Boise 70.3 race report…
I want to start by saying this race was very well organized & executed. The race stacks the cards against its self with two separate transition areas, T1 was out at the lake & T2 was Downtown Boise, this sets the stage for a logistical nightmare. To add to it…the race was a unique afternoon start. Neither ended up to be an issue, the race director & volunteers did an amazing job.
A couple weeks out from the race the weather in the Northwest & Boise got unseasonably hot. Seattle was in the high 80’s/low 90’s & Boise was in the 90’s. The good news was this would make for a warm water temp but HOT bike & run with the afternoon start. To prepare I was getting in as much training as possible during the heat of the day. (As you read on you’ll find out this wasn’t needed in the end) In the weeks and days leading up to the race I was consuming a ton of water with electrolites, this proved to be a mistake, more about that later.
I was lucky to track down a great homestay in Boise for the weekend. Tom & Jodi welcomed me into their home, answered a ton of questions, carted me around AND cheered out on the course. They definitely had big part of making it such a great experience. It was nice to show up by myself but instantly have friends & be welcomed into their triathlon community. Next weekend Tom is racing IMCDA & I’d say he’s prepared to leave there with his ticket to Kona…
I for one liked the 2:00 race start other than the amount of sitting around at T1 & that it gave time for the weather to turn to shit. I think a high noon start time would have been perfect.
I woke up at about 8am and ate a big bowl of oatmeal, banana & a cup of coffee. I packed another banana, a Nutella sandwich & a bottle with nuun, Carbo-pro & enduralites in it (300 or so Cal). At about 12:30 I had the sandwich & 1:45 drank the bottle. It felt like I had a full stomach but I wasn’t feeling stuffed or balloted.
Transitions for this race were “clean”, this means all the gear your going to put on is in a bag hanging off your bike & all the gear you take off goes into the same bag. (this way they can transport everything to one central location after the race) The bags and the long run from the lake to the bike did make for some longer than normal transition times.
Swim
The pro’s went off at 2:00 with a lake that only had a ripple on it. My wave start was at 2:30, by the time we were in the water the wind had picked up & the ripple had turned to chop. This was by far the smoothest swim start I’ve ever had, contact was minimal. Getting to the first buoy was quick and easy, however the second buoy wasn’t so easy. I swam and swam and swam and never felt like I was on target or getting closer. Finally a kayak showed up to the group of swimers I was with & told us that buoy had broke loose in the wind and we were way off course. When the swims your weakness this isn’t good news. Not long after that my legs started cramping really bad. The cramps started in my calf then took over most my leg, at one point my thumbs were even cramped. For about half the swim I didn’t kick but I was determined to get through it. In what seemed like forever (because it was) I made it to the boat launch My goal for the swim was 33-35 minutes & I didn’t come close, I’m actually embarrassed with my swim time but I’ll post it anyways…
Swim Time 0:56:42
T1
Once on dry land my legs felt ok, up the switchback boat ramp & to the wet suit strippers then to the bike.
T1 Time 0:03:08
Bike
On the bike I had two bottle with a similar mix to the one I had pre race. Each bottle had about 350 cal & my plan was one an hour with a little extra water out on the course.
Early in the bike sun
The first section of the bike was a long down hill then a long gradual uphill. I felt strong on the bike & made the decision that I’d push a little harder than planned to get some time back from the swim. About 15 minutes into the bike leg the weather quickly changed from sunshine to dark clouds, heavy rain & wind. There were portions on the bike that we were peddling through inches of standing water on the roads. I don’t think the water slowed my down too much but the wind sure did. The first half of the bike I had average of about 23 mph but due to the wind that dropped to about 21 mph by the end of the bike leg.
Majority of the bike RAIN
I was able to easily get all my nutrition down on the bike, which set me up for a good run. The final 10 miles of the bike were also down hill so my legs got a little break prior to have to run. Coming off the bike I was just as wet (or maybe more wet) than i was in the swim.
Bike Time 2:43:11
T2
The area for T2 was loooong and skinny. Before the race I checked out where my place was with a landmark, once I was in T2 I forgot the and mark and had to look at the numbers. Swapped shoes, grabbed a visor & headed out.
T2 Time 0:02:37
Run
One thing was surprising heading out on the run…I felt great. My cadence was high, back straight & stomach felt solid. The run consisted of two flat loops through a greenbelt. My plan was to skip the aid stations on the first look & alternate coke/water on the second loop.
It was cold & wet out on the run but that didn’t keep the spectators away, there were a ton of people out to cheer us on. The first loop went by pretty quick & I was happy with the pace. The coke on the second loop was welcomed, the calories & sugar provided a little boost. (maybe the boost was all in my head but I’ll take it) My pace stayed consistent for the second loop of the run & it went by faster than the first loop.
Crossing the finish line felt great, the only thing (other than my swim) I would have changed was having Harmony there at the finish.
Clock shows time from Pro start, not AG waves
Run Time 1:37:41
Overall Race Time 5:23:17 (PR by about 20 minutes)
276th out of 817
46th out of 186 in my age group
After the race I stumbled around a little, ate some pizza, collected my transition bags/bike then met up with Tom & Jodi for a ride home.
Huge thank you’s go out to:
Tom & Jodi, you two were the best hosts, thank again for opening up your home for me.
Race Director, excellent job executing an event what had some challenges from the start. (Start time, two transition areas)
ALL the volunteers, you were amazing. Every interaction I had with the not-so-small army of volunteers was impressive. (Even when they were as soaking wet as I was)
I reviewed the outcome of the race with my coach & he was happy with the day. We spent a bit of time talking about what happened on the swim & I think the cramping may have been caused by…OVER HYDRATION, WTF! I’ll be ready to fight another day!
The pro race was amazing, it came down to a sprint at the end. Here’s a link to a great interview/recap of the race from the pro’s perspective.
Thank you for share.
excellent job out there travis. i am so unbelievably impressed with your run. wow! I’m jealous.