Wow, what a blur of activity. I love the week leading into the race. The energy levels are so high in and around Kona from all of the athletes and their families. The official start of race week begins with the parade of nations on Tuesday afternoon. I landed late Tuesday, so I was not able to participate in the parade this year. However, the remainder of the week was packed with athlete and coaching responsibilities. By the time of race day, I was ready to get things rolling.
The three main factors I like to check off prior to an Ironman race are: fitness level, mental freshness, and recovery. My overall fitness level felt really good coming into the race. I was swimming almost exactly where I had been the previous two years with regards to my times on key swim workouts, but I was more comfortable. I was extremely happy with my run fitness. I had seen my best endurance pacing numbers ever (pace while staying in low heart rate ranges of zone 1-2). I was not exactly sure on my bike fitness. I had some really good bike training sessions, but I also had some mediocre sessions as well. Mentally, I was in a good place. This was my 6th year competing in Kona. That experience can be good and bad. I knew what was ahead of me on race day, but that can be a little overwhelming as this race is so unique (heat, humidity, wind, course, competition). So I just focused on keeping my emotions and energy levels in check. My recovery had been very good coming into race week. I had experienced some tweaks and strains during my final big training push. However, I had managed to get back on track through: massage, trigger point product use, and compression gear. Finally, I felt that I had a good nutrition strategy going into the race.
Swim: 1:03:09
I was excited to use my Blueseventy PZ3TX swim skin. I had tried it out on Friday and it fit perfectly. This year I decided to line up out to the left to start the race. The previous two years I had lined up closer to the pier and I had received a pretty good beating once the cannon had gone off. So I thought that I would try my luck out to the left and see if I could get some clear water. I knew I might swim a bit longer, but I thought the possible lack of contact would be worth it. I got out to a decent start for the first 300 meters. Then I found myself a little hypoxic and on the verge of panicking. I tried to settle myself down and eased up a bit. I knew I didn’t have the option of stopping.
Fortunately we do race start simulations in training and I was able to draw on that practice to settle myself down. The remainder of the swim felt comfortable, maybe a bit too comfortable. I exited the water and saw the clock. At first I was a bit disappointed, but I’ve learned to never get too hung up on times during a race as conditions might be playing a big role. I quickly made my way through T1 and out onto the bike.
Bike: 5:04:13
Chris Davidson, Team Timex bike mechanic extraordinaire, had dialed in my Quintana Roo CD01 once I arrived in Kona. I knew my bike was ready to roll. I just needed to make sure that I was ready for the conditions. I was able to settle my heart rate down much earlier this year. It usually takes me about the first 3 miles on the bike to settle down. However, I was right into my zone in the first mile. This year I did have quite a few strong cyclists come out of the water with me. There were several riders that were very aggressive early in the ride. It’s always so tempting to get caught up in the early energy of an ironman bike leg. I was fairly successful in staying patient. I knew it was going to be a long day and I couldn’t afford to burn matches early in the ride. Each time that I felt a small burn in my quads, I would focus on settling back down. There are times that this is just not possible. With so many strong athletes, there are moments when you need to surge in order to avoid drafting and stay legal. The winds seemed to pick up early this year. As we approached Waikoloa village (about 30 miles into the bike leg) we hit a strong headwind. The result of that early wind was the penalty tent had over 50 athletes taking an early break.
I started my nutrition, electrolyte, and hydration strategy right away. My goal was to be in front of things this year and try to avoid the dehydration and high core temperatures that plague most athletes (including myself) at this race. I was very aggressive at each aid station with my fluids. I tried to grab 2 bottles per station, one to dump over myself and one to drink. I learned (thanks to the Korey Stringer institute) that I have a high sweat rate. I knew that I would not be able to completely keep up with what I was losing, but I wanted to stay as close as possible. This aggressive strategy also meant that I needed to be very consistent with my electrolyte usage so I could avoid cramping.
When I made the turn off of the Queen K and started to head up towards Hawi (about 40 mile mark), I had managed to hydrate and cool very well. I was feeling a bit of fatigue from the early winds, but things started to settle down. The next 10 miles of climbing were relatively calm. One of the highlights of being a Timex Multisport athlete is racing with my teammates. I saw Dennis Meeker as we approached the 50 mile point. We exchanged a few quick words then I noticed the athletes in front of me swerving to the middle of the road. The Hawi winds were in full force. At first we got hit by some really strong side winds. Then the headwinds came in. Holy smokes, there is nothing like being in the aero bars in your small chain ring and pedaling as hard as you can, only to see the speedo read 12mph. The conditions remained the same almost the entire way up to the turnaround, which resulted in that penalty tent filling as well.
Once I made the turnaround, I wanted to make sure I got my nutrition at the special needs area. In previous years, I have been able to grab my bag while rolling by. However, this year I went right past my volunteer and I had to make a quick stop to receive it. It was not a big deal and I felt it was totally worth the minor delay to ensure I had my calories. I quickly got back on track and saw my Joule read 50+ mph as the winds pushed us down from Hawi. This can be a tricky section. It feels so good to be flying down the road in the aero position. However, I’ve made the mistake of not hydrating during this section in the past and paid the price by getting dehydrated. This year’s early aggressive hydration strategy had paid off up to this point. I actually had to relieve myself for the 3rd time of the day while descending. The highs and lows of Ironman can be extreme. I felt pretty good finishing the descent from Hawi, but once we made the turn to head back to the Queen K the headwinds came back. I felt fatigued. I tried to remind myself to stay calm and be consistent. My mantra was: this will pass (simple but effective). I was trying to focus on my effort, heart rate, and power at this point. I knew that times were going to be slower due to the winds, so I did not even look at my pacing. Around the 85 mile mark I saw my teammate Tim Hola. This was another lift to see him, although we were both pretty fatigued at this point.
