2019 Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast Race Report

Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast was picked to be my return to Ironman racing. I hadn't run a race in almost 2 years, and before jumping into Ironman Florida, I decided to get a 70.3 triathlon first. This race was picked because it was nearly the same race course as Ironman Florida, at least the environment was the same. Training began nearly 4 months prior, and i felt really good about the race. We drove over the day before, almost missing packet pickup because of traffic and the fact that I still don't trust that bike mount that suctions to the back window. Once we got to packet pickup, everything was smooth. We got checked into the race, got checked into the condo, and it was all about relaxing and making sure that I was good to race. And I was, for now.

We got a high carb meal at Olive Garden the night before, just to top off the glycogen levels, and the next morning my wife told me that I looked pregnant. I guess i was topped off. Now the bad stuff. When I woke up and started my pre-race routine, I noticed that I was able to hear the waves on the shore. They were rather loud. It was dark though, so I had no visibility on them and just proceeded. Mackenzie, my race sherpa, and I walked to transition around 5am, still dark, and I got setup with everything. It wasn't until around 6am, when the sun started to rise, that we could see the water. HOLY F**K!!!

The waves were crazy (for the Gulf Coast). They were about 5-7 feet at the shore line. What the hell was that? I wasn't going to survive that. I'm not a weak swimmer, but I'm not a strong swimmer by any stretch. I was fully prepared for calm waters, because that's what I trained in. I was in no way prepared for this. So, naturally, my nerves kicked into another gear. Anyway, the gun goes off and people start entering the water. I lined up in the 50-min group, being a bit casual with my time. I figured, if I was faster, I'd pass a lot of people but if I was slower than normal, I'd be spot on with enough time to make the swim cutoff. And what do you know. I got out of the water exactly as predicted. Swim Time: 49:25 I spent just over 5 min in transition, just kind of taking my time, and running around the resort to even get to my bike. There was no changing tent, so it was a matter of finding my bike, gearing up, and going. T1: 5:31 As I got started on the bike, I was feeling good. It appeared to be overcast and not too hot, but it's Florida, so that could change. I wasn't trying to go too fast, but I definitely wasn't going slow. It seemed like I was pushing way too hard for the first 28 miles. I was passing a lot of people, but my speed said otherwise. Maybe I had a tailwind and it was pushing me, but I was seeing 21, 22mph on the watch, and I was not trying to go that fast. The 2nd half of the bike was different. I found the headwind, and it caused my back to start to get tight. I was still riding around 17-18mph, so I wasn't mad. Just wanting to get it done with. Everything seemed to be going good at this point. So good, I was singing on the bike. Pulled into transition feeling like I was going to have a GREAT final leg of the race. Bike: 2:52:44 Another 5or so minutes in transition, getting to the bike rack, changing shoes, and just enjoying it. Everything was going smoothly. T2: 5:28 Now, if you can do math, you'l realize that at the start of the run I was on pace for a sub-6hr race. My goal was 5:30:00, and I was close. But this is Ironman, and everything changes. I got on the run, and within the first mile I knew it was going to be a bad run. The sun had come out, the heat had intensified, and I was not happy. My left quad started to get tight on me. So I tried to walk it off, and then after about .5 miles, I slowly picked it up. And CRAMP! Not even 2 miles into the run and my quad cramps. So we were playing this game, that I knew all too well. This race the cramps got bad. I got passed by more people that I passed on the bike. I was determined to keep running. But both legs were in on it, similarly to how it was in Miami back in 2015. I struggled to walk at times. My wife was yelling at me to keep going and push harder (she knows that insulting me normally gets me going, but this time I just yelled back). FINALLY, after the LONGEST HALF MARATHON I've ever run, I saw the chute, and trotted to the line. I crossed, but I definitely wasn't good. Run: 3:29:03 FINAL TIME: 7:22:11 (WORST 70.3 EVER) The grand finale of the race was right after I got my medal. I was in line waiting to get my photo when I looked at a trash can, and I had to run to it because I emptied EVERYTHING that was left in my stomach (and there wasn't anything solid) into that can. I felt horrible for the people on the other side of the barrier that got an up close and personal look at that. You can't say I never left it all out there.

I don't know the cause. The cramping was probably due to lack of electrolytes, even though I was using my salts. The vomiting was probably a mix of the heat and the sugar that just didn't sit with me. I don't know though. But now, the training focused on Ironman Florida! This was the start of the VLOG. Check it out here: Road to Ironman Florida 2019.