Tempe Road Trip: Arizona Ironman 2012

Arizona Ironman Finish Line

So, I have officially, well at least mentally, committed to my first Ironman distance triathlon, Ironman Arizona 2012.  Because of the demand for most Ironman events, the only way to guarantee that I can have the 'privilege' of competing is to volunteer at the previous year's event.  So, that's what I did.  My friend Jason and I decided to make the road trip out to Tempe, Arizona and work as a volunteer at the 2011 race.

We signed up for our volunteer spots a couple months ago.  I suggest doing this, since you'll have a better selection of volunteer options.  There's about one volunteer per racer at a large event like this.  Jason and I chose a shift at one of the run aid stations.  We were able to get an early shift, and a short one too.  More on that later.

As Jason likes to say, "to make a long story longer", here goes...My daughters were staying with Grandma, so I was all set.  We drove out Friday night, and were staying at a budget motel, a couple miles away from the race area.  The volunteer meeting was 9am on Saturday morning, so we headed over a little early to check out the expo area.  You could feel the energy in the air around the expo area.  The athletes were checking in their gear, and they had one last chance to get in a practice swim at Tempe Brown..er..um...Town Lake.

Before the swim start

After the volunteer meeting, Jason and I hung around the expo area for a while, running in to a few friends, and then off to lunch, Fatburger.  What? I'm not racing this year.  This was my first visit to downtown Tempe, and I really like the Mill St. area.  Later in the evening we met some friends for dinner, three of the four of them were racing Sunday morning.  The Mill St. area was super busy with everyone in town for the Ironman race and that night was the ASU/Arizona football game.  We made it an early night, since the plan was to get up and watch the start of the race.

Aid Station set-up

Race morning, we made our way to one of the bridges over the water.  As the crowd grew, we realized we were on the 'wrong' bridge.  Since we didn't have time to get over to the 'right' bridge, we watched the start from where we were.  If you haven't seen a mass swim start of a large event like this, it's pretty amazing.  2,500 people all swimming together, to the same location.  I suggest going to YouTube and search for "Ironman Arizona swim start."

Bike coral, pre-race

Next, we headed to the swim exit to watch the pros and lead AGers come out of the water.  Somewhere around 70-75 minutes after the AGers start, the transition area starts to get hectic.  The volunteers handing out the T1 bags and the bikes can't keep up with the flow of people.  From there, we moved over to watch the bikers as they headed out on the three loop bike course.  We began to make our way over towards where our run aid station was, but we still had some time to kill so we stood along the bike course and cheered on the racers as they went out on their 112 mile journey.  We had time to wait for the pros to finish their first lap and see them as they come back into Tempe towards 'hot corner.'  Hot corner is a spot on the course where you can sit and watch the bikes as well as the runners.  This is probably the most spectator friendly race I've been too, which is one of the reasons I chose it for my first full 140.6 race.

Keep going Frank

From there, we made our way to our aid station.  Our shift was the first shift, which basically meant that we were there to unload the truck and set up the aid station for the long day ahead.  This aid station was mostly filled with volunteers from a local college women's rowing team.  Our shift was done even before the pros came through, so we decided to stay and work a little longer.  Ultimately, we ended up staying for an extra four hours.  This gave us a chance to see the top pros go by on each of the three loops, and we had a chance to see all of our friends come through.

After dinner, we headed over to the finish line to watch some of the finishers come through.  This is a very inspirational part of the race.  You're seeing people that have just raced for 8 to 17 hours continuously.  The bulk of the top AGers come through between 9 and 11 hours.  One of the great traditions of Ironman races is for the top pros to come back to the finish line to cheer on the racers coming through at the final hour, hours 16 to 17.

Monday morning was the main reason I was there, to sign up for next year.  The volunteer registration opened up at 8am, which is when I got in line.  Well, almost three hours later, I made it to the registration tent, and I did it, I signed up for Arizona Ironman 2012.  I later heard that the online registration sold out in 10 minutes, so I'm glad I made the trip.  Jason promised he'll be out there to volunteer again next year, and of course, sign up for 2013.  I'll make sure he doesn't forget.

And so it begins, my journey to complete my first Ironman race...

