Ironman Texas 140.3 2024 Race Info/Report

Ironman Texas 140.3 2024 Race Info/Report

By Coach Helen, Coach Dom, & Coach Rob

4/27/24

Prelude:  This race report is long and detailed…we hope we gave plenty of info, and we hope it is useful to you!  An important point is that each and every athlete has a different experience in each and every race.  This report encompasses 3 athletes racing on the same course on the same day.  Some things are the same, but certainly not all!  Red is Helen’s experiences.  Purple is Dom (duh, iykyk 😉).  Blue is Rob.  The black writing is a combo of Dom and Helen’s memory of the pertinent details.

>>>>>>Happy Reading<<<<<<<

Pre-Race:

• Houston area traffic is HORRIBLE!  Do NOT stay more than 20 min away from race location, and definitely avoid staying in Houston.  There are lots of hotels and airbnb’s in Woodlands.  Book far enough in advance to get a good place close by, it’s worth it!  Dom and Helen stayed at a nice enough condo in Houston, but it added 9+ hours of driving to our stay.  Rob stayed at a hotel in Woodlands and had a great experience.
• Woodlands is a beautiful area, very walkable as far as Ironman Village and restaurants and grocery close by.
• Ironman Village is outside.  Transition/finish area is very organized and not confusing at all – the advantage of a race that’s been going on for a while in the same location.
• We arrived Wednesday evening and immediately checked out the swim course/swim out/transition area to get an idea of layout.  Definitely recommend doing this before the crowds arrive.
• Parking is available nearby, but you do have to walk to get anywhere at all.  NO parking right at the transition area.  The church parking that the race recommends is the best spot to park for all the things, but again – it’s close to a mile away from the transition area.  Budget time and energy for this walk each day.  Woodlands is very particular with their rules.
• Practice swim on Friday was amazing!  Very well organized and at the official swim start. We all did it, and it was crowded but definitely helpful.  We got experience with the swimmers who don’t sight and knew to expect that on race day.  I had a dude swim right on top of me…in the practice swim! Also – water didn’t taste horrible, and water temps were mild but just below wetsuit cutoffs. 
• Riding and running pre-race close to transition was fairly easy on the roads, even though it seemed like not many people were riding.   
• Organized practice run on Thursday – Britt did it and said it was good and informative, and he even ran with Tim O’Donnell (bonus!).  
• Restaurant recommendations:  Guadalajara’s (super close to transition) has amazing fajitas.  The Goose’s Acre Irish Pub at finish was decent.  Tosca (Italian deli) was really good for lunch and dessert.  HEB is the grocery store to go to in Houston area.
• Leading up to the race was pretty chill. Check-in was nice and smooth, although the expo has clearly gone downhill over the years with fewer vendors and merch. Thursday evening was also the athlete welcome banquet. It was a pretty good dinner consisting of carbs (multiple types of potatoes), carbs (chicken Alfredo pasta), more carbs (breads and desserts) and some proteins. I enjoyed it!
• Friday was the practice swim, and it was very well organized. Likely because it was a Championship race, but still, organized. The water felt fine. A nice and fairly smooth 75 degrees. Just below wetsuit legal.  The water wasn’t clear by any measure.  But it was a good swim.
• After the practice swim, it was time to drop off the bike and gear bags, again, fairly simple and easy to navigate.

RACE MORNING: 

• Make sure to arrive with plenty of time to fix potential bike issues, gather and organize gear and bags, and to walk a long way to transition from car, and from transition to swim.
• Make sure you have nutrition and water for the walking time.
• Saturday morning (Race Morning). Got into transition around 4:50am and took my time setting up my bike. Not as many tire pumps as normal, but I was able to find one to use. Was able to add nutrition to my run and bike bags as well. Once Madison was done, we walked the 1-mile walk to the swim start.
• I’ve got latex tubes, and my back tire was pretty flat when I arrived race morning.  As usual, we were a bit tight on time so that was stressful.  But the bike mechanics in transition were super helpful and quick, so they quickly changed the tire as a precaution (not sure if it was just the sitting overnight, or an actual flat) and I was back in business in no time!

SWIM:  

• The water is dark and murky and not super clean, and there was a lot of physical contact.  But all in all, this is actually a pretty darn good swim.  
• Hearing and seeing all the spectators on the bridge and on the sides of the canal is really cool and motivating. Brook hollered my name and I was able to wave back with a big ol’s smile on my face…it was only a few hundred yards from the swim finish!  Canal wasn’t as crowded as expected, but that could have been that we were far enough to the front to not experience the crowds.  
• We read there were 800 first-timers, and that showed on the swim.
• Swim start was PACKED, naturally, but I was able to find room to loosen up get ready to swim. Dom and Helen finally met up with us just before the start, and all I can say is that I felt fairly calm.
• The swim was a cluster. I had intended to avoid the buoy line like I usually do, but unfortunately I swam right into it. There were so many swimmers grabbing, pulling, swimming diagonal and not sighting. The first 1000yds was tough for me to get into a rhythm. At 700yds or so, my goggles fogged and I had to get to a boat to put them back on my face. Normally I would keep going, but sighting was tough enough without having to see through fogged goggles. Finally around the first turn things seemed to open up. At this point I knew I was not going to get into a fast rhythm, but I thought I was swimming well. No issues on the second straight. I finally turned into the canal and immediately hit the bottom on a pull.. It was short lived, but I knew it was shallow. Unfortunately, I could see people along the canal, but could not hear anyone or anything. I am sure the cheering would have been fun. I know my wife was cheering and I heard nothing. I made it to the ladder, and was surprised to see that I was way slower than anticipated, but it was over. Swim Time: 1:25:32 (goal 1:13:55)

