Race Report-Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake

Dad and I made it back into town today after a long road trip and a tough race. I'm moving a bit slower than usual but I'm happy to be home after a great weekend. As expected it was hot, windy, and the fabled hills of Lubbock did not disappoint. Buffalo Springs was an interesting set up. Essentially a 70.3 Ironman event set around a lake, a large campsite, and the plains outside of Lubbock.

We were up early Sunday morning and got to the race site around 4:30AM. After getting a lay of the land and setting up in transition, I donned the wetsuit and got in a brief warm up. The water temperature was comfortable and because the lake was basically down in a hole, it was protected from the wind. That offered nice, calm water. A welcomed change from Kemah and Galveston. Fortunately those conditions and a good game plan led to my best swim time yet, 39:06. Not fast, but much improved. I exited the water feeling good about my start and ready to face the elements on the bike course. As I mentioned, Buffalo Springs didn't disappoint. Immediately after leaving transition, on the bike, we had a tough climb to get out of that hole. And once we got back to level ground the winds came into play. The entire bike course was a series of flat, windy stretches along farm roads mixed with several challenging hills. As in, 6-8 M.P.H. going up and 30+ M.P.H. going down. That got my attention! Not something I deal with riding in Houston, for sure. I was amazed at how fast some of the competitors would descend past as I was climbing up. We're talking a pebble or a flat tire away from being road kill at those speeds. Needless to say, I wasn't quite as aggressive. I had my fun but I also need to replace my brake pads this week! It was a fun and challenging ride. I was happy to walk away from it in one piece with my 3:14:19 bike leg. I figured some of the same hills were waiting for me on the run and I was right. Once again, the run took us back out of the hole and onto the farm roads. There was nowhere to hide from the sun at that point. No trees. No buildings. Just long stretches of black top and hills. The hills were obviously no fun on the run but I felt well conditioned for the heat. Relative to the usual Houston humidity I'm accustomed to, the heat in Lubbock actually felt good at times. Especially when we got a little breeze. Never thought I'd be thankful for humidity, but on Sunday I certainly was. Despite the heat and the climbs, I was lucky enough to turn in a 2:05:33 half-marathon.

All in all, it was a great weekend. My official time was 6:04:51 which is a slight improvement over Galveston. A good boost of confidence heading into the summer months. From here on out, it'll be steady training sprinkled with a few shorter distance races, mostly for fun and a little distraction. IM Florida is just four months away.

Race Week-Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake

After a two month hiatus, it's finally time to race again. When I first started doing these things, my mentors would tell me that the races are the fun part. The training is what'll kill you. That made no sense to me last year but I assure you it does now. The last several weeks have delivered a pretty steady diet of increasing distance and amount of time spent training. The mornings have gotten earlier, the weather has gotten hotter, and I'm now very familiar with the massage place around the corner. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying every bit of it, but I'm also looking forward to this week of recovery leading up to Lubbock. And I'm really looking forward to being back out there.

This race will be much different than Galveston. First, I've never done this one. Things will be unfamiliar and no other Houston Tri4Himers will be there to grind it out along side me. The crew this weekend is me and dad, who will serve as co-pilot, room mate, sports psychiatrist, race-day support, equipment manager, and most importantly dad. I'm glad to have him along for the experience. He's getting pretty seasoned at watching races and is in full on training for IM Florida spectating. Lubbock will also offer some new terrains, with a hilly landscape for both the bike and run portions of this race. A bit intimidating when you look at the map, but I'm looking forward to this new challenge. It's hard to train for elevation changes here in Houston. I'm counting on the past several months of work and grit to get me through it. Interestingly, the swim will be wetsuit legal (i.e. less than 78F) despite the hot climate. It takes place in Buffalo Springs Lake, which is a natural, spring fed lake, making it cool. Notably, the only cool portion of this race with predicted temperatures of around 100F by the end of the run. Good times!

As always, I am incredibly thankful that the Lord has sustained me through all of the mental and physical pounding required of this endeavor. I've been blessed to be injury free and in good health to keep up with the training. I'm also thankful for all of you. Your support mentally, spiritually, and emotionally has continued to fuel my fire and your financial contributions to Wears Valley Ranch have served to motivate me, even further, along the way. Thank you, again. If you've not jumped on board with that, this race would be a great excuse to do so. Likewise, if you've already "joined the race," why not use this event to play add on? I set our goal of $10,000 pretty high, but have no doubt that we can reach that and know that those funds will serve to help out a Godly organization with a worthy cause. Our total is $1700 as of today. Let's kick it up a notch! Just click the "firstgiving" logo over on the right. It's fast, easy, and feels really good!

I'll keep you posted on what takes place this weekend. If you've got a second to give us a thought or say a quick prayer Sunday morning, I'd appreciate it. I'll be out there working from 6:45 to 1ish. My fellow competitors and I could use all the help we can get. If you've got a little extra time...try praying for a cold front!

Thanks again.