progressing as planned.
The temperature in Cambridge, Maryland
had been cool all week, but the forecast was calling for 92 degrees on race day
with high humidity. The water temperature in the Choptank River was very close
to the limit of being wetsuit or non-wetsuit legal. The final reading was 75.6
degrees, just .5 degrees below the limit. Thank goodness I brought my TYR Cat 1
sleeveless wetsuit!
Swim 36:13
5th in
my Division
I was in the 10th wave, which
started promptly at 7:50 AM. My goal for the swim was to not overheat and have
a steady swim. The tide was pushing a strong current out, which
helped push the pace for the 1.2 mile swim. I did not do a great job of
sighting buoys, but I did finish in a decent time (for me) of 36:13 and
came out of the water 5th in my division.
Bike 2:27:45
2nd in
my Division
After doffing my TYR wetsuit, I grabbed
my Trek Speed Concept and headed for the “BIKE OUT” area of transition. I had a
goal, per Coach AJ, of keeping my HR between 140-145, while consuming the
necessary nutrition and fluids to sustain the duration of the race. I was able
to consume all my nutrition, plus two bottles of Gatorade from the aid
stations. My average HR was 154, with a max of 169. Yikes. I had one other
competitor in my division who I passed back and forth for the last 15 miles. I
tried to stay within my limits and race MY race, knowing full well that he
could not hang with me on the run. I came into T2 in 2:27:45, an average of
22.74 mph. As I had experienced earlier, I dismounted my bike as I was met with
a stiff back. I was forced to walk to my rack, giving my closest competitor 2+
minutes out of T2. By the time I racked my bike, my back was loose and I was
ready to run.
Run 1:43:15
1st in
my Division
By the time I started my run, the sun
was beating down on me and the other competitors on the course. I headed out of
T2, my goal was to keep my HR between 160-165. My average HR was 166, with
a max HR of 174. I paced as well as I could hope. My pace for the first 6.6
miles was 7:51 min/mile and my pace for the second 6.6 miles was 7:54 min/mile,
for a total average of 7:52 min/mile. The heat AND humidity was nasty! The
entire run course was on asphalt with no shade. Luckily, there were aid
stations about every mile. I walked through each aid station consuming Gatorade
and dumping ice down my tri top and bottom. What was really beneficial, was
wearing a hat, not a visor. This allowed me to put ice in my cap, keeping my
body temp down as it melted. The run course was an out and back course.
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OVERALL 4:53:18
Per coach AJ, my final goal was 5:15:00. I finished the race in 4:53:18, good enough for a Clydesdale Division
win. Winner, Winner. EagleMan Dinner!
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| 2/3 of the best support team a guy could ask for. Photo credit to the missing 1/3, Lauren. |
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| Waiting for the awards ceremony |
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| 2012 Ironman 70.3 EagleMan Overall Clydesdale Champion |
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HUGE shout out to my better half, Lauren, for wrangling the kids, taking awesome photos AND keeping complete control despite the hot and humid weather. You're the greatest!
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