T-1:

• Volunteers were great!
• Plenty of help getting out of the swim onto the steps but they pulled me out almost too quickly for comfort 😉.
• Wetsuit strippers were great – almost immediately after getting out.  
• Athletes have to grab your own T1 bag but they try to help locate it.  
• Tents were nice.  The volunteers asked me if I needed help and since I said yes, my volunteer stuck with me and helped organize me.  Volunteers didn’t help Dom in T1.  After the tent, athletes carry their own bag to their bike and leave it there, and you get your own bike.
• T1 was smooth. I grabbed my bag and went into the changing tent. Ate my pop-tart and rinsed my mouth with water while getting my helmet and shoes on and was on my way. The biggest slow-down was putting on the cycling socks. Other than that, I felt good. Time: 9:34 (Goal 8:00)

BIKE:  

• Winds were horrific!  This is common but not every single year.  Expect wind!
• First 20 miles dragged on a bit before getting on Hardy Toll Road.  Had more twists and turns than expected, and some spots that were a bit rough.  Make sure you have proper bottle cages and that bolts are tight – lots of yard sales with dropped equipment.
• Mile 20-41ish:  Directly into 25+ mph winds on Hardy Toll Road.  Really difficult to keep power low without losing all speed.  The road is pretty wide and the southbound lanes of HTR are shut down for 2-way bike traffic.  Phenomenal to have ZERO cars for such a large section of 112 bike!  But – tons of drafting, tons of people passing on the right, no one saying ‘on your left’.  Lots of wrecks.  Entire course was concrete with bits of brick/stone.  Tons of debris on breakdown lane/shoulders.  Course was very well marked and well supported.  All major bumps/cracks/etc either marked or a volunteer pointing it out.  
• Refs didn’t seem to be preventing drafting or unsafe riding; they seemed to be focusing only on the pros.  We did hear afterwards that they were unable to safely drive on the HTR during the 2nd loop, because of the high winds and numbers of racers.
• Watching the pro men & women fly by was pretty cool – and they were all respectful.  Lots of the faster age-groupers were not so respectful.  Lots of people with flats just waiting for sag (why don’t they know how to change a flat???).  On course race mechanics were great though – fixed my rear brake (it was rubbing on my back tire so bad that the wheel was nearly locked up - for the first 80ish miles!) and it looked like they were rescuing all the flat tire folks.   Funny fact:  as a cyclist, I experienced for the first time the thought that if one of my crank arms would just fall off, I could just stop biking and that would be AMAZING!
• At the turnaround, AMAZING!  Mile 41ish to 62ish:  Wind at your back really gave an awesome push – from 7mph on the way out at times, to 30+ on the way back with very little power.  And of course you can finally hear yourself think.  There was one spot on the way back that was quite rough, lots of people lost bottles, nutrition, and gear and even visors on the HTR – we had to go around them!
• Having Brook on the bike course was amazing and uplifting – he was at mile 10, 38, and 80, TriPosse flag flying.  Same!
• Special needs was around mile 65, a little later than expected – just in time!  Volunteers gave bags but didn’t help other than that.  Porta-potties were right there though, which was helpful, and no lines.  I welcomed the break and sat down for several minutes.  I ate ALL the food in my bag!  Also used porta-potty , and probably stuck around a couple minutes longer than needed.  I had been expecting Dom to catch up to me for at least the last 40 miles, so when he showed up and looked pretty grim, I was worried and didn’t want to leave him.  He made me leave haha!
• Mile 62ish to 83ish:  2nd loop of headwind was ROUGH!  Lots of mental talks, and power effort was down.  Aid stations were great on the bike – the Boy Scouts were amazing!  Didn’t try the Mortal Hydration.  I stopped by Brook and had a mechanic stop and fix my brake rubbing – better late than never – finally better!
• Mile 83ish to 104ish:  SO amazing to turn around after the 2nd fight with headwind, but the tailwind isn’t as advantageous when your legs are fried from all that headwind!  Speeds down but still helped with the tailwind.  We both passed more people on this section because people were dropping from the pushing.  Lots of accidents ☹
• Mile 104ish to the finish 112:  It was awesome to be Off the HTR but the windy nature of the roads were slow going at this point. Felt good to be out of the wind.  Longest 8 miles ever, except for the headwind parts 😉.  There was a large bump that wasn’t marked, but a volunteer was right there to point it out and save my teeth from rattling right out of my mouth.
• That bike course was way hillier than advertised and discussed by previous participants.  Going up a hill with a 25+ mph headwind is quite debilitating – 7 mph is soooo not fun.  Approx. 2000 feet elevation according to Garmins.
• Those windy practice rides on the beach saved our butts!  If Dom hadn’t had the severe brake rubbing, he woulda kicked butt on that course.  We knew the wind was there and we were prepared.  Without wind prep, this course should not be attempted!
• If wearing cycling socks, need to put chip on the outside, or maybe vaseline – mine rubbed really bad.  We need to test this!
• The bike is where things got dicey. I knew I was the last TriPosse member to reach the bike, but I had no idea how far behind I was. My goal was to just ride my race, I had plenty of time and I didn’t want to kill myself early. The initial 10 mile down and back was easy. I saw the other 4 members and kind of guessed where they were, but again, I didn’t overextend myself. After the u-turn, I saw Brook and he told me that Madison was about 1 min ahead of me, and I ended up catching her at the mile 10 aid station, where we both had to avoid a crash. Continued on, the next 10 miles was fairly simple to navigate. A few turns, but it went quick. Then came the Hardy Toll Road.
• As soon as I got on the Hardy, I felt my rear tire go flat. It was a puncture. That took me about 30min to get back on the road. While I was stuck, Madison waved and passed by. After I got back on the road, I headed into the wind for the next 20 miles. That wind was BRUTAL, and to be honest, I am not sure brutal accurately described it. It was tough. I just tried to keep forward momentum, while not drafting in the pelotons that were on the course. I caught Madison again around mile 38 or so, just before the turn around, where again a rider fell. The first hard part was done. 
• The tailwind section was INSANE! I was struggling to push more than 140W and couldn’t figure out why. The wind assist had me riding between 24-26mph. It was a dream. I knew this would save my race. Each 5 mile interval was 8-9 minutes faster than the 5 mile intervals in the opposite direction. I hit the U-turn and knew the fun was over.
• I made a quick stop at special needs to get more food and water, and was on my way. Not even 5 miles later, as a ride was passing me, the wind blew me into one of the joints on the road, and my front tire got stuck and I flipped over my handlebars. After gathering myself and looking at my bike, my derailleur was bent into my rear tire and things were scratched, but I had to keep going. I pulled the derailleur out from the tire and tried to ride again, but a few hundred feet later, I felt my rear tire was flat again.
• This flat was a long delay as I had no more tubes or CO2 for the repair and had to wait on maintenance…… 80 MINUTES LATER, maintenance came and repaired my flat, and checked my derailleur, and I was on my way. At this point my race became about chasing cutoff-times. I pedaled hard into the wind for the next 15 miles or so, knowing that any other setback was the end of my race for sure. Gritting my teeth with the pain that my right foot/ankle/leg were in, I just had to keep going. I made the cutoff at mile 80 by SECONDS. Back into the fast leg I went. Going as fast as I could, I made the final turn and was on my way back to transition. These were the most painful 10 miles of the bike. But I made it.. Bike time: 8:21:05 (Goal: 5:26:25)