My nutrition had started to get stale. I had done a really good job of staying on my nutrition targets up until this point. However, I get tired of taking the same thing all day. I made my pre-planned switch over to the Stinger Honey product in hopes that the sugar would give me a little boost to finish off the bike. The boost did come, but so did a small wave of nausea. I had not taken any sugar in up until this point and the quick surge had put some stress on my GI system. The winds were not brutal, but they were there for sure. As I was fatiguing I was trying to pay attention to the dynamics around me. I had a large group of riders roll by me at around the 100 mile mark. I did not drop back soon enough and I got called for my first drafting penalty since I’ve been in the sport. The officials were very strict on the day and it was totally my fault for not dropping back, so I just asked where to serve the penalty. The official said there would be 2 more tents on the course or the tent in T2. I definitely hit a low right after that as I had worked really hard and now I would need to serve a 4 minute penalty. I tried to remind myself that it was still a long day and to stay consistent. I rolled through the next aid station. As I was grabbing a bottle of water, my tube of salt sticks shot out of my side pocket. I decided to keep rolling as I only had another 7 miles until T2. Those last miles always seem like they will never end . I just wanted to get off the bike at this point. My legs were feeling some cramping twinges and I knew I needed to get to my salt in my T2 transition bag. Finally, I rolled down the hill into T2. As I was slipping my feet out of my shoes, both of my hamstrings locked up on me. This has happened to me several times before in races, so I did not panic. I just tried to relax and see if they would release. Fortunately, they did release enough for me to get off my bike and hand it to a volunteer before making my way to the penalty tent. I was given a stop watch and told that I was not allowed to go to the bathroom or drink any water. I just had to stand or sit there and wait. I tried to sit and my hamstrings locked up again. It must have been a comical sight to see me trying to sit with both legs completely straight out in spasms. Several other athletes came into the tent as I was heading out. Apparently the officials were extremely busy on the day and I heard they had a big impact on the professional women’s race as well.
Run: 3:08:39
I finally got to my salt tabs in the T2 tent and I took one right away in addition to some cola and water. I slipped on my KSwiss Kwicky Blade-Light Sunrise . My coach, Paul Regensburg, and I had planned out a running strategy that entailed running in 5k increments before walking an aid station. This was a big change for me. In 2011 I had walked the first 24 aid stations as I was dehydrated and overheated. So this year I wanted to make sure I was very prepared before heading out on the run course. Once I started moving, I actually felt pretty good (relatively speaking). I ran through the first 3 aid stations taking cola and water. I was running a decent pace at this point (6:50 miles) and I was starting to feel more confident. Mile 4 felt fantastic. I saw my teammate Dennis again at this point, but he was going through a bad patch. I focused on staying as consistent as possible. I knew I would have many more challenging moments ahead of me. As I neared the 8 mile mark, Tim came up running a really nice pace. It was good to see him, but I was starting to hit a low at that point. I decided to take my first walk along the aid station to ensure I got as much fluids, ice, and cola as possible. It helped a lot and I was able to find my rhythm again. Tim and I ended up running the next 12 miles either together or with one of us slightly in front of the other. We would each go through good patches and tough patches. We averaged 7:27 miles over this stretch. As we were exiting the energy lab, Tim ran past me and mentioned how this was helping both of us pace well. I was going through a really bad patch at the time and just kind of nodded my head. I just did not have the energy to verbally respond at that moment. I knew I needed to walk the next aid station to get some calories in before the final push back into town. I saw my coach at the turn back onto the Queen K. He told me to keep my cadence and stay consistent. Tim and I hit the 20 mile marker and I hit the split on my Timex Run Trainer. Tim asked me what pace we had just run the last mile. I replied: “7:55”. I had not realized that we had slowed that much. I tried to pick up the pace a bit. While I was very mentally and physically fatigued at this point, I was pleasantly surprised that my leg muscles were not screaming at me. I usually start to feel extreme quad discomfort around mile 16 of an IM run. However, I was able to avoid this pain the entire marathon. I was able to start running a little bit faster as I hit miles 20 and 21 at 7:30 and 7:20 pace respectively. As I approached the 22 mile marker, Paul yelled out to me to run the last 4 miles as mile repeats. My first thought was: “you’re crazy, do you know how tired I am?” Then I had a quick thought creep into my head that got me going. My training partner and Lifesport Coach, Jeremy Howard, finished the Ultraman World Championship in 2011. Jeremy was able to hold 7 minute miles at the end of his Double marathon. My thought to myself was: “stop whining and get your butt moving. If Jeremy can do that at the end of 52+ miles then you can certainly do this for 4 more miles”.
I focused on my arms and my cadence. I was not exactly flying but I was able to drop my pace below 7 minute per mile. I crossed the finish line in 9:25:30.
This placed me as the 4th M40-44 and 85th overall including the Pros. I had just confirmed my first podium finish (top 5 in each age group) at the Ironman World Championship.
I need to thank my wife, Stacey, and my three boys: Ryan, Spencer, and Connor for being patient with me this year. I’ve worked with my coach, Paul Regensburg, since the end of 2007. He has helped me grow each year as an athlete. I have been a member of the Timex team since 2003 and it is such a privilege to be part of such a tremendous group of athletes and sponsors.

