July 12, 2014. Muncie, Indiana. My first 70.3 triathlon. Had completed a few olympic distance triathlons but was totally unprepared for a 70.3. Swam ok. Cramped on the bike early. Wasn’t sure I was going to finish the bike portion. Sat in transition for 15 minutes because I couldn’t reach my shoes to change them. Legs continued to cramp. Finally willed myself to stand and forced a shoe change. Decided to try and walk out the cramps. It was hot. The run is all hills. I did run, some. 8:18 minutes after I started, I crossed the finish line. (Cut off time is 8:30). It wasn’t pretty but I got it done. I learned so much that day. I learned if I wanted to continue this path, I needed to train appropriately. I learned I needed nutrition help. I also learned that if things go wrong, I can continue to fight. I learned I liked triathlon.
Fast forward to Virginia Blue Ridge 70.3 2023. Ironman is having low registration numbers. As a marketing ploy, they offer athletes $75 off a future 2023 race. I can’t let that go to waste! But my triathlon season was full. I was already registered for Penn State and Michigan 70.3. I’ve used up my travel budget. Then I look at Muncie 70.3. Last day of September. That gives me a week of recovery from Michigan and a taper/race week. Muncie is a 90 minute drive from my house. 1 hotel night wasn’t bad. I can drive home immediately after the race. No time needed off work. Perfect! I’m in!
I arrive at Prairie Creek around 5:50 Transition opens at 6. I need to hit porta potties before I go into transition. I carry all my stuff down to bank of portos. Set it down, go inside, no toilet paper. Repeat 3 times before I find toilet paper. It’s dark out. I don’t have my phone or a flashlight. I grab my stuff and go to transition. I find my visor from my bike helmet missing. This isn’t good. I knew I had it when I loaded the car so I figured it was in my car. Set up transition and go back to my car. It’s starting to get light out. The visor is NOT in my car. I searched like 3 times. I now wonder if the visor popped off during the multiple Porto switches. Looking back, why did I carry all that down there??? Because I was tired and nervous about the race. I head back down to the Portos. There’s a good line of people now. I announce I’m not cutting in line and ask if anyone saw a black helmet visor. No one said anything. I then found it! Right in front of porto I had used! No one had stepped on it! Glory hallelujah! The line of people cheered! I held it up high! I breathed a sigh of relief! I got in the line to pee, I mean I was right there, might as well.
Water was 71 degrees. That 10 degree difference from Michigan is huge. Sleeveless wetsuit and ability to swim without getting breath taken away was great! Not much contact during the swim. Easy peezy. 41 minutes and I’m out.
Run up to the bike . Happy I brought an extra small towel to wipe off my feet before I throw on the socks. Off I go. Bike goes well but due to some headwind, my average is lower than Michigan. Part of me wonders if I hadn’t fully recovered from Michigan?? Kept an eye on heart rate which was a little higher than I’d like it to be. No issues on the bike. Averaged 20.3. My competitive brain thinks, “alright, three minutes faster on the swim but 6 minutes slower on the bike. I’m still in position to sub 6 this race! I get to T2, rack bike, take off chest strap, switch shoes and go. No fooling around in transition!
I start the run feeling good. Then the clouds move. The sun presents itself and all the warmth it will provide the azure sky! Plan is to just stay in the mile I’m in. Don’t think ahead. Just go find the next mile marker sign. About mile 3, a cloud covers the sun! It’s like a breath of fresh air! Mother Nature looking out for us! A slight breeze hits and feels fantastic! I put a little pep in my step! Maybe 2-3 minutes of pure shady joy….disappears. Cloud moves. Mother Nature turns oven back to bake. Dang it!! Alright, gotta focus. Stay in the mile, stay positive. What’s on the brains music playlist today?
