First 70.3

First 70.3 - Kevin

Muncie 70.3 race breakdown.

Swim – The swim was my worst nightmare, non-wetsuit. Jumping in the water I knew it was going to be a rough start. The first couple hundred meters I started too fast but soon settled into a good pace and ended up passing Patrick Martin, my first time beating him in anything tri related! The joy of this didn’t last however. Halfway through the swim I started to get a side stitch and had to backstock to help relieve it, losing some time and positivity that this would be a good race.

Bike – As planned the bike was my strongest leg. I was above my planned pace and feeling good for much of the time. Zipping through the aid stations and grabbing the heavenly Gatorade I was feeling the better and better as every mile went by. The only issue I had was in the last 10 miles my thigh started to cramp, however this didn’t stop me from pushing on and finishing the bike leg strong.

Run – The run was the worst and most demoralizing part of the race. I was a minute slower than the pace I wanted to run. My stomach was cramping from the lack of food, I had a side stitch for around 9 of the 13 miles and was feeling sick and faint.

Some key things I would have done differently looking back would be to go on longer runs in the weeks leading up to the race and bring food with me on the

ike to keep my energy levels up. Overall my first 70.3 experience was a mix of good and bad, I gained a lot of knowledge but at the same time was feeling the worst I’ve ever felt in a race. In the end I finished only 3 minutes behind my goal time. Can’t wait to sign up for my next 70.3 and race it smarter and faster!

Official time 5:09:24