T-2:

• Really good again!
• We handed bikes off at the entrance – volunteers were great.  
• Removing shoes is recommended before the long trek to get your bag.  Athletes run along the edge of the bike racks and then downhill on the outside of the bag area, then you have to u-turn and go up the hill to get your bag – a little rough.  But lots of spectator and volunteer cheers, and the volunteers help you locate your bag.  I was so happy to be off the bike, I threw my shoes down dramatically, which made spectators and volunteers chuckle.  2 of my toes on my right foot were crazy painful – no idea why, but thankfully it went away after the first mile or so of the run.  
• You go in the tent in the opposite direction from T-1, and no one-on-one volunteer help for T-2.  But they had trays of ice, water, sunscreen, etc.  Porta-potties are right there.
• I rolled into transition less than 30 minutes before the cutoff. Hobbling through transition, I told my wife that I was just going to try and finish. I knew I was at least 8 miles behind anyone on my team, but it wasn’t about that. I got changed and went on my way. T2 Time: 12:31 (Goal: 6:00)

RUN: 

• 3 loops around the waterway.  
• One nasty steep grass hill – 3x!  Brutal!  But short.  This hill beat me!  More explanation below.
• Spectators were phenomenal!
• Lots of twists and turns but separate sections broke it up into easier blocks for mental purposes.  
• Unfortunately, after mile 9, there was very little running for me.  The first loop was a struggle, but I was moving decently.  Run/walk in many different patterns, but trying to maintain at least 3 min run/1 min walk.  But in the middle of my second time up that nasty ol grass hill, my body said NO MORE!  My body gave out, and after lots of thinking and analyzing, I’m fairly certain it was not a bonk.  I believe it was more than likely the cancer and cancer treatments and continuing meds, and my body not healed 100%.  Around mile 10 and the giant row of porta-potties from the swim start, I finally decided to stop and wait for Dom to catch up.  We walked together until the end!
• Hippie Hollow was all it was cracked up to be, and the tri-club area was a close second – lots of good energy.  Random groups of spectators will look up your name on the tracker and cheer for you by name – pretty amazing each time it happens 😊  Lots of people encouraged and cheered for Fxck Cancer too.  I really enjoyed the Enchanted Forest, but my already negative head space just got screwier with the dark twisty path, and I even got dizzy a couple times.  The walk was tough!  Gorgeous homes on Majesty Row.  
• Definitely need a hat light for Enchanted Forest after dark, parking lot areas, and even some of the dark road sections.
• Spectators in kayaks in the canal were cool, Brook again was EVERYwhere, SO encouraging to have a sherpa following us around and giving updates on our other folks!  He said the e-bike was perfect and gave him the ability to get around more.  
• Had to run behind and thru the big row of porta-potties at North Shore (swim start) on each lap.  Made me nauseous, but Helen liked it because she got to pee and can’t smell anything anyway haha!
• Special needs is at North Shore, and you can only access it once – but on any of the 3 laps.  This is kind of a neat feature, since normally you don’t have options.
• There’s a bell to ring about a half mile from the finish, and they announce your name too.  Then the finish – you go up a little incline, then onto the city street, then down the hill next to the chute.  Then a u-turn that wrenched my knee, before you run Uphill to the finish!  At the u-turn I looked back for Dom and he had almost hit the barricade on the opposite side of the road, made me laugh!  We finished hand in hand – most emotional finish in a loooonnng time.
• The run was HOT at first. My heart rate felt like it was 160+ from the start, but it was only in the 130s. The run was painful. My foot didn’t want to run, but I kept on trying. I knew I was slow, but I kept pushing. Unfortunately I had to walk more than I ran.
• The run course was beautiful. I knew it was from my time there in January, but what I didn’t expect was the amount of supporters along the canal. That was the most supported run I have ever seen. The only parts that were lacking support were between miles 1-5. Everything else was so busy you felt like you were a celebrity. Hippie Hollow was everything it was cracked up to be. It was loud, and exciting and got you hyped for sure.
• Unfortunately, I could only muster enough strength and grit to finish 1 lap of the course. The pain was too much to take, but even after the first lap, I knew I would have missed the cutoff. So I turned in my timing chip and took the DNF. Not my favorite part of the race, but it is what it is. Run Time: 9 miles in 2:40:02 (goal 5:11:47).

