IRONMAN 70.3 St. George, UTAH, May 4th, 2019

IRONMAN 70.3 St. George, UTAH, May 4th, 2019
Screen Shot 2019-05-06 at 1.20.33 PM.png

Wow! This is a very, very tough race.

Wow! This is a very beautiful place.

Wow! I finished with a new PR!

Welcome to St. George folks, get ready to climb your way to a new and better version of yourself because after this you’ll be changed for the good!

Race Gear:

Swim: 2XU Wetsuit, Roka Goggles, 2XU tri-suit

Bike: Cervelo P5 Disc, Zipp 404 wheels

Run: Nike air zoom pegasus 35 shield shoes, Nike Sunglasses.

The Race

Accommodations:

I stayed at the Sand Hollow Resort which is located less than 1mile walk from the swim start. This proved to be very convenient for several reasons and not so convenient for others. The good thing is, you are close to T1, so dropping your bike off is no issue. This also makes it very convenient to take your test swim the day before to feel out the water which I did. I like to jump in and do about 20-30 min in just my shorts (no wetsuit). This helps me get a true feeling for the water temp and mentally and physically adapt to it prior to race morning.

This is not the most convenient place when it comes to the finish line. The hotel was supposed to have a shuttle pick us up after the race but that never materialized. So, since I was solo on this trip I had no return ride back to the hotel. I ended up taking an uber but had to return later in the day to pick up my bike. It’s about a 15-20min drive from my hotel to the finish line, not bad but it was a little annoying. Next time I’ll probably elect to stay in town and take the shuttle bus to the swim start. The town has a lot more restaurant options and things to do.

Registration:

The Ironman village was of course at the finish line and T2. This was a piece of cake. Ironman is always on top of their stuff for this. There was very little parking tho’, so I had to find a place on the residential streets several blocks away. Once I was in, it was super fast and smooth. There was many helpful and experienced volunteers, as well as great vendors and freebies.


Race Morning:

Since I was close to the swim start I was able to afford my self a little extra sleep and not stress over timing my ride on the shuttle like most athletes. I woke up at 4 am, did my morning meditation and made my coffee. Nutrition: I brought most of my own food to ensure I had healthy, organic options. Along with my coffee and water, I had 2 hardboiled eggs, sweet potatoes, and some venison jerky! Good, clean, simple and balanced food…real food! I take my Onnit day pack of supplements with my meal.

I grab my bike gear, nutrition, and wetsuit and head out the door. I walk in near pure darkness and silence along the desert towards the lake. It takes me about 20min to get there. I set up my bike nutrition and drop of my “bike gear bag” on my hook. This bag contains my helmet, shoes, socks, gloves and a towel to wipe off and dry my feet prior to putting on my socks and bike shoes.

I’m just about ready…I put on my wetsuit, drop off my “morning clothes bag” which has my room key, cell phone, shoes I wore in the morning and some post-race snacks. I put on my wetsuit, take 5 Kion Essential Amino Acid supplements (EAA) and 4 Beta Alanine pills 45min-1hr before the swim start.

The Swim:

The swim is a standard rolling start. You line up based on your projected finish time. The sun is just peaking through over the majestic flat mountain tops. You feeling it warming your back ever so slightly. As you walk to the shore you’ll feel the cold but extremely soft clay like sand massage your toes just before you make the plunge. The water was about 62 deg, not bad at all. In NY I’ll take daily freezing cold showers to prepare myself for these types of mornings but today was just right.

You have three straightaways and only two turns so you can plan your efforts accordingly. It’s one giant loop around a small island, very fun!

T1:

Upon exiting the water there will be several “wetsuit removal stations”, take advantage of these, the volunteers are fast and it will save you time! Once it’s off, run to find your bike gear bag. They have chairs set up so you can comfortably change into your bike gear. I wiped off my feet, put on my socks, shoes, helmet, and gloves. Stuffed my wetsuit and towel into the same bag and ran off to the bike. There was a crew of people there to take your bag from you. Grab your bike and you're off!!!!

The Bike:

This was a fun ride, yeah it really sucked at some spots but you can’t beat the views. With over 3,500 ft in elevation gain, you will be tested and you may question your ability to finish. The first few miles have some rolling hills and flat areas. Though out the course you will climb at a very slow pace only to make it over the top and find yourself flying down at over 40mph(I hit +40mph several times…so fun!). I really enjoyed the multiple supersonic downhill sections!

Nutrition: For the record, I’m a low-carb athlete. I consume little to no carbs during my competitions and training, mainly using fat as my fuel source. (This works best for my body). On the bike, I have two bottles of water and a third mixed with my Onnit Electrolyte mix and Kion Aminos mixed berries powder. This keeps me hydrated without consuming sugar or carbs such as Gatorade. Then every 45-60 min, I consume 2 Kion EAA and 1 Beta Alanine supplements. These keep me from cramping and help reduce lactic acid build up. For food, I have one Kion bar, 2 Super Fat’s (protein) and two F-bombs. These last two are nut butter that is easy to consume, much like a gel.

It’s an and up and down challenges taking you from the Sand Hollow Reservoir all the way into downtown St. George…oh but not without kicking your ass along the way! There is an area called Snow Canyon(should be renamed “Hell Canyon”). This is the start of the very long and slow ascend to the top. Starting approximately at mile 37 and finishing around mile 45. This is a very tough hill, so be prepared and stay calm and pace yourself. You WILL make it to the top and once you do it’s about 9 miles all downhill to T2!

T2:

The day before you will set up your “Run Gear Bag”, containing your running shoes, hat, sunglasses and belt with bib and nutrition. You will hang this at your numbered rack. Once you roll in from the bike course, dismount the bike, run over to your number and rack your bike. Take off all your bike gear and throw on your running gear. On the way out there are bathrooms and a sunscreen lotion station. Take advantage of both! The sun was out with no clouds in sight.

The Run:

This might be worse than Snow Canyon. The first 3 miles are straight uphill. Pace yourself because it only gets worse from there.

Nutrition: In my running belt I have the same supplements as I did on the bike. Kion EAA, Beta Alanine. I’ll take the same 2:1 ratio every 30-45min. I also had to Super Fat butter with me. I only consumed water from the aid stations. Sipping some at every opportunity. (It was hot and you need to stay hydrated)

Once you make it to the top you get a nice downhill section however sometimes running downhill is just as difficult on the body. Then it continues to loop back and forth, up and down. You will see the same runners on your right as you gaze off into the distance wondering how much longer I have to go, when will I get to where they are, wait…I still have to run the portion too?” These thoughts pass through your mind amongst other positive and negative thoughts. At one point as we came out of the underpass loop near mile 5, another runner sees that we still had to run down, only to come back through this same loop but in the other direction. She says out loud “Fuck! You serious!?”, it was real emotion and I felt her pain, we all did. It was also funny because I was thinking the same thing.

Then you hit mile 10, back to the top, again. You are nearly home free as you descend back down the hill and into the finish!


The Finish:

It was fun to cross the finish line and to hear my name announced. I loved the challenge of this course. You go through this rollercoaster ride of feelings, both physically and emotionally. This course tested me and helped pushed me to new heights. I welcomed the difficult ride and run course because those are the moments when real growth occurs. I did not stop or rest at any point. I focused on my training and trusted my body and mind. I ended up with a new PR!, finishing in under 6hrs, almost 1hr faster than my Lake Placid race in 2018. With smarter training, better recovery and supplementation I was able to make big strides. On to Escape From Alcatraz in June! Stay hard!

Thank you,

Greg Pawlisa