Boise 70.3

Wow - what a gorgeous race course! Boise did not disappoint. I traveled with Laurel to this race - we haven't raced together before and thought it would be a fun girls' weekend. And, so many other friends would be racing that it was set up to be a fun trip. 

Bike check in 

The prerace setup was a bit complicated - T1, T2 and registration/the finish were all in different locations, and we had to drive our bikes and run bags all over the place. You definitely need a full day to get set up for Boise.  

Race morning - shuttle to start

Race morning is different since the race doesn't start until 10am. What to eat in the morning? How do I stop myself from freaking out when the alarm doesn't go off at 5am?! Ha! 

Pre-race with ONE Elite teammate Maureen

Race time!

This race was gorgeous. I heard this was a fast course, but that wasn't true for me. And, it seems that the times were slower than the past few years. I'm not sure if it's because of the super crazy wind out there, or the change in the course, but times were a bit off. 

Just before I got into the water, my Garmin froze. I was able to reset it, but wasn't sure what the problem was or if it would happen again. A little prerace stress, but all ended up well. Whew - problem aborted! 

Swim - 46:03

Many said the swim was long, and my garmin reads 2397 yards (half ironman is 2112 yards), but I didn't change my watch to transition until I ran up the hill, so maybe take off 50 yards or so. I was hoping for 40-42, so this was slow for me. Based on my Garmin file, I clearly didn't swim straight :)

Bike 2:59:28

One word: WINDY. 

Overall, I felt pretty good out there on the bike. The hills kept coming, and the wind was gnarly. And it was super fun! I love my bike!!! There were a couple of times where I had to come half out of aero to make sure I didn't fly over the guard rail. Wow. This was Kona wind. I was feeling pretty bad for the people who chose to race with a disk, or even in 808s.  I continue to race in my standby Rolf wheels with no dish, but fewer spokes. 

There is a significant descent just out of the water, but wind was blowing into our faces, so there wasn't much speed to be had. And, we rode in the left lane, with cars driving pretty close to you if you're riding far right like you should be. It was a bit treacherous. 

There are a couple of out and backs, and the three aid stations are places well. Finally, on a stretch about 15 miles from the finish, wind was finally to my back and I could get some speed. I was hoping to get back up over 19 mph, but it wasn't going to happen. 

This is a great course - i believe this is the kind of course I could ride really well with good training. I'd like to do this one again later. 

My nutrition was interesting thus far into the race - I had half a bagel with egg at 7:30am, with the intention of eating the rest before start, but I didn't get hungry, interestingly. Then I took in a gel 45 minutes and again 15 minutes before my swim start.  Then, only one honey stinger waffle and a half pack of chews during the bike. Along with one nuun tab in my water. That's it. I carried more, but I didn't need it. Hmmmm. 

My goal was 2:45, and I was lucky to sneak in just under 3 hours. My HR average was 157, 7 beats higher than Deuces. And, my deuces bike was faster. Interesting. Not sure if I am still recovering from Deuces (likely) or if the course was just plain tougher. I was worried about how the run was going to go, after my quads were heavy with soreness during the last 20 miles or so on the bike. But, have to admit, I was ready to get off the bike this time. 

Run 2:07:55

Okay, I have been back running (if you call it that) for about 8 weeks. I ran two 2-3 mile recovery runs since Deuces. Let's face it, this was going to hurt. I knew it going in. But, I honestly thought I could run 9:09s to break under two hours. The course is flat and pretty shady. My legs were in enough oxygen deprivation coming off the bike that I knew right away, this was going to be a tough one. I held under pace for about six miles, before I started to slip. I needed salt and more nutrition, but the aid stations weren't cutting it. I went in and out of feeling good and really crappy, but I kept my mind positive, and pushed through. 

I started going in and out of dizzy with about 4 miles left, which was too far to push hard through it. I walked a few steps of my first aid station around mile 8, to get in a good chug of watered down Gatorade. Just after this, I started running with a guy named Ken from Minneapolis. It was good to have some company. With about 3 miles left, the race almost got the best of me. I told Ken that my goal was not to walk and that I'd been successful so far. He told me that he would keep me honest, and he pushed my when I wanted to walk. I was in tough shape the last 3 miles. 

Worst I've ever felt, while pushing through, in the run leg of a triathlon. I managed to run (slog is more appropriate) the entire race and get through it at a 9:45 average. I was off, but I truly gave it everything out there this weekend - I can say that for sure. 

Finish: 5:57:54

14th in AG 40-44

When your time goals drop along the way, you have to adjust your thinking so you don't give up. My last adjusted goal was to get done under 6 hours, which I did, just barely. 

This photo describes it all. When I have given everything, my legs collapse and I have to get them in the air to get the blood OUT. I was done. For about an hour, I was a train wreck. I scarfed down a piece of pizza so fast that I don't know where it went. 

My teammate Maureen was 4th in her age group and proudly took a slot to 70.3 Worlds in Austria for the end of August. She's awesome! 

Okay, so I technically got a Worlds roll down slot, but I gave it up - the trip this year doesn't make sense to make. Maybe Australia 2016 😎😎

Now what?

I'm not signed up for anything else this year. Since I seem to be running injury free, it's time for me to put some effort back into building my run back. So, I will be searching for some run races to sign up for. Maybe a couple of 10ks or maybe a half marathon. I'll be looking at calendars in the next few weeks to scope it out. 

Thanks again to my awesome team ONE Multisport and our generous sponsors Destination Kona, Right Auto, Cyclologic, Endurance Rehab, Lush Burger, OHSO, Four Peaks, ONE Realty Group, Penguin Air, etc etc.