Me and Tim O'donnell

Lindsey Corbin

Eneke Llanos

Race Recap: Big Rock Olympic (10/15/11)

There are quite a few things I enjoy about this race.  First, it's not too far from home, so I can sleep in my own bed.  Next, it's relatively inexpensive.  The water temperature is usually pretty good, I almost consider going without a wetsuit, almost.  There's also two times to race during the year, April and October, so it's a good fitness test for the beginning and ending of the 'season.'

This is the third time at this race for me, so I'm pretty comfortable and relaxed going into the weekend, maybe too relaxed, because my training has already slid into off-season mode.  This is partly because I still have lingering soreness from Runner's Knee.  Going into the race, I had no expectations for a fast race, considering that I haven't run longer than 4 miles since Wildflower (4/30/11).

With my wife out of town, I dropped my daughters off at Grandma and Grandpa's house the night before.  They're not old enough yet to be left alone at the race venue while I'm out swimming, biking and running.  So, home alone, I got the transition bag and bike all set up the night before.  My morning breakfast was a Clif bar, banana and water.

It was a nice morning, and I set up my transition area near my friend Jason.  This is his third race and first time at this distance.  As I walked to the water, I had a caffeine free GU pack.  I don't need any extra jitters that caffeine may cause before starting the swim.

The Swim (28.42 @ 1:54/100 pace)

This is slower than the last time I did this race (1 minute), probably due to my sighting.  The swim is two loops in Lake Perris, and the first loop felt good.  Several times I caught myself drifting away from the buoys and having to correct my direction.  The second loop felt good, but the fogged rolled in.  The combination of fog on the water and foggy goggles, really didn't help my zigzag swimming.

T1 (4:46)

Yes, that's a long transition time, but it's a long run up from the water the the transition area.  First, you run up the sand, then across the grass, then onto the asphalt to get your gear.  I decided to take off my wetsuit as I got to the grass.  Really, it was just an experiment to see how it worked out.  I actually sat to pull the wetsuit over my feet.  In the past, I've cramped trying to get my feet out.  Socks on, shoes on, helmet on, Garmin on, go.

The Bike (1:13.48 @ 20.21mph)

This is a two loop bike course with one hill out of the transition area, and another steep hill heading back into the Lake Perris entrance.  Overall, this was two minutes slower than my April race.  I'm pleased that I broke 20mph again, maybe next time I can break 21.  On the bike, I had another GU pack, and drank maybe 16 ounces of my diluted Gatorade.

T2 (1:04)

Darn! Almost broke one minute. Next time.  I took a small swig of diluted Gatorade, then changed my shoes, grabbed by race belt, visor and glasses, and I was off running.

The Run from Hell (54:09 @8:42/mi pace)

On races that don't require you to wear your race bib on the bike, I like to put it on as I start out of the transition area.  My race belt (SPI Belt) has a pouch for another GU Roctane, pineapple.  Yes, it was the run from hell, not because of the course, but because of the stomach cramps that I had from the first mile, all the way through the finish line. The last time I ran this course, my pace was 8:01/mi..  I took a little water at each aid station, and waited until about mile 4 for the GU Roctane.  By that time, it was anything I could do to convince myself to keep running.  I've never had stomach cramps  like this from running.  The occasional side stitch maybe, but nothing like this.  Looking back, I don't know what caused it, possibly not enough training in the aero position and not enough brick workouts.

Final (2:42:31)

10th out of 15 in 35-39AG, and 45th overall

My worst race in terms of how I performed against my age group, but hopefully some fuel for doing better next year.

Onyx Summit Ride

Self portrait, while riding

The ride up to Onyx Summit is something I've been talking about doing for a while.  My brother-in-law lives in Redlands, so he and I finally made the plans and did it.

We parked at a local community park in Yucaipa.  From there, it was just a couple miles to Highway 38 and ultimately our trek up to Onyx Summit. We left early in the morning, and the goal was to ride into Big Bear City and meet our family there for lunch.  Since there was no real pressure to push it, we kept a comfortable pace the entire ride, stopping occasionally for small breaks.

Our first break was at Angelus Oaks.  If you're a mountain biker and haven't ridden the trails around Angelus Oaks, you're missing out on some great riding.  We couldn't have picked a better day to do this ride.  Other than a brief drizzle near Onyx Summit, it was sunny and in the low 70's the entire day.

Onyx Summit is at about 8,400 feet of elevation, and our ride was a total of 7,000 feet of climbing.  After stopping at the summit, the ride into Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City is pretty easy.  The downhill after the summit is fun.  It's not too steep to be dangerous, and that day there weren't too many cars on the road either.