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This was my 2nd time heading out to Vegas for the 70.3 World Championships. I really like this course and consider it a true championship course. Due to time commitments this year I had to travel out on Friday morning and back on Sunday afternoon, right after the race. My prep going into the race was pretty good. I was able to get an Olympic distance race in two weeks prior to the event that helped to work threshold. I also did 2 longer rides to start to get ready for the Ironman World Championships in October. I was feeling pretty confident about all three disciplines going into the race.

Swim: 29:02
As an age grouper in a wave start, you are at the mercy of the race director about starting time. This year I drew the lucky card of wave #16 @ 7:45am. I was not the last wave as there were 3 waves behind me, but I was pretty far back. Oh well, it is all part of the journey. I really paid attention to my warm-up this year. They let us in the water 10 minutes before our wave start. So I was able to get 5 minutes of some pick-up efforts before I had to line up for the start. With the proper warm-up, I got a good start once the cannon fired. I actually got right out in front. Then a few in my wave made their way in front of me. I was able to jump on the train for the trip to the turn-around. However, about 200 meters before the turnaround, I lost contact somehow. So, I ended up swimming by myself the remainder of the swim. That was a bit of a bummer as those few athletes had a really nice pace going, but it was my own fault for losing their feet. I exited the water and made my way through T1 quickly.
Bike: 2:31:05
I felt the heat right away. I knew it was going to be a hot one, but I’m not sure I knew how HOT it was going to be. My Saris Joule 2.0 read 15 degrees above 2011’s temps with an average of 96 degrees (ouch!). My QR CD01 was ready to roll. I tried to settle into the ride, but my heart rate was climbing quite easily. I knew this would be a problem if I let it continue. So I just focused on keeping my heart rate in check while watching my power and cadence. I had four athletes pass me during the bike. These passes were very mentally challenging. However, I would have gone way outside my physiological parameters to stay with them. So I swallowed my pride and stuck to my own race. I finished the bike with my second highest heart rate average for any 70.3 race. However, my power and pace were not that great. I gave what I had on the day. Some days are better than others. I know that if I had tried to push harder, I would have really paid the price on the run. I did a good job on my sodium intake, but I had gotten behind on fluids and was a little low on calories heading into T2.

