Auburn World's Toughest 1/2 Ironman

As Meatloaf says - Two out of Three ain't bad.

New Orleans 70.3 and Gulf Coast were the two and...yeah...this is three :)



This course is the real deal x 2...and then some.

VMS client #1, Paul Cantin and I did this last year and we decided to do it again this year.


It is REALLY strange to do a race two years in a row and have the EXACT same thoughts at the same times...REALLY!!!

I had a PR - personal record - yes - this was my overall SLOWEST 1/2 Ironman EVER!!!

I actually went 20 minutes slower than last year which was 5:35ish - I finished in 5:54 and change.

56 miles of riding - 5800' of climbing and a blisteringly fast pace of 15.96 MPH - OUCH!!! I had to stop and pee and had a flat so I guess that accounts for 2-3 minutes but I split 3:31 on the bike :(



This is from the plane at 30,000' and you can still see the hills.

Recap:

1st thought - I should be on a tri bike - not sure why I choose to make this mistake again - not smart.

2nd - there is no way to train for this in Florida - this is NOT for us - this is serious hill climbing.

3rd - Man is it pretty here - the course is SPECTACULAR!!!




The night before the race it rained and the sky offered up a fantastic rainbow.


Drew and Bone were able to come along on the trip just like last year and they were cheering on Paul and me...it is always nice to have friends and family at races...




In the end, as always, I am happy to have finished.

I start my 2 week mid-season break today...actually I started last night :)



If you want more "race report" - check out the video below...

Gulf Coast Triathlon 2010

The are a lot of times in life when we return to the same spot year after year after year.

I think it is really cool to look back sometimes and see where we have been.

I did my 1st ever 1/2 Ironman race in 2002 at the Gulf Coast Triathlon.

This was a BIG DEAL to me and I remember being REALLY nervous going into the event.

I also remember VERY distinctly the day I signed up for this race and also for Ironman Florida that same year. I was in Germany for a business trip and I had been talking with my good friend Cecil Cauley about doing a full Ironman - actually - he was talking and I was listening.

We decided to do Ironman Florida in 2002 together and to get ready we thought it would be a good idea to do the 1/2 - it was exactly 6 months before the full and it would give us a good idea of what the full would be like.

So, after walking up this HUGE hill in Germany to the condo where I was staying, I was thinking WTF? I could barely climb this hill and I was all out of breath and not at all in shape - I was drinking and smoking at the time and NOT a half Ironman athlete at all - but hey - this was November and I had 6 months to get ready :)

We did the race in 2002 and it was 102 degrees on the run - CRAZY hot. Almost quit a few times but I finished in 5:28:57 and it was NOT pretty.

We both joked if they had refund table available for the full in November we both would have asked for our money back :)


The short story is - I got hooked...the course had broken me - it kicked my a$$ and I wanted to get back at it...this was the slippery slope.


Some 22 Half Ironman's later and 4 trips back to Gulf Coast I am sure that course still owns me...

But in the process it has provided a chance for me and my family to be born (Bone), grow up (Shane and Josh), learn a few things and maybe score a little bling along the way.


2003 Gulf Coast Triathlon
5:00:29 missed 5 hours by just this much :)











2004 Gulf Coast Triathlon
5:00:06 - missed 5 hours AGAIN!!!











2005 Gulf Coast Triathlon
4:46:06 - it was cold this year and I got under 5 :)











2010 Gulf Coast Triathlon
4:38:20 - 2nd place Masters and 14th Overall - scored bling :)







I am 100% sure this course still owns me :)



Bone, Drew and I made it to awards and it was really cool.







Cecil and I started and finished this race in 2002 and went on to finish the full in November of that year - our first Ironman.

I think it is funny how life comes full circle like this as he and I spent many nights at Spinaker and La Vela - drunk as skunks in flight school some 15 years earlier never even considering going for a run in the morning :)

Here is quick race recap if you are interested and yes it still owns me :)

Bianca needs a new home

It’s official – Bianca is for sale and she is ONE OF A KIND – SERIOUSLY!!!














She is a 9.9 SSL TTX Project one size Medium (56) with paint and logo’s that are not available – it is a flat white no gloss paint and she is beautiful.













She can be purchased complete with SRAM RED, Zipp Vuka Bars, ISM Saddle and Aeolus 6.5 carbon clincher wheels, upgraded TRP Brakes, SRAM 172.5 cranks with Quarq power meter, Garmin 705 and Bontrager Carbon cages - this is one tricked out girl.













She can be dressed down with no race wheel or power meter...so....if you don’t want a mortgage…seriously - she is expensive but worth every penny.













She is stiff in power and soft to ride - very comfortable for speed and longer distance tri's.












Comes with RETUL fit at no charge - hey - she is demanding :)

You can check her out here or on craigs list at

http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/bik/1738170464.html