I create a children’s song. That’s right. In my head I start singing, “Four four mile four! Four is great. Four is my favorite number! I love 4! 4 mile 4! Let’s find 4!” Repeat repeat repeat. Found a 4 sticker on a stop sign. Not the 4 I’m looking for! Then I find the mile marker 4! Yay! Next lyric, “five five five alive! I love 5! 5 is great! F I V E 5! Five alive!” Repeat repeat repeat. Six and seven, same thing. Every aid station I take at least a cup of water or Gatorade. I also use a ton of ice. Ice in my Race Saver bag in my hat. Ice down the shirt. Ice down the shorts. Trying to stay cool. Not watching time or heart rate, just trying to move forward. Trying to stay positive.
“Eight eight, that guy that passed me is Eighty Eight!” He wasnt 88, I don’t think. “Eight eight 8 is great! Don’t hate, just be 8!” I find mile marker 8. My song is getting old.
“Nine nine! Nine is fine! N I N E ninnemugging cotton headed 9! N I N…N I N? Nine inch Nails! Closer! You let me violate you! You let me desecrate you! You’ve brought me closer to god!” I’m like over 5 hours into exercising. It’s hot. The run course is all hills my brain has switched to singing Closer by Nine Inch Nails. I can’t explain it. It happens. Looking for the 10 sign, the wheels fell off. The sun and hills, and fatigue set in and weighed heavy on my legs. I was walking way more than I wanted to. In the past, this is where my mind would’ve spiraled into the dark space. “I’m not good enough for this. I don’t belong.” Blah blah blah sad face. Not today Satan!! I “zoomed out” my outlook. Looked big picture. I used to suffer through and barely made time cut off. Now I’m blessed to be in good enough shape to finish 2 70.3 races in 13 days! That’s kind of impressive! I knew my run time was much slower than Michigan, but these conditions were a lot tougher!! I was still smiling. I wasn’t cramping. I would run some before I walked. I thanked all the volunteers and first responders. I cheered on others as they were headed out. The volunteers were amazing! Got me whatever I needed sprayed me with super soakers! Ice dumped down my back. They kept it fun!
About mile 12, there’s a group of 5-6 people clearly waiting for an athlete. The last guy is holding a sign that says, “It’s a boy!” I ask about it, and sure enough, we have a gender reveal party at the last mile of a 70.3!! I have to head into a Porto potty and I hear the commotion when the new dad reads the news he’s having a boy! That’s awesome! What a way to finish a race!
I hit the last hill and try to jog up it I think I did, maybe I walked little. I can’t remember. Brain was fried. I was tired.
Cross the finish line. A volunteer hands me a folded up hat and says my medal is inside. I thank her and all the volunteers for being there. I leave the finishers shoot and gotta spell check Finisher on the ribbon (since they misspelled it in Michigan). My ribbon is dark red and says “Relay Finisher”. What the hell?” I just finished the entire 70.3 by myself. I look around and see other athletes with a yellow ribbon that says 70.3 Finisher. I go right back to the shoot and my new friend Chris had just finished. He too did the 70.3 and is wearing a relay finisher medal. We go up to the volunteers and politely ask for a correct medal. I’m hopi g this was a small mishap and that Ironman didn’t order the wrong amount of medals…but their history isn’t promising. Chris and I grab some food and sit down. Another 2 athletes are seen with relay medals. I ask, they did the entire race. Shady shady ironman. There’s a Facebook post later on asking if others got relay medals. Not good IM, not good!
Overall, I’m happy and feel successful. Legs are sore, but no injury, no chafing and left with correct medal. I’m also happy my triathlon season is done. Four 70.3 races in 4 months is pushing it. I finished all 4. I loved some more than others. Chris Tech and Charlie Licata really helped me prepare for my races and I’m exited to watch them close out their seasons soon….while I’m chilling at the Potato or Chocolate Festivals!!
Congrats to Andy Kruth, David Sferella and Chris Kies for crushing their IM Muncie 70.3 races!
IRONDAD says Challenge yourself! Do epic shit! LIVE life! Do what makes ya happy! You are worth it! IRONDAD out !
