2003 IronStar 1/2IM
Conroe, TX
By: Carlos Wolverton

The training that led up to the taper for my first half Iron Man in Montgomery, TX went smoothly, leaving me feeling more fit than ever before.  Then, suddenly things took a turn for the worse.  Two weeks prior to the race I went to a cocktail party where every one seemed to have a cold or some kind of malady.  After a hard training day, two glasses of wine, and 30 hugs and hand shakes from sniffling party goers, I went home feeling very tired.  The next day called for another fairly strenuous ride/run.  As luck would have it the training during the next two taper weeks had become harder than any of the 4-5 hour bricks prior to that. Damn the luck, I was sick.  I was grumpy, achy, and tired. The most trivial tasks became mountainous.  How on earth would I complete my longest race to date?

The week before race day consisted of catnaps, vitamins, hydration, and hopes of feeling better by race day.  I left Friday evening with a feeling of pessimism.  Gridlock on I-10 caused for a late night arrival at the 70’s style Del Lago Resort, stage for the upcoming event.  Saturday, I awoke far from refreshed, but went through the motions.  Ate a very stale breakfast buffet at Del Lago, then drove the bike course. The first half is scenic through shady, rolling Pine forests.  The road deteriorates quickly on the second half of the bike course and is less sheltered from the forest, leaving one vulnerable to the sun and wind.  Saturday’s high light was lunch at Panera’s bread in Conroe.  Next, a glance at the swim course, the best 45 minute power nap ever, and pasta dinner at Lago Vista.  Finally, to bed hoping to feel refreshed, not light headed.

Miraculously, after 10 days of feeling cruddy I finally awoke feeling rested.  With 5 hours of deep sleep under my belt, I arrived at the transition area at 5:30 am.  Lucky to get there early because the chip line was hundreds of feet long.  The start was delayed 15 minutes because the sun had not yet risen.  My new wet suit made the swim a pleasure, but T1 seemed to go by in slow motion; everything went wrong.  I struggled with a borrowed heart rate monitor; spent what seemed like an eternity getting the strap on.  Then, one of my socks tore.  Luckily, I had an extra pair, but they were thicker.  My cylcling shoes were already snug with thin socks.  The thicker socks made for a foot- numbing ride.  I did not feel my toes until 2 minutes into the run.  The ride went well except for losing my electrolyte pills when pulling my sunglasses out of my jersey pocket.  My legs started getting tired around mile 50.  By the time T2 came around I was ready to run, just for the sake of getting off of the bike.  T2, even without mishaps, went by slowly.

Although the humidity was fairly low, the run was hot.  I drank and doused water on my head at every mile.  The first 10 miles were OK, aside from the double loop course, which confused more than a few people.  By mile ten I started to cramp up and fell into a run, walk medley to the finish.  I felt exhausted at the end.  All that interested me at that point was shade and there was none to be found.  Little there was, had already been gobbled up by those quicker to cross the finish line.   

Although in its infancy the race was well done.  I would hope that for 2004 organizers would see to more than one bottle exchange on the bike leg, and a shady tent at the finish line.  I would also suggest that the bike loop go in the opposite direction, so that the sunny half would greet cold, wet riders instead of the shady National Forest stretch.