We capped our ride off with some great Mexican food, and then headed down the hill in my SUV.

Here's the Garmin file to check out the route.

Big Bear/Onyx Summit Climb by jsteen00@yahoo.com at Garmin Connect - Details

David at the summit

Lots of space to ride

Race Recap: Pacific Coast Triathlon (9/11/11)

Other than my still sore knee, I was really looking forward to this race.  Because of a variety of reasons, this was the first time my wife and my mom were going to see a triathlon in person.  No extra pressure there, right?  Well, I was not only doing the race, but I was volunteering at the race expo on Saturday for the OC Tri Club.  I enjoy working with the club, and Saturday was a great chance to meet a lot of new people.  Since my mom was in town, she and my daughters came with me on Saturday, and while I was at the booth, my daughters and grandma got to spend some time on the beach.  Unfortunately, it was a bit chilly and cloudy, not exactly what Grandma from Nevada wanted to see in California.

So, before I go into the race, the only negative to this race is the location.  Don't get me wrong, it's super scenic, the problem is the parking.  Unless you get there really early, and carpool, you're at least a mile away.  This isn't bad for the racers with bikes, just a bummer for the spectators that have to find parking and then walk (sorry Shannon).

Also, an extra cool part about the race this year, since it was on 9/11/11, was the firemen out on the course.  It was great to see them running in their gear, holding an American flag.  I can only imagine how heavy and hot it was running in that gear, and the boots too.  It was a nice tribute to those that lost their lives on 9/11.

The 1/2 Mi. Swim (14:22 @ 1:47/100 pace)

The swim starts about a 1/4 mile down the beach from the transition area, so it's a nice walk to the starting line.  My age group was the third wave to go out.  The water temperature seemed good, maybe 65. Since this was a beach start on an ocean swim, there's always the challenge of getting through the surf.  Fortunately, the surf was pretty mild and close to shore, so there was only one crashing wave to contend with.  Diving under was fine, but it knocked my goggles down my face.  I got them back on quick, but never was able to get them sealed on my right eye.  This meant I was forced to do most of my breathing on the left, the ocean side.  At least it was a short swim, so I just had to deal with it.  Other than that, this was my favorite swim of the the races I've done.  The temperature was good, the water was clear and calm, and I actually spend a decent amount of time swimming in a pack.  This is something I've never managed to do for any length of time.

T1 (4:17)

Exiting the water, I felt good.  Now it was time to tackle the hill.  To get the the transition area, you have to head up a super steep, paved path.  I walked most of it, but occasionally jogged. The path is lined with spectators, so it's great encouragement to keep running.  OK, socks, shoes, helmet and watch, and I'm off.

The 12 Mi. Bike (38:26 @18.73mph)

The bike route is two loops, entirely on PCH.  This bike course is mostly rolling hills, there's never a long stretch of flat road.  I felt OK on the bike, but I know I should have been a little faster.  This is a course I'm sure I could average 20mph, next time maybe.

T2 (1:26)

Not much to saw here.  I changed my shoes, grabbed my visor and racing belt, and then off to run.

The 3 Mi. Run (22:26 @ 7:14/mi. pace)

I need to go back and check my Garmin on this distance.  I heard there was a course change due to some beach erosion, so it probably wasn't a full 3 miles.  I know I didn't run a 7:14/mi pace, since this was my first race since Wildflower in April, and my Runners Knee has kept me from running more than 6-8 miles per week.  Anyway, the start of the run was the first time I saw Shannon and the girls.  It's a great boost of energy to see your family there cheering for you.  Any chance I could have them show up every mile on the run when I do an Ironman?  Is that asking too much?  The run course is a nice trail along the coast.  It's an out and back so you also get to see people you know.  Since this is an OC race, there were plenty of OC Tri Club members to see along the race course.  Jumping to the end, I saw someone in my age group not too far ahead of me, so I made a push to pass him before the final 200 yards.  I don't want to be that guy that sprints the last 50 yards just to cross the finish line right in front of a fellow AGer.

Final (1:20.58)
21 out of 58 in 35-39 AG, and 148/442 Men

Overall, a pretty good day, looking forward to doing this race again next year.

Race Recap: Firecracker 5k (7/4/11)

The Anaheim Hills Annual Firecracker 5k is a race I've always thought about doing, but never did.  So, I signed up a few days before the race to try my first 5k.  This race literally goes 200 yards from the front door of my house.  

