Half Ironman

As always found myself questioning myself before the race. Did I taper enough? Did I eat enough or too much? Did I train too much or not enough? Only this time if one of those answers was wrong it could mean more than having a bad race. It could determine if I finish the race.

After getting to the race site with little time to warm up last year I decided to stay in a hotel closer to Square Lake this year. It payed off as I had just enough time to prep this year only to forget to take my inhaler. With about ten minutes before my wave was supposed to hit the water I realized I needed to take a hit from both my prescription inhalers. I talked to Randy (the race director) and asked how long to the start he said about ten minutes. I asked if I had enough time to run up to my car and he said he would stall if he needed to. Luckily he didn't need to stall as I got back fast but the race did end up starting a little late.

As I hit the water I felt pretty good and was able to keep the swimmers within a reasonable distance. I wasn't able to catch a draft like last year but I still shaved a minute and a half off my time and had the 13th fastest swim overall. Not too shabby. My first transition was good and I took my time getting into my shoes so I could avoid any disasters. I made what would prove to be a crucial mistake early in the bike as I accidentally used a gel pack from my jersey that I had planned I to use for the run instead of one I had taped to my top tube. I hit the bike a little too hard at first but not bad. I overtook second place (Jose Rolsales) at mile 10. Jose got sick and had to call it quits after the first loop. I knew I may not catch Rhett on the bike but I hammered away as best I could without overdoing it and managed to just catch a glimpse of him as he was making a left turn just before making a right into the transition area. It gave me a little bit of hope as I believed I was a faster runner. As I got into transition Rhett was just leaving and had about a 30 second lead. I decide to take a chance and not grab the extra gel I had used up out of my bag thinking I could survive without it. While the decision probably didn't make the difference in beating Rhett it almost made the difference in finishing.

Leaving T2 I felt great and maybe a little over ambitious as I made up the 30 second gap in the first mile. As I caught up to Rhett I decided to draft off him and save some energy knowing there was still 12 miles ahead of us. As I starting nipping his heals he asked. "Is that you back there Steve"? I replied yes and he began chatting with me. I found this a bit peculiar but I enjoyed the conversation. I haven't been in this situation before and Rhett has been around for a while and probably had many conversations like this.

I had trouble getting the water or Gatorade in the first four miles because I was right behind Rhett and the volunteers were a little discombobulated. At mile four Rhett started to push the pace. I decided to let him go as I believed he would fade late. It didn't take long for him to slow down. Problem was, I was slowing down too and probably a little more. At mile seven I was questioning a walk run strategy as the heat was getting to me. I remember bonking in Iraq and knew if I did I would go from second to dead last. I decided to push through it and managed to keep Rhett just within two minutes and cross the line at 4:15:24. Third place was ten minutes behind me so I did have time to spare if I had needed it. However, I am not one to give up to be comfortable. I want to push myself to my absolute limit every time.

After the race I immediately went in the lake to cool off. I was numb similar to post marathon Iraq and knew I needed electrolytes and to cool down fast. It took about 15 minutes in the water and 30 minutes total for me to recover. Then I started to be able to talk with people coherently and met some awesome people. Bop Powers is one of ht oldest triathletes you will find. I hate to use the word old because I believe he is 85 years young. Bob was in the Marine Corp for WWII and Korea. Bob is a fascinating guy and maybe one of the nicest guys I have met. I enjoyed sharing stories with him for a good 15 minutes. I also talked with Rhett and Dan Fredricks about how awful the run was. Then Jose came over to me and told me how he had gotten sick on the bike and had to call it quits. I know he was disappointed but you could tell he was happy that he came out of the water first. Everyone I talked with was so nice. I have yet to meet anyone I didn't like in this sport. This sport seems to bring out the best in people. Maybe it's because most triathletes aren't trying to beat anyone, they are just trying to push themselves farther than they have ever gone before. It is a bond we share and a camaraderie that is hard to find.

This was my last triathlon of the season but I plan on doing a couple of duathlons and a half marathon. We'll see what happens though. Either way it has been an amazing season for me and hope I can continue to improve even more next year.