Run: 1:27:28
I came off the bike with minor hamstring cramps, but once I got through the transition tent (I did spend a bit more time than usual in there) I felt really good. I took the run out moderately as I wanted to settle in. Once again I felt the heat immediately. I knew I would need to be a bit more conservative on the run to stay in the game. My first mile was sub 6 minute pace with my heart rate in low zone 2. I felt good. I was burning a little over 100Kcals/mile at that effort. I was able to roll along pretty well until about mile 5, when I really felt the heat affecting me. I knew I needed some quick sugar. Once I hit the next aid station, I started to take cola. This lifted me back up for a bit, but the aid stations were pretty spread out. I found myself getting dehydrated and really low on energy. I made an effort to slow at the remainder of the aid stations so I could take loads of water, ice, and a bit of cola. By mile 8 my form was starting to fall apart. I was beginning to plod, rather than run. I tried to focus on my hands and that helped to get my feet moving. However, it was not that pretty. I really dug deep for the remainder of the run to finish as strong as I possibly could. The temps were over 100 degrees at this point and I knew it was all about survival. I crossed the finish line feeling like I left everything out on the course. I really turned myself inside out on the back half of the run. It was one of the most painful races that I’ve done. The volunteer that was assigned to me as I crossed the finish line looked at me and asked if I was ok. I replied, “no”. I was absolutely toast.
Finish: 4:32:05 1st M40-44, 46th Overall

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I was excited to be heading back down to race the 70.3 Eagleman course in Cambridge, MD. I competed in this race from 2002-2005 and I had some pretty good memories of the race. I was looking forward to see what I could do after taking a 6 year hiatus from the race. However I soon learned that I needed to be careful what I wished for.
My prep and base phases of training had gone very well leading into the race. The one factor I was a bit concerned about was the heat. The weather websites were predicting mid 90s with high humidity. I’ve raced in hotter conditions before, but we’ve had a relatively mild spring in Connecticut this year. So, I really had not done any training in the heat heading into the race. This fact became very apparent when I went out to do a 10 minute easy run the day before the race and I was completely soaked by the time I finished. I knew that there was nothing I could do about it and the conditions were the same for all the athletes. I focused my energy on the variables I could control and made sure my equipment was ready to roll. I have really enjoyed riding my QR CD01 this year. The bike was dialed in with Shimano DI2, DuraAce C75 wheels and my Adamo saddle.

Swim: 26:35
I was lined up in the 6th wave of the morning, which was the 2nd wave in my age group (40-44). The amateur waves were sent off in 8 minute intervals. My goal was to hit the start of the swim with a good effort and try to get on any feet I could find. The gun went off and I was able to get a good start. There were 2 swimmers out in front of me. After some serious effort, I was able to bridge up to the 1st swimmer. However, he appeared to be swimming off course, so I decided to try to navigate on my own. This was not the best decision as I ended up being the 2nd swimmer out of the water from my wave. Oh .well, I was very happy with my swim. It was the most taxed I’ve ever been after a 1.2 mile swim. It was definitely a personal best.

Bike: 2:11:49
I got through T1 unscathed and quickly focused on trying to get my heart rate under control. It was running abnormally high after the swim. It actually took me much longer than normal to get settled in on the bike. I had to let my power slip a bit at the beginning. I was worried that if I did not get my heart rate under control I would pay for it later on the run. It took me 20 minutes to finally get my heart rate back into zone 3. I felt really good on the remainder of the bike and I just dialed in on my nutrition, salt intake, heart rate, power, and perceived effort. I was able to maintain a consistent effort throughout the rest of the ride. I felt like I could have gone a bit harder, but I knew I was going to need everything I had on the run.