Like any other race, I looked at the previous results and tried to figure out where I 'could' finish against others in my age group.  Based on last year, I had a chance of top 5.  The race is basically an out and back along Santa Ana Canyon Road, with the 5k race turnaround spot about a mile past my house, and hopefully my cheering family.

So, the race started and I went out at a quick pace, all of that nervous energy was keeping me faster than a 7:00/mile pace.  As I ran past where my family was, it was great to see my wife and kids there.  It was an early morning for them, just to see me run by twice.  By the way, I really need to teach my daughters how to cheer, maybe I'll give them a cow bell or something next time. 

So this recap isn't longer than the race, I'll wrap it up.  I ended up with an official time of 22:07.  This put me in 2nd out of 25 in my age group, and only 18 seconds behind the fastest in my AG.

An added bonus is that my daughters said they want to do the race next year.

Race Recap: Avia Wildflower Long Course (4/30/11)

My home for the weekend

OK, I'll try to keep this as brief as possible, but not only is this my first 70.3 race, but it's Wildflower, you know, the "Woodstock of triathlons."  Me and my carpool buddy Frank headed up Thursday night so that we could have Friday to get settled, checked in, and check out some of the course.

Race Morning (Saturday):
I woke up around 6am, with plans to walk to the race area around 7am. The race started at 8am and my wave went out at 8:40am. Our camp-site was at least a mile away, so the early morning walk helped get me warmed up.

The transition area is huge, and organized by race numbers, so it was pretty easy to find where I set up. I went through the usual set up routine and as I unpacked by transition bag I realized I left behind my sunglasses. Oh well, another lesson learned, I guess. Anyway, after I was done, I headed down to the swim start area, about 15 minutes early.

the swim exit

1.2 Mile SWIM (39:14 or 2:01/100):
The starting waves were 5 minutes apart, so there was plenty of time to get in and out of the water to get wet before the swim. The horn went off, and my long day started. The start was pretty smooth, no major collisions. The 1.2 mile swim is basically a large rectangle after you make it to the first buoy. I'll have to say, the swim was pretty non-eventful, and I chugged along at my usually slow pace. There was one section of the swim where we swam through some floating branches, twigs, plants, etc. That was a first for me in a race. The one low point of my swim was a cramp in one of my calves. Ultimately, it probably only cost me about a minute.  It's happened before, but I ultimately didn't know how it would effect me on such a long and tough course.

T1 (4:48)
Found my bike, no problem there. The water exit is maybe 50 yards from the transition area.  I took my time, because I knew I wouldn't be back there for about 3 hours. I made the decision to wear gloves. I thought they would be helpful with the up and downhill sections. I also decided to use my heart rate monitor, another race first for me. 

56 Mile BIKE (3:11.49 @ 17.52 mph)
The start of the bike is flat, but windy and a little slow, until you get to the first hill, Beach Hill. I think this is the steepest climb of the course, and it's about a mile. At the top, I spotted another OC Tri Club member on the bike. We weren't the biggest club in the race, so it was cool to see another member. Right away, I could tell the bike was going to be rough, because of the winds. There was one stretch, maybe about 8 miles, with a solid head wind. I was working hard to keep a 15+mph pace in the aero position. Next was a right turn, onto another 2-lane country road, now the wind was coming hard from the left. This was a long stretch, maybe 20 miles, of flat road with some rolling hills. Along here, there were a couple bike crashes, likely from the winds. As the miles piled up, I knew Nasty Grade was coming. Nasty Grade is the 5 mile climb that starts at about mile 42 of the bike leg of the race.  There was an aid station at the bottom, so I dumped any extra water, and began the climb. I mixed it up between standing and sitting while peddling. It was a tough 5 miles, but I made it. The view towards the top is great, looking down on both lakes. Now, the downhill...I'm not a fast downhill rider, especially when there's wind, so I don't think I let myself get any higher than 35. The last 5 miles before T2 are all just a blur, but I was pleased with my time of 3:11. My goal was 3:00, but with the winds, I didn't want to push it too much.

T2 (3:18)
Again, I took my time here. I chose comfort over speed and even changed my socks. I did have one little delay, when I went down the wrong aisle to rack my bike.  I did take a moment to apply sunscreen on my arms, but I later learned that it was too little too late.

