2014 Ironman 70.3 Florida

I am a professional triathlete. And it feels SO good to be able to say that. For years, I emulated the likes of world-class triathletes, dreaming of possibly, one day toeing the start line with them but never really believing it could actually happen. My rise to the professional level was never intentional. I have always and will always continue to compete in this sport because I love it and for nothing else. But I cannot lie, achieving what has felt like a lifelong dream was incredibly satisfying and it is the start of a journey that feels so right I can't picture myself doing anything else. Below is the recap from the first professional race of my career, Ironman 70.3 Florida.

After a successful 4th place finish at the Collegiate National Championship in Tempe last weekend, I flew directly from Phoenix to Sarasota where I was graciously hosted by my favorite Siesta Key family, Rick and Essie. I spent the week getting in some training sessions, soaking up some Vitamin D and fueling up for the half ironman just 8 days after my first race of the year. 

These are the best people ever 

Mom and Dad clearly would not miss my pro debut, so after heading home for a few days post-Tempe, they flew in on Friday afternoon before we drove up to Haines City on Saturday morning. 

Now, Haines City is located directly in the center of the grand state of Florida and based off my findings, central Florida is pretty much the worst. The intersections typically go: liquor store, CVS, bail bonds, used care sales. Despite the less than scenic drive and sketchy hotel location, the race site at Lake Eva Park was actually quite pleasant and served as a great location for a hard day of racing. 

40 MPH winds proceeded to knock this beautiful stallion right over after this pic 

After arriving on Saturday morning, I did my usual pre-race workout, picked up my packet and attended my first ever pro meeting. I tried to keep cool as I rubbed elbows with Greg Bennett but it was hard to keep my composure as I couldn’t help but giggle in excitement a few times (I don’t think he noticed?)

After hitting the hay relatively early on Saturday night, 7:45pm to be exact, I was feeling pretty refreshed when the 3:30am alarm went off Sunday morning. I gathered up my gear, headed down to the race site and after an inaugural visit to the pro-reserved porto-john, I got in a warm up and threw on the wetsuit as the sun came up over the lake.

Now THIS is how you apply suntan lotion 

At 6:50am, the gun went off and I sprinted in the fray of the main pack towards the first bouy. After a poor start last weekend, I was ready for a tough first 200m and didn’t pick my head up until…. POW! A nice little right hook to the face. My goggles flew off my eyes but thankfully stayed on my face. In the smoothest of fashions, I took one backstroke, re-fixed my goggles and got right back into it on the following stroke. It may have cost a few seconds but a little sprint effort put me right on the back of a strong group. I maneuvered my way around the M-shaped swim course smoothly from that point forward and exited the water in 11^th position overall in a time of 25:42. 

I got onto the bike quickly and took stock of some of the other racers around me. I recognized a few of the other competitors and realized I was in a good position to unleash my preferred weapon of choice, the lethal bike-run combo.

I settled into the pace and plan A was to simply execute my own race and not pay attention to the competitors around me. I had a certain wattage number that I had practiced in training and I initially planned to hold that value for the entire 56-mile ride. After taking the first 5 or so miles at a comfortable pace, I decided it was time to get to work. Right at this moment, one guy came around and passed me. Then another, and another, and a fourth! I was on the back of a five person train, riding the legal 5.5 bike lengths apart with a draft marshal on a motorcycle directly parallel to us enforcing the rules. Time for plan B. Unlike USAT or amateur rules, if you want to pass in the pro race, you must pass the entire group. To be honest, I was nervous and had never been in this position before so I was hesitant to move out of that 5^th in line spot and gun it for the front. For the next 25 miles, the five of us played this cat and mouse game of surging and coasting- definitely not my style.

After feeling like the first 25 miles or so had been more or less of a training ride, I got fed up and hammered up a hill to pass the entire group. I was surprised how quickly I got to the front and once there, I never looked back. I settled into my own pace that I had initially intended to hold and was able to gain a substantial gap on that group heading into the second transition. In hindsight, I would have made that move much earlier in the ride because I did loose some time in that first half. Good to know for the next one! I came into T2 feeling fresh and ready to run in 10^th place overall in a time of 2:16:36. 

The second transition went flawlessly and I hit the run course feeling very smooth and confident. I ran out onto the 3-loop course feeling light as a feather but after crumbling in the final miles of my first 70.3 in November, I respected the sheer length of a 4-hour race and a 13.1-mile half marathon.

My initial plan was to take the first loop conservative and controlled, build into the second loop and then finish it off with a strong final loop (each of them being roughly 4.5 miles). On the first loop, I constantly had to slow myself down, fearing that I would not be able to sustain the pace. But after clicking off the first 5k in about 18:00, I stopped thinking, trusted my training and let it fly.

Literally flying. Guy in blue is very confused on how I acquired this skill. 

Just like last weekend where I set my personal best 10k time, I felt pretty incredibly on this half marathon. My effort was steady, controlled and best of all, FAST. Miles 11-13 were tough, but that is to be expected on the back of a 70.3 and I even had the strength to move from 9^th place into 8^th place late in the race. I came into the finishing shoot physically depleted and bloodied from foot blisters but ecstatic with my 8^th place overall finish in a time of 4:03:22 with a new personal best half marathon time of 1:18:00. 

I went into this race with the goal of putting together my best triathlon. I wanted to race hard and have a result that simply reflected my training. Last weekend was about pressure, it was about results. This weekend was about setting a benchmark for the rest of my career and a top-10 professional debut is a damn good start.

To say that I am pleased with the last two weeks of racing would be a considerable understatement. People keep telling me that I will reach a level (a level I have already surpassed) and then plateau, scraping for seconds here and inches there. But I’m still in the game of shaving off minutes. A :90 second swim PR and a 4:00 run PR prove that. I know it won’t come easily but if you even know me in the slightest, I will work harder, be more dedicated and sacrifice more than the guy standing next to me in order to be the best.

Yes, people thought I was bib #1. Some day, some day.... 

As always, huge thanks to EGO pb Sammy’s Bikes for their continuing support of my dreams as an athlete. I also couldn’t swim fast without Xterra wetsuits, stay healthy without the Wellness Revolution and train smart without coaching from Precision Multisport.

Although I personally wasn’t a fan of Central Florida to start off, I tend to be a big softie after a good race and eventually warmed up to it. An organic fruit and vegetable stand on the side of the highway didn’t hurt their cause either…. J

Pure happiness 

As of right now, the next set of races is not until the beginning of June with the Leon’s Triathon on the 1^st and Eagleman 70.3 on the 8^th. I look forward to getting back into the grind of training and preparing for the rest of the season. What’s so amazing about a successful first two races is that it is only April and I still have 7 months to test myself against the best athletes in the world.

As always, feel free to reach out with questions, comments, concerns or otherwise. Also, if you are in the Chicagoland area, feel free to hit me up to hang out or train! Friend me on Facebook, follow me on the Twitter and I occasionally throw up an Instagram so follow me there too. I also post most of my workouts and races on Strava where you can see cool data. I have to start building that image now, you know, ‘cause it’s my job!

Thanks for tuning in,

Justin