Even in tough conditions, goal achieved with a time of 6:29:14.

IRONMAN 70.3 Texas - Galveston Race Report

04/11/21

TLDR: Tough conditions, but overall time goal achieved. Finish time 6:29:14.

Back story: Since I started racing this distance in 2008, my goal has been to finish in under 6:30, but I could never put it together with the right nutrition, hydration, pacing etc….  I’ve been training for THIS race since 2019 when I hired a coach. We all know how many races happened in 2020, so I made the incredibly tough decision to go back to my own workout planning for 2021 with the race season still up in the air. But she was a huge part in my success at this race because she helped me find the joy in training and racing again. She also helped me understand just how important strength, recovery, consistency and salt would be to achieving my goal for this distance.

Pre Race: Big goals = big nervousness, but also big excitement for possibilities.  I had a hiccup race morning while getting my hydration on my bike, but staying calm was key to figuring out a plan. It all worked out in the end. Slathered on my Zealios sunscreen, donned my B70 wetsuit and then they called for swim groups by expected finish times and off we all went to jump off a dock and start the race. 

Swim 1.2 miles: I chose to wear my long sleeved Blue Seventy Helix wetsuit.  I love the flexibility through the shoulders and the reverse zipper of this suit.   The plan was to use the first “leg” of the swim (out to the first left turn) as a warm up, the long back side to settle in to a rhythm, and the leg in to the finish as a race effort. That first part was brutal for me.  I wanted to quit 3 times due to rough water making me queasy and choking on the bay water a few times.  I tried shifting my breathing to the opposite side, but struggled being able to hold it. I spent a LONG time getting to that turn buoy and used more positive self talk than you can imagine to settle down. While I had a time goal of <43 minutes, I knew that many things could happen in the swim, so I was really happy when I got out of the water and saw my time.  44:14 (a PR for this course).

T1: Mantra was slow is smooth, smooth is fast and I had practiced.  No issues. 4:39

Bike 56 miles: I chose to use my Rudy Project race helmet and glasses. I knew the wind would be an issue for this ride.  It almost always is for this course. Today was no exception with sustained winds 15- 20 mph.  My #1 goal was to stay in my power range and if my legs started feeling fatigued, back off so I could have the run I wanted/needed.  My #2 goal was by using the first goal, to hopefully be above 18 mph as that had been pretty easy during training.  I knew hydration would be key and I knew I had it dialed in to a T.  I just needed to execute my drinking plan every 10 minutes.  The ride was nice and fast with the wind at my back on the way out with most 5 mile splits between 22 and 24 mph.  As these were ticking off, I was mentally preparing for the headwind to come after the turn around.  And the wind did not disappoint. It sucked, plain and simple.  I was seeing 5 miles splits of 13 to 15 mph.  I didn’t let the pace get to me as my #1 goal was keeping me focused and I was fueling on schedule as planned.  1 bathroom break and also a couple quick stops for refilling my front bottle to stay properly fueled/hydrated. Normally I wouldn’t need to stop, but due to rough road conditions and the wind, I wasn’t taking any chances on crashing. According to the difference between my wrist watch and bike computer those stops added up to just over 3 minutes.  I got off the bike a little slower than I had hoped, but knew my legs should hold up for the run.

3:09:57 (17.68 mph) (PR for this course)

T2: Same mantra.  I was using a pack for hydration on the run, so my transition was little different than normal.  I had practiced. 4:15

Run 13.1 miles: I chose to wear my B70 team top by Castelli. My goal was to run 7 minutes, walk 1 minute the whole way, use the 3 loops to start easy and get faster each loop and drink my Skratch Superfuel/Liquid IV/Himalayan Sea Salt mix every walk break and add cold water at aid stations as needed. The change in flavor was nice.

I mostly stuck with my plan but added a few “walk the uphills” by the end.  The wind hadn’t stopped, but actually felt good on the run. We were blessed with low humidity which is rare for this course.  I was able to pull off a better run than I thought I could do! It’s funny how the tracker shows some crazy paces (both really fast and really slow), but the mile splits from wrist watch showed the real story of how I nailed my plan.  The fan support was incredible as usual! 

2:26:12 (app says 10:49/mile pace,  but it’s really 11:09) (PR for this course)

Total time 6:29:14

20th out of 50 in my age group.  Super happy!

Thank you blueseventy racing for making incredible gear, choosing quality brands for partnerships, and the incredible team support! Recovery was so much better with the Hypervolt and I was able to use it on the ride home (not driving!).