Run: 1:24:54
This is where my day really started. I made sure to grab more salt tabs before heading out onto the run course. I knew it was going to be a smoker out on the sparsely covered course. As I headed onto the run, I focused on trying to find a decent cadence. I was actually running at a respectful pace starting out. However, at about .5mile into the run, I had a guy in my age group blow by me. I wasn’t sure if he was from the first wave or my wave. I had to make a quick decision to try to go with him or just settle into my own pace. I decided to let him go and try to keep him in sight. I realized this was probably the right decision as I rolled through mile 2 at a 5:47 pace. It is a very weird feeling to be running well, but feeling on the verge of overheating. I could feel my core temperature rising. I just could not do anything about it. I was watching my heart rate continue to rise on my Timex Ironman Race Trainer. So I tried to shorten my stride and ease up to see if I could bring my heart rate down a bit. The strategy worked for a little bit, but I soon found my heart rate creeping back up. I knew I had to go into preservation mode at this point or I would risk blowing up. I made the decision to stop at the aid stations to make sure I got all the ice and fluids (including cola) I could. I made sure that the stops were not prolonged Ironman type of walks. I continued to the turnaround point of the run experiencing extreme highs and lows that are usually only experienced in a full ironman. I got a look at the guy who had passed me early in the run. He had about 20+ seconds on me, but I realized that he was in the first wave from his race number which meant I had 7+ minutes on him net time. I knew I just had to hold myself together the 2nd half of the run. That turned out to be easier said than done. I really struggled on the way back in. I made it to mile 10 and saw my friend Chris Swift. He gave me some classic line of how I looked good. I knew I looked like a mess and I felt terrible. Another guy in my age group had just gone past me. However, he was also in the first wave. At this point I wasn’t exactly smoking the run, but I was still holding sub 7 minute miles. So I knew I was safe with the guys in front of me, but I had no idea what might be coming from behind. My form broke down so bad the last 2 miles. My head was tilted back and my left arm was so locked in place that it cramped up once I crossed the finish. By the time I got to the finishing shoot I had absolutely nothing left. I proceeded to almost take out all of the chairs 10 meters past the line as I weaved in for my landing. In hindsight I would rank this run as the 2nd hardest 70.3 I’ve completed just behind 2011’s Buffalo Springs (that happened to be over 100 degrees).
Finish: 4:06:30 9th Overall 3rd Amateur 1st M40-44
While I had mixed emotions while I was on the run, I managed to earn a spot to the IM World Championships. It’s funny how quickly we can forget the pain…
A special thank you to Chris and Jay Swift for a great trip.

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Pre-Game
I was much more at ease going into this year’s race with one exception (explained below). My body was in much better shape this year thanks to the Trigger Point Massage products and a very talented massage therapist, Sue Fegelman. Leading into the 2010 race, I had experienced annoying plantar fasciitis. However, by using the calf roller from Trigger Point and getting a weekly sports massage from Sue, this year I was able to enter the race injury free. My sleep was much better this year as well. My weight was much more comfortable this year. In 2010 I overreached a bit with my weight and I went into the race a little too lean for me. I had a solid final swim prep. I was swimming at my personal best times heading into the race. My bike build was very focused towards Kona this year. I felt very confident about my bike fitness. My run endurance was at my personal best level. Due to these factors, I felt very good heading down to the pier on race morning.
Swim: 1:00:17

The one exception to my pre-race comfort was my anxiety for the swim start. The swim start in Kona cannot be explained properly unless you have experienced it in person. It is truly one of the most chaotic moments in sports. If you want to swim well there, you have to line up in front. However, by lining up in front, you are guaranteed to get thoroughly throttled during the first 200-400 meters unless you can swim sub 2 minutes for the first 200(I can’t).
I lined up towards the inside of the front row (I’m a glutton for punishment). When the cannon went off, I went out as fast as I could, but I kept my head above water as there were a few feet in front of me and they were kicking vigorously. I did not feel like getting one in the face. Once I saw the water in front of me calm down a bit, I stuck my face in and got into a decent rhythm. This year’s start was actually better than I had feared. Then the remainder of the swim was rather enjoyable. In 2010 I had really pushed the 1st half of the swim. That extra effort had caused a decent amount of fatigue on the 2nd half of the swim. This year I felt extremely comfortable the entire time, maybe too comfortable. I exited the water in a little over 1 hour.