Post-race:

• They had Finish Line catchers to make sure we were ok, but they were a little annoying lol.  Dom and Britt both got massages and enjoyed them.  Food was as usual less than ideal.  Who wants a banana/oranges/chips at the end of an Ironman??  There was crappy pizza, and the burritos were ok.  And no cookies ☹.
• Roads being shut down still made it a little challenging to get to transition to get bikes and gear and get to the truck at the church.
• We were VERY grateful for Brook’s help post-race!  It would be very difficult to navigate post-race without a sherpa, because of how spread out things are.
• I will definitely be back to finish this race. I should have CRUSHED it.. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t my day. 
• I am so happy to have completed this race.  I’m also happy to have enjoyed the day (until I didn’t – mile 10-26 on the run!)  I would love to do this race again, but not until I’m certain that it’s a good idea again.  I’ll stick to 70.3 and shorter for a bit.
• I’ve struggled with what to say about this race. My heart was never in it, nor did I know my why. I viewed it as a FAILURE immediately after, but since I’ve had time to properly reflect on it, I now view it as I just didn’t succeed on that day. I was able to help my partner & teammate to finish and anytime you can do that I call it a WIN! Part of me would like to do this race again to see how I would do on that bike course not having a mechanical, but I did not actually enjoy the bike course or the massive, blatant, rampant cheating pelotons.

Ironman Chattanooga 70.3 2024 Coaches Race Info/Report

Chattanooga 70.3 2024 Race Info/Report

By Coach Helen & Coach Dom

Pre-Race:

     Only issue before race day is parking and walking!

     Garage and lot prices are wrong, they charge a ton!

     Supposedly they are free on Sundays, but we didn’t check.  We rode cruiser bikes to race start on morning of race, and it caused different issues – but made for a much easier morning!

     We drove Friday and arrived around dinner time, ate at a pretty good Italian/Irish restaurant called Stevarino’s.  We stayed at the Comfort Inn, only 2.2 miles from race start but not in a great neighborhood.  It was perfect for the price!  Lots of hotels and Airbnb’s in downtown area, but we booked too late to get a place downtown.

Race morning:

     Stay close or bring cruiser bikes or have Sherpa drop you off - parking is spread out and lots of hills!

     Arrive early because of the long wait time to get onto the bus. Don’t stand in the first line for the bus…go to inside lines for less confusion/line cutting.

     Tons of porta-potties at the start (after bus ride). Not many open at transition area before the race.

     Line up close to the front! We lined up in 30 min group, and had to swim around SO many people, and there were even people hanging onto the very first buoy and breaststroking, etc!

Swim:

     Swim doesn’t feel like there’s a current, but it’s there – the last 500 you can finally feel it. But swim times definitely indicate river current.

     Buoys were much closer to the shore than we expected - swim to the right if needed. Swim in the middle of the river, avoid the edges!

     Swim exit was super congested, especially later…not enough exit spots, and the first step was too high. It was hard to get out!

     ‘Easy’ swim, but long – it’s 1.4 instead of 1.2.

     We both finished right at our predicted times.

T-1:

     Transition distance is a bit long and windy, with 2 super steep ramps up the hill. 

     They have awesome wetsuit strippers after the first short ramp, and lots of spectators and cheers.

     Swim in is the same arch as run out.

Bike:

     Bike out and bike in are the same spot.

     Lots of people wrecking at transition - on the way out and at the finish. 

     The rough roads are no joke and not just in town - hazardous because of the debris. Make sure your bottles/cages are secure! We use Xlab Gorilla & have never had an issue,

     Within the first half mile, a minor climb and then a fast downhill. 

     Rough roads first and last 6 miles in town, then again after mile 20 for about 5 miles. Then again 35-43ish was rough roads, steep climbs, and lots of car traffic. Couple of rough railroad tracks too. Make sure you practice fast descents while riding around other people!

     SO many choppy hills. Not many close rolling hills, but if you pedal hard enough going downhill in anticipation you can capitalize on the momentum - practice this technique!

     There are 3 cat 4 climbs:
Mile 16.5 for .29 4% 64’
Mile 26 for .26 7% 99’
Mile 43 for .25 4% 53’ after a sharp left turn

     Hill on mile 26 was after a turn, not sharp but you had to brake - took away the downhill momentum to get up the hill.

     Lots of wrecks

     Crowded course

     Really good intersection cops and traffic control

     Full course is very similar - lollipop portion is 2x, plus a little extra at the end to account for the difference.

     Around mile 40-45, long gradual uphill/false flat. Thru Chickamauga. Slow speed and high power zone.

     Even though it’s hilly and a bit twisty, we were both able to spend the majority of it in aero. Practice climbing without standing.

     On the second half, you can easily get small breaks on the first part of downhills - get off saddle and coast. Then push to get up the next one.

