Ironman 70.3 Boulder

    Ironman 70.3 Boulder is one of the most scenic Triathlons that I have ever done.  It's hard to believe that there is still snow on the Rocky Mountains during the summer time.  During the swim, bike or the run you can really enjoy the beauty of Boulder, Colorado.  I highly recommend doing this event, it has been my favorite Ironman events so far.

Snow is still on the Rockies during the summer!

    As with any Ironman on the morning of the event roads and parking lots quickly filled up.  My family and I arrived exactly at 5 a.m.  After setting up my transition area and planning out every detail of all my equipment the nerves kicked in.  I suddenly felt like going to the restroom and made a B line for the port-a-potties.  The time was about 6 a.m. and there was a huge line.  I made it in time without any problem, however, after going the first time the nerves continued and I felt like I had to go again.  Now the time was 6:10 a.m. and the transition area closes at 6:20 a.m.  For the number of participants in this event there was not nearly enough potties.  I made it just in time to grab my wet suit, swim cap and goggles but definitely was rushed to get out of transition.

    One of the cool things about doing an Ironman triathlon is that it is the only sporting event that both pros and amateur athletes compete together on the same coarse.  At 6:30 sharp the pros's started their 1.2 mile swim.  I was in wave 7 which started at 7 a.m.  Just before the horn goes off you can feel the adrenaline and anticipation of all the athletes.  As the horn blew I started off in the middle of the pack and battled it out with the other athletes in my age group.  As with most swim starts it was like a mosh pit.  The water gets churned up as arms are flying and legs kicking.  This was my best swim ever and I sited well, swiming in a straight line from buoy to buoy.  I made it out of the water in 41:00 which is a great swim time for me.  I ran through the showers and to transition while mentally preparing for the bike ahead. 

Start of the 56 mile bike

    The two loop bike coarse was definitely the best part of the race because the scenery is indescribable.  Most of the coarse for the bike is relatively flat with slight inclines for the first 8-9 miles.  Once you turn on St. Vrain you decend for about half a mile and I managed to hit 41 mph which I really enjoyed.  The rest of the coarse was flat which makes for a fast ride.   When I was at about mile 8, I was passed by Joe Gambles (Who won the race).  He was already on his second loop and rode the coarse at an average speed of 27+ mph.  It really is a humbling experience when a pro passes you on the coarse.  There were three water stations along the coarse which meant that participants have 6 chances at a station because it is a two loop coarse.  I finished the 56 mile ride in 2:50 which was an average speed of about 20 mph.

A 100 yards from the finish line

I finished!

    In T2 I had to spend a little extra time putting on my knee brace but it was time well spent.  My strategy for the run was just to survive.  Two weeks prior to the race I had not logged a single mile running.  I have had a knee injury that has plagued me ever since I fell in June at the Tri Raider triathlon.  I stopped running before the Ironman in hopes that I would heal up.  The biggest worry that I had before this race was how am I going to run 13.1 miles under my current condition?  Funny enough my knee still hurt but in an entirely different area.  The first few miles of the run did have some gradual hills but nothing to difficult.  Most of the run was on a dirt/gravel road with about 1 1/2 miles on asphalt.  The hardest aspect of the run was that there was absolutely no shade what so ever.  Usually the temperature during this time of the year is around 85 degrees but by the time I finished the run it was 100 degrees due to a heat wave that made its way to Boulder.  I did the whole run at a slow pace and never stopped with the exception of hydrating and fueling up at the aid stations.  Considering the pain in the knee and the lack of training for the run I am pleased with just finishing.  I crossed the line and finished the Ironman in six hours and thirty three minutes.  Not a fast time but when I crossed the line I remembered one of my favorite verses, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength".  One of the best part of the race was seeing my family at the finish line after traveling 70.3 miles.  I am especially thankful to my wonderful wife who spent the entire time watching the kids while I was having fun racing in an Ironman.  I am not sure who had it harder, me or my wife?