It was not exactly the time I was looking for, but it was not horrible either. I was really looking forward to pushing the bike harder than I had before.
Bike: 4:51:52

I planned on being more aggressive on the bike this year. I had my Orbea Ordu dialed in for the day thanks to Doug Berner (Timex Multisport Team: Technical Director/Chief Mechanic/Keeper of the Truck/Rock Star). In addition, I had attended the Lifesport Wind tunnel camp in May down in Charlotte, NC. The camp really helped set up my position so that I was very comfortable and aero (we had picked up 24 watts from the position and helmet adjustment).

The conditions were very good at the beginning of the day. So I wanted to take advantage and get up to Hawi (59 mile turnaround point) as fast as I could without redlining. In hindsight I actually road this section with the exact same average heart rate as I had the year before. However, I was able to average more power (6 normalized watts higher) and I ended up 10 minutes faster than 2010 for that section. My main focus on the bike was to stay on top of my nutrition, electrolytes, and keep as cool as possible. I managed to do all three better than I had before throughout the race. I grabbed 2 water bottles at every aid station. I dumped one over my entire body and I used the other for my fluids.
The winds were kind to us on the day. However, we did pick up a nice typical headwind heading up to Hawi. We also got a decent headwind once we got back on the Queen K heading back into town. While the winds did pick up as the day went along, they were nothing out of the ordinary for this race. My 2nd half of the bike was all about staying as consistent as I could. I did drop off a bit with my power, but my heart rate was staying very close to my 1st half average. I went through some lows over the last 30 miles, but I was fortunate to avoid the GI issues and cramping that I had experienced every other time I had raced in Kona. I got off the bike feeling the best I have ever felt at this race. Now, that is a relative statement. I was still fatigued and HOT.
Run: 3:09:37
I quickly moved through transition. I grabbed my Timex Global trainer, Lifesport hat, Nathan hydration belt, Native sunglasses, and K Swiss Kwicky Blade Light running shoes.

I headed out trying to focus on my form and cadence. The first thing that I noticed was I did not have the severe lower back pain I have had in the past. I was moving along at a decent pace while I was trying to do all of my checks and balances. I hit the first mile @ 6:30. I was really hot at this point and I was really looking forward to the 1st aid station. I felt that I needed a change to my nutrition. So once I got to the aid station I stopped, walked and grabbed water, ice, cola, ice, and water. Yes I grabbed it all. I put the ice in my hat, shirt, shorts, and the palm of my hand. This fueling/cooling strategy worked, at least temporarily. I picked up my pace and hit the 2nd mile mark in 6:46. However, I was getting really hot again. So I repeated my aid station strategy again. In fact, I ended up doing this for the first 24 aid stations.

I had not pre-planned this at all. It would be easy for me to say that I could have run faster if I had not done this. However, I truly believe I would have blown up if I had tried to run through the early aid stations. I was having a very hard time cooling down my core temperature. The aid stations served as a mini-respite from the sun and humidity. I came out of every aid station feeling better then I went in.
During any marathon one will experience some extreme highs and some very deep lows. While I was the hottest during the first 10 miles along Alii Drive, I experienced my lowest points once I got up onto the Queen K highway. At mile 11 I went into a LOW point. Fortunately my friend Tim Diseppio was up on the Queen K and he gave my some great pointers and encouragement. I was really happy that I had my Timex Global trainer on at this point. I focused on my cadence. My only goal for mile 11 was to run @ 85 cadence or higher.

This helped me to get through the low patch and by mile 13 I started to feel better. I rolled along until I got to the Natural Energy Lab. At this point, I started to feel some real mental fatigue. I hit my 2nd real low point coming out of the Energy Lab. It took everything I had to keep moving forward up the slight elevation. I was determined to only walk at the aid stations.