13.1 Mile RUN (2:01.33 @9:16/mi pace)
I don't know the exact count, but the run course is probably 70% trails, with quite a few hills.  Anyway, off the bike, I really had to go to the bathroom. I 'held it' while on the bike, but couldn't anymore, so I stopped at a portable about a mile into the run. I actually started running at a good pace. I checked my watch a couple times and my pace was 7:45ish, which is too fast for me, so I intentionally slowed down to conserve my legs, because I knew there were plenty of hills ahead. Just before mile 2, we run up a little hill and right by the OC Tri Club camp site. The cheers were a big boost, and great motivation. After mile 2, the run course varies so much, and is rarely flat for even 1 mile. I loved that there were aid stations nearly every mile. A little water, Gatorade and gels spread out so frequently along the course make the run a little more bearable. Some of the hills are killers, I had to walk several stretches of climbs. 

 

Around Mile 3 on the Run

I think around mile 7 or 8, the course goes through the main campground. This area was a lot of fun. People cheering, cowbells, crazy costumes, all help distract you from your legs screaming at you. As you exit the campground area, your back on asphalt, and downhill for a good mile, but the entire time, you see others heading up the hill you're running down. In your head, you know that the further you run down this hill, you need to run back up after the turnaround point. Needless to say, the last uphill is a killer. I kept running, no matter how slow my pace, and quite a few people would mix between running and walking. Finally, the final turn to the last mile....all downhill. The bad news for me was that my knee was hurting, bad, and downhill running was making it hurt more. I couldn't run faster than a 10:00/mi pace. As I rounded the final corner to head down to the finish line, I realized that I was going to hit my stretch goal of 6 hours, and of course, I instantly thought about all the little things I could have down to get me to 5:59.

I ended up at 6:00:42, 78th out of 216 finishers in my AG. Not bad for my first 70.3. I'm already mentally planning for next year.

Special thanks to all the club members, their friends and family, that came out for such a great weekend. It was great having such a good crowd of friends around, and it was especially nice that Stan and his wife Nancy got there early to claim some camping real estate for all of us. 

The finish line!

The view down the finish line

Race Recap: Big Rock Olympic (4/15/11)

So this is my first race of the 2011 season, and two weeks out from Wildflower.  The goal here is to iron out any kinks, and start to mentally get into race mode.

This is the second time for me at this race, and this time my fitness is much better, so the expectation is to cut some time off my last race. The race started at 7:30, and there was a sprint and a mountain bike tri also running at the same time and location. This is a smaller race, so probably a good race to choose for a first triathlon.

The 1.5k Swim (27:50 @1:51/100 pace)

This is also the first race in my new Xterra wetsuit.  I've only done one pool swim with it so far.  I made my way down to the water to give myself at least 15 minutes to get acclimated to the water. It was chilly, but not bad. If I had to guess, low-mid 60's. Well, as I was walking into the water, I went to pull my goggles on and the small plastic piece that goes across the bridge of your nose, snapped. Doh! Fortunately, I always bring a spare set, but anyone that has done this race knows the run back to transition is long and uphill (see T1 times later). So, I jogged up the beach, across the grass, across the asphalt and back to my transition area. Then, back to the beach. I still had a couple minutes to get in the water before my wave left (7:33am, wave #2).

OK, so the horn sounds, and into the water we go. It took about 100 yards for the group to space out a little, I think there were about 50-60 in my wave. Anyway, the swim went ok, I just chugged along around the 2 lap course. It was probably nerves, or just lack of open water practice, but I pretty much scrapped my usual mode of breathing every three strokes, and stuck with every two. If I had to guess, my second lap was a little faster, because I was relaxing more and actually thinking about swim technique.

I was surprised that my swim time was slower than last year, which was 25:45. Looking at others' swim times, it seems that overall, swim times were longer this year than in October. Not sure why, maybe the course was slightly different.

T1 5:06):
This is a long run up the beach, and a slight incline, then across some grass, which is actually nice because it helps get the sand off your feet. I actually made the decision to strip the wetsuit on the grass, rather than taking it off in my crowded transition row.

My T1 time was 5:06, versus 6:05 last year. Last year, I had some issues with cramping and getting the wetsuit off. 