     Dom had lower power and slightly slower speed than predictions; Helen had higher power and slower speed than. We used our data, WKO5 & Best Bike Split to come up with our predictions.

T-2:

     Simple but of course long again.  The transition area is just so big to accommodate so many racers.

     More crashes from bikes not slowing down enough at dismount. 

Run:

     So many spectators and volunteers lining the run course around transition – helps to boost morale for the hot run ahead.

     Almost immediately - big uphill on Aquarium Way. But this hill is only on the first loop. Start of 2nd loop is almost at the top of that hill.

     Almost 2 miles of each loop is on Amnicola Hwy - full sun.

     First mile on river greenway path is two-way traffic and very crowded. The rest of the river greenway is beautiful and shady. Mostly a concrete path will a little boardwalk section. 

     2nd major hill is around mile 5, then a short steep down with a right turn before you go over the bridge. 

     Veterans Bridge - full sun but great breeze. 

     Course does not go up Barton Hill, even though course map shows it going up and u-turn to go back down.

     The u-turn is right across bridge, then run goes under the bridge.

     Full course goes up Barton 2x and thru country club area on that side of river. 

     Pedestrian Bridge is a bit uphill and rough surfaces. Can be draining – hot and still.  Dom struggled on the bridge, Helen liked it.

     Lots of spectators and good energy at the end of the pedestrian bridge, then a left turn to start the 2nd loop.

     2nd loop is tough, especially that big hill before the Veteran’s Bridge.  But it’s nice to know what to expect, and where to put your energy and when to back off and rest.

     Big downhill (from the first uphill) to the finish! 

     ’False finish’ arch before the start of the finish chute made for a long final stretch to the finish line.

Other things to note:

     Everything is outside and hot. Pre-race, during, and after party - very little shade!

     Chattanooga is very friendly and welcoming.

     Volunteers are awesome – and there were 1,100 of them!

     As of this year (2024), this is the biggest 70.3 in the world - 3,500 - it’s crowded everywhere around transition/finish/Ironman Village!

     Lots of great restaurants and breweries for pre and post race.

IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 MOOLOOLABA AUSTRALIA

IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 

MOOLOOLABA AUSTRALIA 2016 

my day…. by Kristan Croom

The morning started at 4am after a decent night’s sleep. I did the usual pre-race routine of a cup of coffee and a protein bar… and added a banana! The condo was buzzing with chatter from the crew. Allen Stanfield, Amy Hunt, Andrew, and Lenard Vergunst were walking  through their OWN habitual steps of chaos we all create before stepping across that start line. Although Allen was unable to race, I am almost positive he was “pre-race” processing just as  he normally would. He was very supportive and positive for the rest of us… offering reminders as we were preparing to make our way to the shuttle. Andrew offered his hugs and sweet ass  slaps of “we’ve got this” as I was getting all my crap together to exit the condo. I was calm. I was physically ready. I have never trained so hard for a 70.3, but knew the  nagging issue of my hamstrings may play a factor. I did not let the possibility of pain interfere with my morning prep or during the 2 hour wait before my 40-44 wave began.  

The shuttle ride was quiet. Amy has been going through personal turmoil and stress that I can  not fathom. Her sister has been battling cancer for several years and was told just before we  left that she would only have a couple of weeks left on this Earth. The agony of the decision to  leave on this trip she had worked for and planned for….. has to be something I will never quite comprehend. Her sister told her…. “go, you HAVE to live!” I have chills just typing it.  Her reasons for participating in the race had certainly changed. She is an immensely  competitive athlete who is tiny in stature, but fierce with athleticism. She was there to  participate and explore the beautiful surroundings, think of living her life, to represent her sister  and actively BE THERE because so many can’t. …. NOT to hit a certain time to cross the  finishing line. I am still in awe of her. We are 2 days post race and she is still smiling! 

Lenard was a stranger to me until we all met Friday afternoon. He was quiet, older, quirky, and very regimented. It didn't take long to see that he had a personal agenda for this race and was  going to do anything physically possible to reach it. He brought his daily personal routine  straight from Mississippi and didn’t deviate from it. He was nice, polite, and very dry.  

Andrew has dealt with plenty of chaos throughout the entire month of August…… personal  decisions, delivering his children to college two weeks in a row, closing on a house, moving out  of a condo, and moving into his own place literally with no time to spare for us to get on the  first plane. I was blown away by his serenity. His composure was that of a man who should  have been on sedatives……but not him. He had the time line set in his head, took each day  with its coinciding event, and achieved each personal milestone with absolute grace. I didn’t  ask him if he had a time goal in mind. That was his business. I just knew that he would give it  his absolute best during every stroke, revolution, and step during his race day. He is truly  amazing and a gift in my life. 

As we stepped off the shuttle and headed to transition, there were people every where. The  sounds of ocean waves were abundant, but it was still dark, so the mystery of the water  conditions were still looming. There was no wind, so that was a great sign for a calm  environment! This 70.3 was different in many ways in regards to rules and processes. We had  to put our T1 articles in a bag so that when we exited the water, after stripping our own wetsuit,  we could grab it. Then our T2 bags were in a different area… so when we completed the bike  course, we had to rack and run to the second bag for the 13.1 prep. Nothing was allowed in transition unless you wanted to clip your shoes in. Everything else had to be bagged and  dropped during each transition. 

