2015 St George Ironman 70.3 was an awesome race. The weather was perfect, the course was challenging, and the scenery was beautiful. Here's a quick run down and some lessons learned.
The swim
Ironman 70.3 starts groups of swimmers in age-group waves separated by four minute intervals. My age group was so large that it was divided into three start groups which made for a relatively tranquil swim start. Further, the clarity of water at Sand Hallow Reservoir was stunning. I could easily see the swimmers around me as well as some water features (red rocks, etc) and mountains in the background. The water temperature was perfect for a full-sleeve wet suit. Since we only had four minutes to warm-up, I started the race easy and picked up the pace after about 200 yards to something sustainable. I exited the water in 34 min and some change which is pretty good for me. All the sighting and water-polo drills paid off. (Note, I'm the crazy dad waving at my kids in the picture below.)
Ironman 70.3 starts groups of swimmers in age-group waves separated by four minute intervals. My age group was so large that it was divided into three start groups which made for a relatively tranquil swim start. Further, the clarity of water at Sand Hallow Reservoir was stunning. I could easily see the swimmers around me as well as some water features (red rocks, etc) and mountains in the background. The water temperature was perfect for a full-sleeve wet suit. Since we only had four minutes to warm-up, I started the race easy and picked up the pace after about 200 yards to something sustainable. I exited the water in 34 min and some change which is pretty good for me. All the sighting and water-polo drills paid off. (Note, I'm the crazy dad waving at my kids in the picture below.)
The Bike
The 56-mile challenging bike course was set in the backdrop of beautiful red rocked hills and the majestic beauty of Snow Canyon. I continue to learn more about training and racing with a power meter. I started out the bike 10 watts below my target for 20 minutes and then tried to hit my watt target through the remainder of the bike. When I hit steep hills, I saw some riders blow by me only to crash later in the race. My power meter guided my effort much more accurately than a HR monitor alone can do. After the race, my coach calculated that the first half of my bike was one watt lower than the second half of my bike. Perfect. My bike split was about 2:37. Not bad for the hilly St. George course and no race wheels.
The 56-mile challenging bike course was set in the backdrop of beautiful red rocked hills and the majestic beauty of Snow Canyon. I continue to learn more about training and racing with a power meter. I started out the bike 10 watts below my target for 20 minutes and then tried to hit my watt target through the remainder of the bike. When I hit steep hills, I saw some riders blow by me only to crash later in the race. My power meter guided my effort much more accurately than a HR monitor alone can do. After the race, my coach calculated that the first half of my bike was one watt lower than the second half of my bike. Perfect. My bike split was about 2:37. Not bad for the hilly St. George course and no race wheels.
The Run
The St. George run course is hilly enough to frighten a billy goat. I started off conservative for 15 minutes and then gradually picked up speed. I was grateful for my family's encouragement at miles 5 and 7. My aunt, uncle, brother, cousin, my family, and their families were all present. At one point, two guys in my age-group were 20 meters in front of me as we approached my family who were all cheering me on like crazy Seahawk fans at the super bowl. That encouragement gave me the oomph to pass the guys with gusto. We now call that technique the 'Whitesides family 1, 2 pow.' My run split was 1:33. Not bad given the course and the limited running I've been doing for the past three months because of hamstring tendinitis.. The final two miles of the run course are sloped slightly downhill so I finished with 5:30 mile splits. That made-up for some of the slower splits while climbing the hills.
The St. George run course is hilly enough to frighten a billy goat. I started off conservative for 15 minutes and then gradually picked up speed. I was grateful for my family's encouragement at miles 5 and 7. My aunt, uncle, brother, cousin, my family, and their families were all present. At one point, two guys in my age-group were 20 meters in front of me as we approached my family who were all cheering me on like crazy Seahawk fans at the super bowl. That encouragement gave me the oomph to pass the guys with gusto. We now call that technique the 'Whitesides family 1, 2 pow.' My run split was 1:33. Not bad given the course and the limited running I've been doing for the past three months because of hamstring tendinitis.. The final two miles of the run course are sloped slightly downhill so I finished with 5:30 mile splits. That made-up for some of the slower splits while climbing the hills.
Summary:
- This race was a stepping stone to a larger goal of racing well at Ironman Lake Tahoe in September. I'm very happy with the progress made towards preparing for my priority race this year thanks to Coach Liz.
- The Whitesides Family 1, 2 pow was awesome. We definitely need to do that again.
- A bicycle power meter is a really helpful tool for pacing well in an Ironman.
- While challenging, St George Ironman 70.3 is a fantastic spring race. We'll be back next year!
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