40k Bike (1:11.48 @20.77 mph):
The bike course is two loops, with a small hill leaving the park area and then one steeper hill coming back into the park. Road conditions are ok here, and overall it seems like a safe course. The bike is my favorite of the three portions, and this year, I rode a borrowed carbon Specialized Transition, rather than my road bike. I was able to cut a few minutes off last year's time (1:11:48, versus 1:16:09). On the second loop, I was feeling the pressure to go to the bathroom. I've never been able to do this while riding, so I made the decision to hold it, and fortunately, it never became an issue and I didn't have to stop at the port-a-poddies

My bike leg actually started stressful before the race even began. I realized I left my c02 at home. I decided not to risk riding without a way to fix a flat, so I taped a small pump to the top tube. Yes, I had tape and an extra bike pump in my car, but no c02. I felt bad taping a pump to such a beautiful bike, and a little embarrassed too.

T2 (1:18):
Not much to say here, rack the back, change your shoes and grab the visor and go.  (last year was 1:04, versus 1:18 this year) A little slower, maybe I was quicker with the shoes last year.

10k Run (49:59 @8:02/mi):
This course is an out and back, along a running trail near the lake. This year, I decided to wear my Garmin for the bike and run. I've been running with it quite a bit, and it helps me keep pace sometimes. Anyway, as usual, I started slow, but kept short strides. I'm a relatively slow runner, so my goal was to average 7:59 pace for the 10k (I just wanted to see that 7, instead of an 8). Well, my first three miles had splits below 8:00, but the next three were 8:09, 8:11 and 8:06. My time was 49:59, which was a little better than last year's 51:53. Almost 2 minutes better.

So, last year was 2:40:59, and this year was 2:36:03, just about 5 minutes better than October, not bad, but I was hoping for a little more. I still think something changed with the swim course, but oh well.

And finally, what I'm sure we all do, here's how I did against everyone else:
Overall, 55/217 (my age group is going to be bigger than this at Wildflower)
Age Group, 9/31 (two minutes faster and I would have been 7/31)

Anyway, hope this is interesting or helpful or encouraging for someone out there. Now it's time to finish the last of my training for Wildflower long course, my first 70.3 race.

The Finish Line (a day early)

Race Recap: Surf City Half Marathon

Here it is, my first running race.  I've slowly been building up my mileage for 4 months, and it's finally here.  This is also a race I would file under "Unfortunate Timing." It is the day after a good friend's 40th birthday party. Who's got two thumbs and gets to be a designated driver?  m/ This Guy \m

On registration day, I took my daughters and dog with me.  It was a nice day, so I figured we'd walk around Huntington Beach a little while we were there.  One cool and unexpected thing about the race check-in process...dog-sitters.  The race organizers actually had volunteers there that would watch your dog for you while you completed your registration in the large circus tent at the expo area.

So, after a late night and an early morning, I drove to meet up with my carpool buddies Dave and Jill.  Dave was nice enough to drop Jill and I off near the starting corrals.  As with other popular races, parking and logistics is a separate adventure in itself, so it was nice to be dropped off.

The OC Tri Club had a canopy set up on PCH, so we had a place to meet and even leave our bags during the race.  I felt good, and was anxious to start.  I had a good idea about my pace, so I headed to the "1:50" corral.  As it got closer to starting, I had one GU pack, plus I had two more stashed in my race belt.  I hadn't tried the race gel, so I didn't want to risk trying something new during a race.

And, we're off.  Wow, it's crowded.  Triathlons are never this crowded running, maybe swimming, but not running.  Speaking of triathlons, since headphones aren't allowed, I opted not to use them on this race.  Ultimately, this race is preparation for Wildflower in April.

The race was pretty non-eventful.  I took small drinks of water at each aid station.  I had heard this was a faster course with only one true hill, but mostly flat.  The crowd support was great, and the creative signs always make me laugh.

The home stretch is a straight shot down PCH.  I was feeling good so I decided to up my pace a little.  Unfortunately, I forgot to set my Garmin to record 1 mile splits, so I don't know exactly how much faster I was at the end.  I do know one thing, the blisters were coming, and the last 3 miles, they made their presence known, with every step. 

I crossed the finish line at 1:48.12, with an average pace of 8:16/mile. This put me at 174 out of 766 (23%) in my age group and 1017 out of 4098 (21%) for men. Wow, there were 1016 men ahead of me.  That's more people than were in the last two triathlons I did, combined.

Overall, it was a good race.  Other than a couple blisters, I was feeling ok.  Now, off to a Super Bowl party.  What did you do on Super Bowl Sunday?