(This pic was taking while I was starting my 2nd loop)I've been dreading writing my race report.... but here it goes:
Sunday, June 15 (Father's day) I woke up at 4:30am in Lawrence, KS and got ready to go to Clinton Lake. My friends from STL picked me up at the hotel and we drove the 25ish min ride.
Parked and walked to race site to get body marked and set up transition area.
Got my 995 number on both arms and legs and 34 on my right calf.
Went to see Diabla (my bike) and started getting all my stuff together.... I was a bit nervous, anxious and excited. Got it all set up and ready, grabbed my wetsuit and walked towards the lake. I missed the professionals start (6:45am) because I stopped at the bathroom... D'oh!
Put my wetsuit on and got in the water, swam for a bit and peed again... :)
The announcer went: 30 seconds... later: 15... then: 10.... and: 5... 4... 3... 2... (horn) the M 30-34 age group wearing PINK swimming caps started the 1.2 miles swim at 7:06am.
Swim was pretty good, no problems at all. Tried to draft a couple of times... but there were too many people so I did my own thing. - Swim time: 38min 14sec -
Got out of the lake, took goggles and PINK cap off and started taking wetsuit off while I jogged to transition area. A soon as I got there, turned my Garmin on, took wetsuit off, put socks, shoes, helmet, sunglasses and Garmin on and headed towards the bike exit area. - T1 time: 3min 30sec -
Started the HILLY 56 mile bike course.... but when I say hilly I mean H.I.L.L.Y. I'm just going to quote event co-director Ryan Robinson: "we did the elevation chart on it, (the bike course)it's actually one of the hilliest courses in North America that Ironman offers." Thank God I did some hill training because it paid off. The bike is my weakest leg but it went better than expected. I felt great the whole time, nutrition worked excellent. I trained with Perpetuem by Hammer Nutrition. It took me a bit to get used to the flavor/taste but on race day I had no problems. I set my Garmin to beep every 25 min and will have 1-2 sips each time. - Bike time: 3hrs 10min -
Returned to transition, got off Diabla and jogged to get my running stuff. Pretty easy and simple... got my shoes and visor on and off I went. - T2 time: 1min 45sec -
Started the 2 loop run and here's when the craziness started. I was still feeling pretty good.. a couple of minor aches here and there but nothing huge, normal stuff. Walked through the water stations... had either H2O or Gatorade and I poured some water on my head and back each time. They had sponges as well which I grabbed to cool down. By mile 8-9 the sky started to get grey and then almost black.... the wind started to pick up and then it was hard and strong.... and then lightning started. When I was in my second loop, running by transition and the finish area (around mile 11) suddenly three volunteers stood in front of us and started routing us towards the finish chute going: "sorry guys but the course has been closed due to bad weather"
It happened so fast.... totally unexpected..... I followed these two other guys and we crossed the finish line... I heard my name, this girl gave me a medal, this other guy gave me water and some other made me stop to get the chip.... I was like... What just happened?!??!? It took me a bit to realize it... I did not do 70.3? I saw my wife and kids coming towards me all happy and proud, taking pictures and that... I was still confused... in disbelieve..... I kept having this thought: OMG, I did not do 70.3! I had about 2 miles to go..... 2 more miles!!! Even now as I type I pause and think over and over again.... I did not do 70.3!! How disappointing eh?
I was standing there with my wife and kids.... looking at other athletes going through similar frustration as I was.... a girl grabbed the medal and threw it on the floor... another girl was crying, a guy started yelling at the volunteers.... it was aweful!
I thought: I am going to go and run 2 more miles! - but I didn't think it was fair on my family.. they have been waiting there for a little over 5 hrs and a half and it was going to start raining in any minute. I just told them: let me go grab my bike and let's go... went and took all my gear, started to rain and we walked to the car. While I walked to the car the "what if" thoughts kept coming to my head... I saw all these other athletes walking to the parking lot upset... sad... mad...
- Run time: 1hr 42min... NOT! that is with out the last 2 miles I still had to go. -
So my "official" posted time is: 5:36:36 I would add 18 minutes to that, so I guess I could say my time was (or could have been) 5 hours and 54 minutes. I think I would have done it under 6 hrs.
In a nutshell:
I know they did what they did for our own safety but then again, while I was leaving there were people still running.... go figure!
The Expo... eh! Small and unimpressive for an Ironman event.
The race t-shirt... a size - or two - bigger than what they truly were.... for $200+ registration fee? not impressed.
The volunteers were very nice, I personally did not have any problems. They were very supportive.
Would I go back to Lawrence again for this race? NO FREAKING WAY!
PC
8 comments:
It crushes me to read the race reports from you and all of the others that I have been following that didn't get to finish this race. It is so unfair and I can honestly say I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I only had two more miles to go and got pulled from the course. Try to look at the bright spots of the day, you were obviously having any amazing race so take that energy into your next 70.3 and really bring it home!
Uh yeah.
I concur, but of course, you know what happened to me - just as disappointed.
But hey - I got to meet you and that was cool!
I'm not going to do Kansas next year either. Sorry that you had such a bad experience...but your time (or what would have been your time) is GREAT!!! I know, it's not the same, but still great.
Now you have something to build on. And any other 70.3 you do won't ever be as bad as this one. :)
Disappoinment doesn't describe it and unless you work that hard, for that long and come that close, I think it's hard to understand. At the same time, the rest of the race went well. Ah, life.
It was great to meet you and put a face to a screen name. If you race in KC or if we head to STL we'll have to get together.
I hear ya. I was just about to start my 2nd lap, feeling good after that coldfront blew in, when.... ARRRRGH!!! And then, no thunder, no lightning (that I could see) and, what, 20 minutes or so of rain? Lawrence was a bust. I'm signing up for Austin in Oct. Are you in?
sooooo sorry to hear this!!! i agree with the others though, the time you did and would have accomplished is awesome. while you didn't officially finish you did get see how your training paid off on your bike leg. this event totally prepares you for the rest of your planned season!!
great job!!!
so sorry-especially since it seemed like you were having a brilliant day. Alas, Mother Nature had other plans and she always wins. At least you were happy and healthy when they stopped the race. As always, it can always be worse! Go get 'em at the next one!
patricio!!!
sorry i've been so delayed in writing to ya. got a bit sick after returning from Brasil and once again fell behind on keeping up with my bloggy peeps.
i am so sorry for the race cancellation, but you have the best attitude about it all. no reason to get upset or blame anybody. when mother nature threatens to strike, you have to be grateful that the race directors are responsible and proactive or it could really turn ugly. still though, be proud that you were KICKING ASS up until that moment and definitely headed for a sub 6!!! i do hope you get to take another shot at a 70.3 race soon. they seem to be cropping up everywhere!! i myself am considering the 70.3 in Pucon, Chile with the same travel agency i went to Brasil with. it's in january. think about it!!!!
happy belated father's day too!!!
also, LOVE the name of the bike!! RIDE THAT DIABLA!!!
You trained so hard to get to this race, and the fact that with 2 miles to go the course was closed is no reflection on your dedication, determination and talent! You are obviously great at this distance and your next 70.3 will be all the better for your experinces. Thanks for sharing this with us.
-Runninginaz :-)
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