Seventy Point Three

Last year I went from four to twenty-six point two in my first year of running.  This year, I'm making another big jump and just inked the last triathlon of my rookie season: PPD Beach2Battleship -- a half-ironman race!!!

This race has been on my mind since December 24, 2010 when Kyle brought it up while enjoying some Christmas Eve drinks.  I hadn't purchased a bike yet but I was almost ready to sign up for the race back then.  No, it wasn't the three whiskey and cokes (or Vodka 7's... I can't remember... wonder why?) but this race has many benefits.  For example, the race takes place in Wilmington, NC.  This geographical location is perfect:

• 3.5 hours to Charlotte, where TKB's brother and sister-in-law live
• 5.25 hours to Valle Crucis, NC where TKB's parents live
• 3.5 hours to Greensboro, NC where Ken and Kyle live.
• 30 minutes away from our favorite vacation spot, Topsail Island, NC.  We are turning this trip into a 10 year anniversary vacation for us!

Planning
Just like I did with my marathon in 2010, I have put a HIM (Half-ironman) training plan together.  I'm looking at an 18 week plan and will probably tweak it this week before it truly starts on June 27.

Even more important is the trip planning.  We hope to spend ample time with friends and family while in NC, so we are focusing on finding a great beach house for everyone to congregate.  Seeing that it will be off-season, the only trouble we may have is finding one that hasn't been closed up for the winter.

About the Race
Beach2Battleship (B2B for short but not to be confused by the other B2B race I did this year, Brew-to-Brew) is in its fourth year.  It is a point-to-point race with separate transitions.  The race starts in the Atlantic Ocean and ends at the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial.  In 2010 it received recognition from Triathlete magazine as the fifth top triathlon in the world.  It is produced by Setup Events.

• 1.2 Mile Swim - Takes place in a channel in the atlantic ocean but the incoming tides can shed 5 - 10 minutes off of triathletes swim time.
• 56 Mile Bike - Known for being a flat course.
• 13.1 Mile Run - Also a flat course with a few nasty hills around the entrance to the battleship.

Reflection

There is a full-iron component of this race but I didn't feel like I could fully dedicated the time for it.  I plan to train smart using appropriate heart-rate zones but I still need to learn what those truly are.  I hope to talk about those in future blog posts.

I'm going to continue participating in races for the next four months.  I want to get two or three more triathlons under my belt and I am planning another road race (or two) as well.

Before I go much further, it's time to call the doctor and do that all important yearly physical.  Better make sure he gives me the thumbs up first.

I'm extremely excited about this and I hope you enjoy following me on this journey!