We were all settled and ready for our waves to begin after the Pro starts. Andrew started at  7:25, Leonard at 7:50, then Amy and I at 8:00am. We had a great spot for spectating as the  Pros exited the water. One by one they filtered through. We recognized a few faces, but for the  most part were just in awe of their fast swim times, efficiency of running up stairs, and taking  their wetsuits off while pulling their cycling gear out of the tucked areas underneath..so cool. My nerves were good. The water was perfect. Some light surf around the beach was visible  and the rest of the Pacific was very welcoming. Even a massive cruise ship had anchored just  off the coast of the start. It would later become my beacon for the swim and run portions. 

I walked Andrew just to the part where the sidewalk ends and the beach began.. Kissed him  and told him to kick ass and have fun. Of course I cried when he was out of sight.. The  excitement and emotions of where we were, and the past year.. just got the best of me.  Leonard had disappeared since then, so we didn't get to say good luck. He was in his own  world.  

It was nearing 7:45 am and our age group was called to the beach.. we were “on deck.” Amy hugged Allen… and I snuck a side one in.. and we were on our way to drop our morning  bags and get in place to get in the water to swim to the start. I have to admit… the 30-34 year  old women were behind us and they looked very “into it” and fired up.. I said…. “Amy, those  white capped bitches are going to swim over our asses!” Amy wasn't any more excited about  the swim than I was… Mic man said for us to get in and swim to the start… I dove under the  surf…eyeing Amy.. checking to see where she was.. several times. For me more than for her. It  was so comforting knowing she was there. After about 200 yards, we reached the start line. I  made sure I was far right and in the back.. HORN!!!!! And we were off…. Easy pace, light  kicking, and reach with each arm. I repeated that in my head several times. The water was  nice. Chilly, flat, but perfect after about 10 minutes. I felt random hands on my feet and calves  from time to time, but nothing to aggressive that I was uncomfortable. I said my usual prayers,  about not ever being alone, and he is always beside me. I wondered how Andrew was feeling  on the bike, how Amy was, thought about Amy’s sister, Rickie/Ricke’s mom Wilma, Jill, mom  and dad, Avery, Court…..….etc.. I knew they were all tracking along with my gang from  Fairhope. It was so comforting…  

As I rounded the purple buoy to the left… I noticed the wind and chop picked up. UGH!!! Salt  water in the mouth. Yuck. But I didn't gag or PUKE!! I paused several times to adjust my  wetsuit on my neck. I feel the sting of chaffing early on.. and knew it would be quite raw later.  At one point I coughed and an Aussie on a paddle board asked me if I was ok.. I said, “yep!!  perfect.. how are you? He said “G’day Mate… where are you from?” Yep, I chatted for a brief  10 seconds (thinking, or lord Andrew is gonna tease me about that) I thanked him for being  there and he wished me well. The GIANT cruise ship in the harbor was my “beacon” and I  used it to spot to the finish (little did I know that it would become such an amazing source of  relief on my run——-ish) I love hearing the announcer/mic man.. that means I’m almost out of  the water.. Although this time, this event… I was calm and soaking my reality in. IT was truly  surreal. I was swimming in the Pacific, In AUSTRALIA, with my friends, and participating in an  event that Never even crossed my mind to attend… until I met Andrew and was going to be his  Sherpa. So, was it in my wildest dreams? No, but was now a total reality. Hard left.. and I  could see a perfect view and straight line to the shore… ohhhhh the Mic man, I here ya! I  pushed it that last stretch. My neck was basically exposed flesh being rubbed by salt and  velcro by now, but I could touch the sand with my hands…. wahoo…. Stand up and get that  wetsuit off!! In my usual KC nature, I was grinning from ear to ear. I did it. I didn’t have any  moments during the swim that I doubted myself or the usual thought of “Kristan, what the hell  are you doing?” It was as relaxed as I’d ever been and for such an important event, I was so  happy with my mind set. While running up the beach, I heard so many cheers from spectators  waiting on their loved ones. I wondered where Amy was. I knew Andrew was hauling ass at this 

point on the bike and hoped he was safe. Allen was clicking pictures somewhere. Leonard was  riding by now too. I grabbed a cup of water from a volunteer, thanked her.. and ran up the  stairs. Now came the tricky part. I had to grab my T1 bag, dump it, strip the wetsuit off, and get  it in the bag with my goggles and cap. The wind was kicking up pretty strong and there were  empty bags blowing all over. I felt so bad for the girls chasing them. It was mandatory that all  your gear went into that bag and had to be dropped in a bin on the way to your bike. I took my  time getting my gear on. Without a chair, I was a bit unstable. Socks were a must, but my feet  were wet and sandy. Lovely. DONE! I tied my bag and was on my way to Betty! 

