2009 SOM Half-Ironman Race Report

Yesterday, I completed the 2009 Spirit of Morgantown (SOM) Half-Ironman triathlon. What a great race!!

Two weeks ago, I did the Cinci Olympic tri and felt pretty good about my finish. So I was ready for this race. The day started early. We arrived at the race about 6:10am Sunday morning. The place was packed. I think there were around 500 competitors. There was also a sprint and olympic distance at the SOM, so many of the athletes were competing in those races. I'm not sure how many people competed in the half-IM. The results haven't been posted yet.

The course began with a 1.2 mile in the Monongahela River, followed by a 2-loop 56 mile bike ride to Mt. Morris, PA and back to Morgantown. Lastly, we ran a half-marathon (13.1 miles) along the banks of the river. All of this we did on the hottest day of the year. It was around 91 degrees....ugh.

Anyway, I unpacked my gear, set up my bike, and then headed to the swim start. The sprint and olympic athletes started first. Each group was then broken up in waves. So the swim start began with the sprint elite and 20-29 athletes. Then 30-39, etc. You get the idea. The olympic athletes then started the same way, as did we. So, although the race started officially at 7:30am, I didn't hit the water until 7:57am.

Swim:

The water was cold so we were allowed to wear our wetsuits. After getting to the swim start, I quickly put my suit on and walked down to the dock where we entered the water. The swim entry was a "jump" off a boat dock; we literally jumped feet first into the Monongahela and then began swimming. It was kind of weird. You had to get out of the way pretty quickly to avoid getting jumped on by the people behind you. I tried to hold my swim goggles on as I hit the water, but I ended up getting water in my right swim goggle. So, for the rest of the swim, I pretty much swam with my right eye closed...hehe.

I didn't have too much bumping with the other competitors and quickly got into my swim rhythm. The swim course was a big rectangle ending back up at the boat dock where we began. The swim was pretty uneventful with the sole exception of some current towards the end. As I was rounding the next-to-last swim bouy, the current picked up dramatically. I'm not sure why the current became rough, but I heard rumor that some swimmers were actually injured by the current throwing them against the bouy. I made it through, but it was definitely surprising.

I rounded the last buoy and headed towards the end. To exit the swim, we had to pull ourselves back up onto the dock, like doing a push-up. That was probably the hardest part of the swim...hehe. I looked like an idiot. Anyway, I made it up and ran towards the transition area to prepare for the bike. Although I don't know my official swim time, I think I did pretty good. Steph caught me on video starting the swim at 7:57am and exiting at 8:38....so that's about 40 minutes for 1.2 miles.

Bike:

The bike was a two-loop route, 28 miles each, for a total of 56 miles. It was out and back to Mt. Morris, PA. There were two decent hills but overall, I felt it was a great route. It would have been much better if the roads were in better shape. The potholes were unbelievable!!! I saw two people with flats.

I felt really good about the bike. The way the course was laid out, we had a aid station every 14 miles, which was great. I decided earlier, that during the bike that I would go through two bottles of Perpetuem. I think that was a mistake as when I got to the run, I was having stomach problems from too much protein I think.

The course consisted of rolling hills with two major climbs. The first was on Route 19 coming back from Mt. Morris. The reward for that climb is the awesome downhill afterwards. I got close to 40mph on the way down. Towards the end of each loop there is the second craptacular hill. I was in my lowest gear and still had trouble making it to the top both times. The reward for making it through this hill, is that it's only 3 or so more miles until the end.

I rolled into the transition area feeling great about the bike and ready for the run. I finished the bike around 3.5 hours.

Run:

And this is where things went bad. I blew up on the run. All of that protein I took in on the bike really gave me problems on the run. Almost immediately I was having stomach problems. Not to mention, the heat was unbelievable. This was the hottest day of the year for us. And, I haven't done any training in the heat. So, the heat was a major factor. In fact, the race organizer said at the end, that everyone, including the pros, were significantly slower than usual.

The run was a two-loop out and back, 6.55 miles each loop for a total of 13.1 miles. The run was along the river which was great as much of the run was shaded. I have no idea what pace I was at, but it had to have been 12-13 minute miles. I usually run 8-8.5 minute miles. It was crazy. Between the heat and the stomach problems, I was in a world of hurt. Thankfully, I saw a number of folks who were there to cheer me on and that helped a great deal. Moreover, the race volunteers were wonderful and kept us fully hydrated. I never thought I would say this, but I can't tell you how happy I was to have a flat Coca-Cola at one of the aid stations. It tasted sooooo good.

Finally, I reached the last corner and headed towards the end. I heard someone yell my name (turns out it was a friend of ours) and could see the finish line. I saw Steph with her video camera, and crossed the finish line around 6 hours and 49 minutes. I quickly grabbed another coke and spent some time with friends who came out.

Randomness:

• People said that a half-IM is about as hard on you as a marathon. Recovery time, etc, is about the same. Although, this race was hard, I think a marathon is harder. Well, at least the two that I have run have been harder on me. Maybe because I'm a better athlete now. I don't know. But, it felt easier than a marathon.
• I can't say enough about the volunteers. They were great!!! They were spot on with everything from getting us hydration to telling us where to go and what to do. They were wonderful.
• Next time, I will pay more attention to my nutrition, particularly my protein intake. I never want to go through that stomach thing again.
• Thanks again to everyone who supported me through this. I'd like to thank Jamie and his family for coming out as well as Chad. Jamie was there the entire time I was out on the course. Besides Steph, he was the only one there the whole time for me. Thanks Jamie. It means more than you know.
• Lastly, I can't thank enough my wife and her dad. Both have been behind me 100%. Joe is always checking in on me to make sure my training is going ok and that I'm doing well. He always calls after each race and asks how it went. He's the greatest. Steph is my manager. She is there to tell me what I need to do and when I need to do it. She helps me with everything, from getting set up to cheering me on to helping me pack up and clean my gear. She is there. Always. I love you.

The next event is Steph's first triathlon on August 29th. She's doing the Sprint, Splash, and Spin. Woohoo!! After that, I get to do another half-IM in Augusta, GA on September 27th.

I'll have a video up soon of this race.

Woot!!

Update: Results--6:41:01. 96 out of 146. 44 minute swim (this is misleading as the swim time didn't get logged until you ran like a 1/4 mile from the exit). 3:20:02 bike (16.8 mph). Awesome!!!!! 2:31:01 run (11:32 pace). Very slow for me.