Having progressed in triathlon both in terms of speed and distance, I felt it was time for a big challenge. While the prospect of doing a full 140.6 Ironman triathlon had never appealed to me, I was curious to stretch out to a 70.3 half Ironman. I was in my physical prime, so I set myself up for my ultimate “A” race, the Muncie Endurathon. Not knowing if I would ever try the 70.3 distance again, I focused myself on making this one really count.
My race choice was part of the plan. Muncie is hot in the summer, but my thin build dissipates heat well and puts me at an advantage in those conditions. The gently rolling course in Indiana was practically flat by western Pennsylvania standards, again to my advantage. When up against a major challenge, there is no harm in stacking the deck a little in your favor.
I developed a progressive training plan to prepare myself physically. More importantly, I did an honest analysis of my strengths and weaknesses to develop my best possible race strategy. While I loved to ride my bike fast, I knew from studying my race splits that the run was truly my strongest event. To maximize my overall performance, I had to be disciplined and not go too fast on the bike so I could nail the run.
My family gathered from around the mid-west to attend the race. It was great to have the added moral support. I’m still not sure whether they were there to join in the celebration or to claim the body. Honestly, it could have gone either way.
Race day was hot and hazy. The lake was bath water, so no wet suits. I remember desperately wanting to be done with the swim so I could take off my swim cap and cool down a little. The bike course was fast, and my biggest challenge (other than trying to grab water bottles at speed) was staying on my planned pace when others passed me. I mustered my discipline and stayed conservative on the bike, while also keeping myself hydrated so I would be ready to attack the run. Everything went to plan, and I felt like I was flying when my shoes hit the pavement. I passed around 100 people during the run and ended up with the 10th fastest run split of the day. My finish time of 4:41:10 was good enough for 45th overall out of 700.
Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together? It doesn’t always happen that way, but with proper planning and preparation, it is possible to attain your peak moments. I showed a lot of potential that day, but I don’t regret that I never went 70.3 or longer again. I proved to myself that I could do it, and that was enough. The satisfaction of that day is with me forever.