As I jogged beside my bike heading out of transition, women were sprinting past me to the  mounting line. I guess they didn’t share my “soak it in and enjoy every moment” mentality. You  would have thought I was standing still. Anyway, I made it to the line, thanked the volunteers,  and off I went on Betty. I could feel my teeth getting hit by the winds as they picked up  because my smile was huge and I was truly just in AWE of my surroundings. I was on a bike.. in  AUSTRALIA!!! The first 20 plus miles, I kept a steady pace of 21-22mph and had a nice  tailwind. I was passed by countless women just making me look as if I were standing still.  There was some steady inclines on the way out, but nothing too terrible. I was doing my best  not to imagine what the 18% grade I would encounter around mile 30 would be like. I mean, it  had kept me up a couple of nights before leaving the US. I just had to say to myself.. “It is what  it is and you will do what you have to when you get to that point.” Somewhere before mile 25, I  saw Andrew hammering it.. He was several bike lengths back behind a huge group of dudes  who all looked as if they were on the peloton. He didn’t see me, but just that split second of  him in my vision gave me a boost and an even bigger smile. I kept anticipating Amy to come  flying by and make me laugh. There were so many turns and back roads, I didn’t know where  the hell she was or when she would pass… but I knew she would! (I thought about Evan and  his text of well wishes and advice before I left. He always has a way of saying just the right  thing and truly knows what it’s like to be involved in such an epic event.) I didn’t like this, but  witnessed a ton of drafting. The women passing me were literally on each other’s wheels. At  least every 3 miles, an IM official would pass on a motorcycle giving out penalties. I even heard  some of the chicks arguing with them. Good grief.. suck it up, you got busted, and take the  penalty. At mile 28ish, I saw two signs.. LAP 1 and Lap 2. A volunteer was standing in the  middle. I didn’t panic, but did get confused since I felt as if I had just done a circle. Was that a  lap? So, I just asked him.. “how do we know which lap we are on?” He said, “if you haven’t  seen me before, then take a right for Lap 1!” SHEW!! So happy I asked. (especially since after  the race, the next day we heard of over 100 DNF’s due to that confusion, but I had no issue  with slowing and asking). I immediately stood up to climb. It was a steep incline, but I  maneuvered it nice and easy. I was thinking… “wow, that wasn’t so bad.” Of course, soon I  learned that it WAS NOT the MOTHER OF ALL INCLINES just yet. A little more climbing out  of the saddle, a slight left, and HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!! There she was! I have never, in the  14 years of riding my bike, ever seen or even been near a hill/climb/WALL as I was viewing!  Literally, It was a damn WALL! I slowed so much (not without a fight) that I decided to unclip…  Well, that just didn’t work out. I fell over in the grass, literally laughing at myself. I stood up and  with IMMENSE pride… Pushed Betty up the WALL. Honestly, I looked around me and there  were 20 plus athletes doing the exact same thing. YES, it did make me feel better… MISERY  LOVES COMPANY after all. At the crest.. Betty and I were so ready to be as ONE again. I  threw my leg over the saddle, clipped in, and off I went. I thought about Andrew just blowing  that wall away.. No way would he not make it.. 

The relief of reaching the top was soon over. This course was very challenging. I literally said  out loud…. “this is a BIG BOY RACE!” and then, here comes the climbing that I can actually  negotiate and survive. Lap 2 was fairly hilly, but I was so excited… did I mention that I was in  Australia?? It seemed by mile 45 that the climbing had subsided. Unfortunately, I had a new  hurdle, and again I laughed out loud. Strong head winds and a slight incline on the highway  

back to transition. Headwinds…. oh just my favorite. UGH. I was taking a sip from my bottle  and heard a sweet voice behind me! I was AMY!!! and she was coming in hot. It was so nice to 

see her. At this very moment, I can not imagine Amy’s state of mind was then or now. God  bless she and her family as the have to watch as her sister battles for peace. I will be forever in  awe of Amy’s composure and strength. OH.. and her smile is always one that will make you  grin right back! She is radiant! And just like that, she was out of sight. I knew I would get to  see her on the run course somewhere. I had ridden against worse head winds, but by mile 45 I  was ready for some relief.  

I have never considered myself a stellar athlete. I am an average swimmer, strong cyclist, and a  consistent runner… but nothing like most of the women that had been blowing past me and  yelling, “to your right” most of the day. I had seen 20, 22, and 23 mph during the day, but these  women were just the epitome of athletic champs. No matter what… I was so thrilled to be  involved in this amazing event/day. Allen crossed my mind. He had traveled around the world  with us but was injured from a bike accident 2 weeks before, and couldn’t compete. To this  day, I can’t imagine his thought process. He is an incredible athlete with a HUGE competitive  edge. It had to be painful to stand behind the barriers, watch the race, and take our pictures.  His attitude was very positive and was attentive to all of us and our day. I thought about all my  peeps back home following me. I know they were probably worried. I was over 3 hours now,  but only had a few miles left to rack Betty and begin the run. I could hear the announcer’s  voice. Nothing was clear. He basically sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher, but nonetheless, I  knew I was close to T2. The locals were standing on the sidewalks as I peddled through town.  AHHH.. familiar area and the CRUISE SHIP!!! I could see it anchored in the Pacific. MY  BEACON… I was back. Volunteers were quiet but motioned to slow down for the dismount. I  was off my bike and ready to rest her for the day. I had written on my hand to take the inserts  out of my cycling shoes (since I had left them in Alabama.. had to use my running shoe inserts)  and put them into my running shoes. Thank heavens I had revered a few miles back. I racked  Betty and trotted to my T2 equipment bag. Again, I was being passed by sprinting women. At  this point, I was just freaking so happy to be there, so let them sprint. I had 13.1 to run and  wanted to enjoy it.  

Before I left Alabama, Phil had given me a new aero helmet with “Eastern Shore Cycles” in  bright yellow (matching Betty) for my event. Silly me… I had not used it before, so when I tried  to take it off, I was trapped. I just laughed out loud. It didn’t have the usual clasp that my  previous helmets had. Nope! It was a magnet that I could not see and just didn’t know how to  maneuver. So, I loosened the back knob and just pulled it off. I then noticed I had put my  socks on the wrong feet, but decided not to change them in case it was a good omen since I  had survived the bike route. 

