Half Iron-Distance National Triathlon Championship Race Recap
Half Iron-Distance National Triathlon Championship Race Recap: September 25, 2005, Kansas City, Missouri
Nearly 300 long course triathletes made their way from 38 states to Smithville Lake north of Kansas City for the second annual Half Iron-Distance National Championship. Joining these racers who had qualified were another 100 “general entry” competitors also wanting to push themselves through water, roads, and paved trails for 70.3 miles.
Conditions looked ideal on race-day morning. The water temperature was a wetsuit-legal 74 degrees.
The women started at 8 AM and the men followed 18 minutes later, making for a crowded swim. The water temperature felt good but constant body contact made it tough to find a rhythm. At one point I took a hard shot to the right goggle that startled me and produced an expletive that seemed out of place in the middle of a lake. After inefficiently zig-zagging the last stretch of the swim, I made it to shore in yet another slower-than-anticipated time.
The bike portion went great — at times it felt like I was flying. The rolling hills didn’t require getting out of the saddle, so I stayed aero and reeled in riders. I watched my average bike speed climb to a personal best and felt good about not being passed by a single person the entire 56 miles. During a few moments when there was no wind I realized we were headed for a scorcher. “Uh oh.”
Early in the run I was still passing folks — within five miles I was ahead of all the guys I generally compete with throughout the season. The temperature was climbing towards 90 degrees and the aid stations couldn’t come soon enough. Soon my body temperature was heading into no-man’s land and the gradual fade was in full effect. The mile markers seemed further apart, the hills steeper, and the path less shaded. By mile 10 I was breaking down and I think I started crying out of pure exhaustion. Somehow I got through the final three miles and as I ran through the finish I was surprised to see my finish time of 5 hours and 5 minutes. This was not as bad as I had thought and an improvement both over last year and another half in June. Even if it feels like you were defeated, there’s always something to learn and take away.
Congrats to Mike W on the fastest bike split overall (relay team) and to Matt B on the fastest bike split (individual).
Next up: Age Group World Championships, Honolulu, Hawaii, October 9
Nearly 300 long course triathletes made their way from 38 states to Smithville Lake north of Kansas City for the second annual Half Iron-Distance National Championship. Joining these racers who had qualified were another 100 “general entry” competitors also wanting to push themselves through water, roads, and paved trails for 70.3 miles.
Conditions looked ideal on race-day morning. The water temperature was a wetsuit-legal 74 degrees.
The women started at 8 AM and the men followed 18 minutes later, making for a crowded swim. The water temperature felt good but constant body contact made it tough to find a rhythm. At one point I took a hard shot to the right goggle that startled me and produced an expletive that seemed out of place in the middle of a lake. After inefficiently zig-zagging the last stretch of the swim, I made it to shore in yet another slower-than-anticipated time.
The bike portion went great — at times it felt like I was flying. The rolling hills didn’t require getting out of the saddle, so I stayed aero and reeled in riders. I watched my average bike speed climb to a personal best and felt good about not being passed by a single person the entire 56 miles. During a few moments when there was no wind I realized we were headed for a scorcher. “Uh oh.”
Early in the run I was still passing folks — within five miles I was ahead of all the guys I generally compete with throughout the season. The temperature was climbing towards 90 degrees and the aid stations couldn’t come soon enough. Soon my body temperature was heading into no-man’s land and the gradual fade was in full effect. The mile markers seemed further apart, the hills steeper, and the path less shaded. By mile 10 I was breaking down and I think I started crying out of pure exhaustion. Somehow I got through the final three miles and as I ran through the finish I was surprised to see my finish time of 5 hours and 5 minutes. This was not as bad as I had thought and an improvement both over last year and another half in June. Even if it feels like you were defeated, there’s always something to learn and take away.
Congrats to Mike W on the fastest bike split overall (relay team) and to Matt B on the fastest bike split (individual).
Next up: Age Group World Championships, Honolulu, Hawaii, October 9
posted by JPD at Friday, September 30, 2005
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