California 1/2 Ironman Race Report

I was really looking forward racing the California ½ Ironman in Oceanside this year. I had raced my first ½ Ironman here in 2005. On that day, it was cold and rainy and I was completely unprepared. But I had fun, finished in 6:10, and learned a bunch. Three years later, I came into this race a different athlete, having finished two full Ironman distance races and a bunch of other triathlons and two marathons. I was much more confident, but I was again a little unprepared – however, this time my unprepared approach was from my focus on my A race at Ironman Coeur D’Alene in June. I was not rested after a hard block of training in the weeks before the race, but I was looking forward to the adrenaline and excitement of the race.

Pre-Race:
I had a good early morning wake up, a large breakfast (maybe too large?), and an easy trip down to Oceanside Harbor for the race. I got set up and racked early and had plenty of time for the usual pre-race activities: standing in line at the porta-potties, gawking at some of the expensive bikes, trying to fit into my wet suit, etc. Before long, I was in the corral at the water’s edge, listening to the national anthem and watching the pro start. Right before getting the water, I gave the zipper cord on my wetsuit a last tug to make certain I had the suit on properly…and the whole cord came right off in my hand. Oops. A nice guy next to me helped me get it reattached and I was good to go. Hopefully that would be the glitch of the day.

Swim:
One of the nice things about this race is the wave starts, which make it very easy to seed yourself and get going. I got off to a good start and just focused on long, easy strokes with good form. There were a few swells out at the end of the harbor basin, but nothing too difficult. I felt strong all the way back into the landing and exited the water in 31:55, about what I had expected. My heart rate was too high, but I think this was from the race adrenaline, as my effort felt controlled. T1 went nice and smooth and I made a last minute decision to wear just my sleeveless jersey, as it already seemed sunny and warming up.

Bike:
The first part of the bike course takes you up the coast through Camp Pendleton. There was a nice tail wind here and I felt good and settled in pretty quickly. After 15 miles, I came on the first aid station. My absolute favorite part of this race is the Marines from Camp Pendleton who volunteer at the aid stations. At this early aid station, I didn’t need any additional nutrition, so I just had a blast cheering and yelling with the Marines as I rode through them. It was incredible to have them cheer back and yell for me. About 6 of them in a line even did the wave for me as I came by – what a lift! I was laughing for the next couple of miles about how great this was. I figure that for a 28 year old amateur triathlete, having the brave men and women of the Marines going wild for you is about as good as it gets.

After 20 miles of a nice tailwind while heading north, the course turned east, across I-5 and towards the hills of the base. I was ready for the first climb, which is affectionately called “Mount MotherF-er” by the local Marines, and was able to spin up it rather easily with my new compact gearing. The new 50-34 front ring was just right, and I passed a few people struggling up the hill. It is kind of funny, sad, and ironic to see athletes walking $8,000 bikes up the hill because they did not have the foresight to gear their bikes properly. What a waste!

The rest of the ride was directly into a good breeze, and I was able to stay aero and ride strong. I did drop my chain right before the last climb, but this only delayed me temporarily; I felt lucky not to have any major mechanical issues. The base is really a great place to ride – beautiful rolling hills spotted with wildflowers, smooth roads, and cool military gadgets: tanks, helicopters, and artillery ranges. Coming into T2, I felt great and ready to run after 2:58 of cycling.

Run:
It felt fantastic to leave T2 with strong legs and ready to run the ½ marathon as I headed out to the Oceanside strand. This is the feeling I am after for my race in Coeur D’Alene: to come off a strong bike leg and feel ready to run right away. I was able run solidly through the entire course without stopping at any aid stations. I did, as always, get a kick out of the great volunteers. It is hard to say thanks often enough when there are so many wonderful people out there working so hard to help you have a good day.

As I came to the finish, I had run 1:47 split with a near negative split. I am really pleased with this run, and I am happy that it validates much of the training I have done this winter. The 5:24 overall time is a new personal best by 20 minutes, so I feel terrific about that.

After the race, I enjoyed the excitement and energy of the finish line and my thoughts drifted ahead with anticipation to my A race in Coeur D’Alene – I am feeling energized and excited about my prospects for a great day up there!

Next up Wildflower Long Course on May 3rd!