 Inserts in running shoes, hat on, race number/belt clipped, started my Garmin, and began the  run. My hamstring insertions had been quite a mess the past two months. My gluts had  atrophied, my hamstrings had grown, and that just didn’t bode well for running mechanics.  Ryan (chiropractor) told me it would not be a comfortable 13.1, but said he had done all he  could before I left. They were literally a PAIN IN MY ASS, but little did I know how bad it would  get. I saw Allen as I ran the first mile. He yelled my name and was snapping pics as I passed.  Ugh, I still felt bad for him. I figured Andrew would be heading in for his finish and was hoping  he was feeling his best. Amy was out there too and I couldn’t wait to see them. Around mile 3, I  saw him.. He had his arms out and was running to the center of the road. I could feel my smile!  My teeth were completely exposed and I just couldn’t help myself as I began to tear up. Pure  JOY! Andrew stopped in the middle of the road, hugged and kissed me, and was on his way. I  still can not believe he stopped! It was a huge boost for my run. After I started to run again, a  fellow participant said, “I hope you know him!” I replied, “no, but he was hot, so what the hell!” We both laughed. Shortly after that fun, I felt my hams being to tug/pull. It was at this point, I  knew it would be more of a challenge than running my other 13.1’s. Amy and I saw one  another around mile 4… I had already began to cry. I was hurting and was angry that I was  allowing it to get to me. I thought about Amy’s sister, Melissa. She was home, with her family,  and struggling for life, and I was being a big damn baby. Amy stopped, we hugged, and she  said.. “hurry up and catch up to me so we can walk together!” Oh how much for fun that would  have been, but that scenario was just not in the cards that day. Amy also told me to stop 

crying, walk, and finished her sentence with, “we’re in AUSTRALIA!” The city was beautiful and  most of the run was along the Pacific. The cruise ship was visible within two miles of the half  way point/finish line and I couldn’t wait to see it again. By mile 6, I knew I was going to struggle  with every step if I tried to do any more than walk. But I did my absolute best to run as many  steps as I could. I was MISERABLE. The pain was indescribable. It is something that I just can  not put into words or compare to any pain I’d ever had. All I know is it was there… BUT  DAMMIT, I was in AUSTRALIA and this chick was going to get it done. I spoke to several  people. Thanking all the volunteers, waving to other runners, saying hello to observers. I  received several compliments on my Zarzaur Kit. I heard “great smile” a few times too. My  smile. Well, it is sometimes all I’ve got. Smiling just makes me feel better. It reminds me of how  fortunate I am and I believe smiles can be contagious. As I approached the half way mark, I  spotted Andrew and Allen to my left. Amy and I had seen each other again and she told me  where they were. I wanted to smile and keep it together. I didn’t want him to know how bad I  was hurting. Well, apparently I didn’t keep it to myself very well. I trotted across the road to  hug him and literally burst into tears and sobs as soon as I buried my head into his shoulder.  UGH! Well, Damn. I was not tired, my stomach was fine, no cramping, and my fitness was  great. Andrew was so sweet, hugged me tight and told me to walk and just take it easy. It  would all be ok. I sucked it up, and returned to the course for my second lap. I won’t go into  too much more detail about the pain. Each mile was worse. Each mile brought some tears of  frustration, excitement, joy, happiness, irritation.. I was an emotional basket case. At mile 10, I  told myself that I would run at 11 and not stop. My run would be a shuffle, but was all I could  muster. I could barely get my heels off the ground. Mile 10 brought me solace. Brought me  strength and many thanks to GOD for the journey I was presently on and for the 13 months  before. I could not believe how completely different my life was. I have never been so happy.  Friends, family, Andrew, prayers, Augusta Kantra…. all included in my life transformation. It was  a prescription I could never buy. EMOTIONS all over the place..  

MILE 11 and the cruise ship!! Oh yea, and the hill. The only incline on the run. I just got on my  toes and felt like I was running 7 minute miles. UMMMM, no.. The Garmin’s reality of 13:32mm  made me laugh. But I was trotting. I was crying, laughing, smiling, and trotting. Mile 12…. I am  

not stopping. SO many amazing people along the route were clapping and yelling supportive  words to me. Even finishers were out and pushing the remainder of us to the finish line. I don’t remember seeing a mile 13 sign, but I heard Mark Allen, and could see the finish chute.  My hams were completely shredded. My heels were dragging the ground, but I was almost  done. And did I mention that I was in AUSTRALIA?? I spotted Amy and Allen to the right of the  chute. They were smiling and clapping. TEARS streaming down my face. Then, Mark Allen  decided to fuel my emotions just a bit more.. “Hey everyone, let’s welcome Kristan Croom from  Fairhope, AL, USA. She looks a little emotional so let’s give her a big congrats!” The crowd  was thick, hands reaching out to slap mine! It was an epic and monumental moment I will  never forget. I saw Andrew just to the right of the finisher arch. He was clapping and smiling!  I CROSSED!! Mark Allen hugged as I sobbed on his shirt. I thanked him for the push and for  the support. As I looked up and over his shoulder, I saw myself on the jumbo screen! What a  train wreck! I laughed and there was Andrew! He grabbed me and helped me walk to get my  medal. It was huge and so pretty. I DID IT! 

Andrew clasped me around the waist and walked me towards the beach area. UGH, there were  stairs. I literally wanted to crawl. I wanted the pressure off my hams. He led me to get our  finisher picture. He had not yet gotten his. He had waited for me. And more tears!!! 

We meandered around to get my bags and headed back to find Amy and Allen. I think Leonard  had gone back to the condo by now. We all sat at a restaurant and discussed the day… So fun.  So epic. So amazing. I was hurting, but so happy. Blessed beyond words. 

Our vacation would begin tomorrow!!!