Having competed in a few different Ironman 70.3 races, I've come to appreciate all that goes into making a successful event. I can emphatically say that Augusta stands alone as the best race to date! The entire city embraces and supports one of the more popular races in the US and as a competitor you not only feel, but feed off the energy generated.
I originally got involved with triathlon events in 2006 after my first elbow surgery. I grew up a competitive tennis player and needed surgery to repair the tendon in my arm. There is no easy way to rehab an elbow but swimming proved to be the best exercise. Needing an outlet for my competitive nature during this rehab period, a good friend recommended I participate in a sprint triathlon. I was hooked after the first event and began diving deeper into the sport competing in longer distance events such as "Escape from Alcatraz”, Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs, and Ironman 70.3 Muncie.
I have never left a race saying "I can't wait until next year" until Augusta. This is for a few different reasons. First, it was an A+ event from top to bottom. Second, the fellowship I shared with two of my good friends who also competed in the race was one of the best times I've had. Lastly, my results exceeded all of my goals and expectations coming in to the event.
As mentioned Ironman 70.3 Augusta is one of the more popular 70.3 events here in the US. It starts with a 1.2 mile swim in the Savannah River, followed by a 56 mile bike that runs from Georgia into South Carolina, ending with a flat 13.1 mile run through downtown Augusta. In past years the event welcomes cool weather that requires a wetsuit for the swim but the temperature in 2017 was abnormally hot. So no wetsuit. Regardless of the weather, the event was a blast with a large local crowd cheering on the more than 2500 racers.
The biggest challenge of the event for me was the heat. I was fully prepared for the race but not necessarily the abnormal heat on race day. I had a better than average swim and bike but fell victim to leg cramps during the run. I persevered through the pain but was slightly disappointed in my run time. However, I find myself in a bizarre scenario. On one hand I carry a certain level of disappointment with the run but overall I am overly ecstatic with the ultimate results.
Well, I guess the only way to correct this bizarre situation is to register for next years race and better plan for the heat to ensure I set a new PR that exceeds the one I set in 2017. Honestly, I had so much fun competing in the race that I couldn't see myself not competing in it again.
I tip my hat to Ironman and the City of Augusta. Great job...and see you next year!