2012 Ironman Kansas 70.3 Preview

The time has come.  Ironman Kansas 70.3 will be held this Sunday, June 10, at Clinton Lake State Park, just outside of glorious Lawrence, KS.  It will be my first half-Ironman race and my longest day racing yet. The race will cover 1.2 miles on the swim, 56 miles on a rolling bike course, and ends with a 13.1 mile run around the Clinton Lake campgrounds.

This will be my "A" race for the year, aka the Big One.  I have been specifically tapering the last 2 weeks for race day, which is both nice and odd.  Nice because of the decrease in training time and volume, and odd because now I really feel every knick and ding on my body.  Weird...

This race is going to be really special for me, mainly for a few different reasons:

1. The race is in Lawrence, KS.  I have been thinking of doing this race since I first started training for triathlons, and it will be incredibly special to have my first one in Lawrence! I can't wait to wear the Jayhawk race kit!
2. My family will see me a good amount on the run.  The course is two loops, but it also loops back on itself each lap. I'm hoping to run by and see them at least 4 times!
3. Rach and I are camping!  We will be staying at the race site Saturday night.  I'm sure I won't sleep very well, but at least I will avoid race morning traffic! And Jon should be there, as well!  We will be sporting this awesome banner at the campsite!!!

Race Goals:

This should be short and sweet:  Finish.  With a smile.

That's it.  I did have a time goal, but honestly, for this first 70.3, I just want to be able to take the day in and not worry about meeting a specific time.  I should be around 6 hours, and yes, I would absolutely like to be under that, but if I'm not, no biggie.  I'm going to have fun, and keep pushing till the finish!

The day is shaping up to have tougher conditions then I would like, according to weather.com

I will have to slow down a bit for the heat, and will definitely be slowing down heading south into a 21mph headwind.  I rode the course about 2 weeks ago in 25-30mph winds while pushing hard, and I was completely dead for the 6 mile run afterwards.  The most important thing for me in this race is going to be pacing on the bike, riding within myself, and taking in my nutrition.  If all goes to plan, the run shouldn't be a 'death march'. 

I've done the training, starting in early February, and now it's time to race!  I've seen a vast array of emotions this week, ranging from straight-up fear of the course and conditions, to excitement.  Overall, I'm a bit nervous, but know that I will do fine, as long as I stick to the plan!  

Check back soon with a race report!

Thanks for reading!