I just finished my second iron distance event. My first being IM Florida in 2003 and 2 days ago the Redman Trithlon. I, like some of you out there I am sure just can not afford the "Ironman" events anymore. I will probably never finish under 10:30:00 like the front runners in my age group to qualify for Hawaii so why pay an extra $150.

I tend to migrate to the smaller races because of the closeness of the athletes and the volunteers.

Now on to the good stuff.

I trained for 9 months for this event and I have to say that the extra time on the bike was well worth it. I ended up doing 3 100 mile bike rides every 3 weeks leading up to the race, so that the race was the 4th. I spent average time in the pool (3 days a week) and 3 weeks in the open water with a little less time given to the run. I come from an ultramarathon running background so I am pretty confident with this part of the race.

Race day:
4:30AM. The alarm goes off. It didn't do much good because I had been awake for an hour anyway just laying there thinking about what the day was going to have in store. I got things together and headed to the lobby to meet my cheering squad which consisted of my wife, parents, older brother, inlaws, and my soon to be brother in law. To my surprise they were all decked out in bright green t-shirts that read "Jeff's Checklist." On the front of the shirts had "2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run, each with a square box to the left that they put a check mark in as I completed each one! Great idea mom! I thought that was pretty funny.

Swim:
As the sun came up so did the wind. Little did I know that the wind was going to be a factor all day. The water was 70 degrees, perfect for wetsuits. The lake was down a lot so we had a beach start and had to run 100 yards into the water to the first bouy where the swim actually began. The course was set up in a triangle. 2 loops for the full IM distance. With the wind blowing like it was there were some rough waters and white caps. Going out the water was coming over the top of head since I always breathe to my left. At the first turn it was great as it pushed us to our last left turn to head back in. Of course on this side I was given the oppurtunity to hydrate as I took in lake water when the waves would crash into my uni-breathing self. All in all though the swim felt great. I remember thinking, "I don't want to get out, I'm actually comfortable here and I know that the rest of the day is going to be harder than this. But, all good things must come to an end.

Bike:

So, remember what I said about the wind? In my 3 100 mile training rides I averaged 19.3 mph. On this day, the wind averaged 19.3 mph. While I was discouraged to feel this head wind for 60 miles of the course I thought to myself, everyone else is on the same playing field here. Besides, If it's in my face going out it will be at my back coming home! All was well until I felt the dreaded hard thump on the rear end of my bike...flat tire! Are you kidding me!? I jumped off the bike and started putting together combinations of curse words that didn't even make sense. I had replaced many tubes before so I went through my regular routine. Only when I went to inflate my new tube with my CO2 inflator it blew a hole in it. I was without words. I couldn't even think straight. Here is where doing these types of races pays off. Every single competitor that rode past me slowed down to see if I needed anything. The aid station ahead must have gotten 20 requests to radio a SAG vehicle to my location. Thank you to all that helped. When the SAG vehicle showed up a punk rock looking character jumped out with a Trek Racing Team Shirt on and went to work. He had my tire with a new tube fully inflated and on my bike in less than a minute. He was amazing. And he gave me a new spare tube "Just in case."

With that drama out of the way I was off like a man posessed. Later my cheering squad would tell me that they had never seen me ride like that before. With the wind behind me and coming into the turn around I was going 34 mph! The lady with the "SLOW DOWN" sign was probably praying for her life as I came closer, slammed on the brakes, slowly made the turn across the timing mat and took off again. The wind was brutal going back out but I would rather it be tough going out instead of coming back. I finished the second loop strong and almost 20 minutes faster. It helps not having to stop for a flat.

Run:

I love this part. Running has always come easier to me than any of the other events. I wanted to be conservative coming off of the bike so that I wouldn't blow myself up early. Afterall a marathon is a marathon and should always be respected. I have never claimed to be extremely fast, but running for a long time doesn't bother much. The volunteers and aid stations during the run were the best I had ever seen iin any event I had ever done. Surprisingly, about 90% of the volunteers were junior high and high school kids. At one point I had 4 guys doing a cheer for me! Wierd? Maybe. Motivational and funny? Definately! The run went well just doing my standard run/walk. before I knew it I saw the finish line. By the time I actually thought about it I look down and my legs were are already sprinting.

Finish time: 12:24:21

I have got to recommend this race to anyone who wants to do a half iron distance or full iron distance race. The venue was great. You have easy access to the race director for any questions. The volunteers and support staff are the best that I had ever seen. And the whole atmosphere is just very laid back. About 90 people did the full with about twice as many doing the half.

Absolutely spectacular event! Check it out at Redmantriathlon.com