Once I got back up onto the Queen K, I saw my coach. He gave me some form cues and emphasized that it was only 10k back into the finish. Only 10k can be good or bad depending on how one is feeling. I was not feeling great at this point, so I went back to focusing on my cadence. Fortunately, I was not breaking down muscularly yet. In 2010, my quads were screaming at mile 16 of the run. This year they did not start to ache until mile 23sh. I made it to the top of Palani, about 1.2 miles from the finish. I saw my coach again and he told me that there were a few guys in front of me in my age group. I had an outside chance of a podium if I could dig really deep into the finish. Well, I gave it all I had. It was not much, but I definitely left it out there. I ended up crossing the finish line in 9:07:08. It was a PR for me. I felt that I gave everything I had on the day.

Final Results: 8th M35-39 / 28th Amateur / 60th Overall
The highlight of any significant race for me is having my Timex teammates racing along with me. I got an extra highlight this year as I was able to race with my friend and teammate Tim Hola towards the end of the bike and along Alii Drive. While I was not exactly in the most talkative mood at the time, it was a huge lift to be out there with my teammate.
The strange thing about this sport is that one can always do something better. I still feel that I have a better day in me at this event. I learned more at this race that I can work on going forward. So the 2012 campaign will begin soon, ugh.

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The new race venue for the 70.3 World Championships definitely lived up to the hype. The course just outside of Las Vegas offered heat, wind, and plenty of hills. This is a very fair course.
I was very excited to go out and race the new venue. Another bonus was having the opportunity to race with several of my Timex Multi-sport teammates. I always find it a huge lift to race with my teammates and have the support of our team management as well.

Swim: 30:12 Ouch!
I was in the 10th swim wave of the morning. The race organizers had all the athletes enter the water 10 minutes prior to their wave starts. While the water was 80 degrees, I still felt a bit chilled when I jumped into the water. I tried to warm up. I’ve learned that it is always better to do a few race start simulations prior to the actual start to get the body ready for the initial surge and hypoxic feelings. However, I did not do a good job of getting my intensity up prior to starting the race.
I lined up in the middle of my wave and focused on holding a good position to start the race. The horn went off to start our wave and I got boxed in right away. Then I got hit in the head and swallowed a nice mouthful of water. This is part of racing, but it affected me a bit more this time. I had a moment of high anxiety and thought about pulling off to the side. Fortunately I was able to get the anxiety under control quickly and I was on my way. The remainder of the swim I just focused on keeping a decent body posture (a little more important with the non-wetsuit swim) and staying consistent. I exited the water feeling good and ready to hit the bike.

Bike: 2:26:00
My goal for the bike was to build into the first 10 miles and then ride a little higher effort than normal. The bike course was set up to be much more challenging than the flat roads of Clearwater, FL. and it lived up to the hype. I felt like we were either climbing or descending the entire day. The course did not offer any real opportunities to settle in. I actually really enjoyed the challenge of the terrain. The landscape surrounding the course was very picturesque. My nutrition and salt intake for the bike worked well for the most part. I did not experience any cramping throughout. I felt very controlled for the first 35 miles. In hindsight I think I got a little behind on calories in the middle of the bike as I did suffer a bit of a lull during the last 10 miles. My heart rate dipped into low Z2 during this time. I tried to push a bit harder to get my heart rate back into Z3, but I just could not make it happen. I gave what I had on the day and I was not the only one losing steam at the end of the bike.

Run: 1:21:42
The run course is set up as a 3 loop course. The start is flat for the first .5 mile then descends for 1 mile. A 2 mile climb is next, then another 1 mile descent.
I sported my K-Swiss Konas with American flag colors. I love these shoes.
My legs did feel a little heavy heading out of T2. Fortunately the terrain helped to get my cadence up and settle into a decent rhythm. My heart rate was still running lower than usual. I ended up running the first 7 miles in Z2 and finally reached Z3 on the 2nd half of the run. I really enjoyed the profile of the run course. I felt that the 2 mile climb was all about keeping steady and strong, while the descent allowed for recovery and cadence. I was able to run without cramps and my energy levels stayed high. At the 10 mile mark I started taking cola for a little extra push for the last 5k of the run. I felt confident that it would not cause me GI distress that late in the race. I finished up as strong as I could. I will definitely try to participate in this race going forward. The logistics prior to the race were a bit messy, but the race itself was worthy of a championship course.
Final Results: 4:21:36 2nd M35-39 / 7th Amateur / 38th Overall

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