Only two weeks after my first ½ Ironman, I was attempting my next challenge, the Eagleman 70.3 Ironman in Cambridge, Maryland. We drove to nearby Cambridge, once again, our car loaded with triathlon gear, but this time, my husband was my Sherpa instead of racing himself.
What does a Sherpa do? Anything you need him/her to do to make the race easier for you. A Sherpa carries your bags, makes breakfast, cheers you on, and perhaps gets the bike out of transition, should one be unable to do so.
The ½ Ironman distance is a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike, and a 13.1-mile run. The Eagleman 70.3 is named after the beautiful Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge nearby. It is known to be a flat, windy, and very hot race.
Eagleman 70.3 Ironman Triathlon 2015 – Race Report
Friday, June 12th, 2015
We arrived in Cambridge, MD, for package pick up and the pre-race meeting. The logistics were easier to negotiate than in Raleigh, as everything was nearby and easy to access. We shared a large house, 10 minutes outside of town, with several other teammates from Team Z, who would be racing as well.
Saturday, June 13th, 2015
After racking my bike in the designated area, I went for a quick practice swim, and a short run, then it was time to relax.
Sunday, June 14th, 2015
We woke up at 4:00 am, ate a little bit, and drove to Cambridge, MD, where I set up my gear. This time there were no bags involved to store your gear in, but one just organized the items needed next to your bike.
For instance, after the swim, you need your bike gear (shoes, socks, helmet, glasses, and body glide), and behind it, you put your run gear (shoes, socks, hat, glasses, sunscreen, and race belt). As you transition through each stage, you simply go item by item and hope you don’t forget anything.
The Swim Start
The swim took place in the Choptank River in Cambridge. It is a shallow body of water, at least for the swim, and you can almost walk the 1.2 miles if you want to. The water temperature had reached 79 degrees, and once again, wetsuits were optional. This swim turned out to be very rough. I was punched, kicked, pushed, got my goggles almost ripped off, and one person even pushed my head underwater while trying to swim over me.
I pushed through and finished my swim in 59 minutes.
The Bike Start
The transition to my bike felt easy, and I quickly put on my bike gear and went onto the bike start. The ride is flat as a pancake, oftentimes very windy, and extremely hot. The biggest challenge during my ride was to stay low in my aero bars. Imagine being folded forward on your bike for 3 or more hours, and after the hard swim, my arms were so tired. The Wildlife Refuge is a beautiful place to bike, but being in aero bars one does not see much of the beauty around.
I felt terrific when I finished my bike ride in 3 hours and 2 minutes.
The Run Start
By the time I started my run, the temperature had risen to 84 degrees with a heat index of 104-107! The run course took us outside of Cambridge, along part of the bike course, and back. It was brutal, to say the least. During the first 3 miles, I contemplated quitting due to the heat. I prevailed by running/walking the course, stopping at each aid station (they were about 1 mile apart) for ice, cold water, and sponges dipped in ice water.
I finished my run in 2 hours 21 minutes.
Overall, I finished in 6 hours 31 minutes and placed 17th in my age group. I am very excited that I finished with a personal record of about 35 minutes over the last ½ Ironman two weeks ago.
Now it’s time to rest, recover, regroup, learn to swim better, and get stronger for my goals ahead.
”She said she would, so she did”
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