Well, another year, another Ironman race successfully done. I’ve now completed 5 Ironman races since 2007 as well as about 75 other shorter distance races.
This year’s race was on Sunday, September 22nd, in Lake Tahoe. An Ironman race consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and ending with a 26.2 mile marathon. The race starts at 6:40am and the clock continues to run until you finish the swim, the bike and the run so you don’t stop until you cross the finish line or they pull you from the course for being too slow.
Lake Tahoe sits at 6200’ elevation which means the mornings and nights can get cold. Adding to the cold, a random storm passed thru the area the day before the race and we got SNOW! And more cold!
This years race started on the north side of the lake at King’s Beach. I awoke at 4:00am on race morning and got myself down to the start and put my wetsuit on at about 6:30am. I then walked across the sand and as I was walking, my feet felt strange. I looked down to see the sand was covered with frost and the temperature was 32 degrees. Oh boy, it’s going to be a cold one! The day stayed cold, but at least the sky was clear and racing amongst the snow capped mountains was beautiful.
There are about 25 Ironman races held each year throughout the world and this year’s race in Lake Tahoe has been labeled the toughest race they’ve ever held. 2,751 people paid their $700 and signed up for the race. Over 1,000 people didn’t finish the race which gave it the highest DNF (did not finish) rate of any Ironman ever at over 35%. I finished in 13 hours and 17 minutes, which was 2 hours slower than my last race in Arizona. Ironman races are supposed to be tough, and this one was especially tough. I am very happy I did the race and proud I finished it.
My older son will be heading off to college next year, so I’ll be skipping Ironman in 2014 in order to spend more time with him. Instead of racing triathlons, I’ll be racing around the country checking out colleges with him. Should be fun!
If you are considering painting your property, Click here to contact us today! Consultations are free.