We're here in Lubbock, Texas.  We carbo-loaded last night at the Olive Garden with our friends.  Robin looked up the weather for race day.  Anything from hot & humid to overcast & thunder storms.  One thing is for certain, it will always be windy, which makes this well-run race one of the tougher Half Ironmans around.

Race Day

Robin isn't competing because she's readying for a marathon.  She's chosen to cheer us all on.. while getting her run workout in, too.  My goals are:  To be very encouraging and friendly to all competitors, volunteers, and spectators;  to break 30 min in the swim; to break 2:30 in the bike; and to finish in 4:30.  The wind and heat should be great training for the Hawaii Ironman.

It's dark.  We drive 6mi out of town to the lake. Robin helps set up my transition and for the first time this year, I'm ready to go well before the race start.  Robin joins me for a warm-up run in the dark.  A little sketchy; can't even see the edge of the road.  We turn and head back to the lights of the race area.  Too dark for a bike warm-up.  Dale, Kenton, Tana, and Jeffrey all look ready to go.  The American Anthem starts and a thousand athletes readying their transition sites immediately stop and honor the flag.

The Swim

It's 6:45am.  The sun is about to come up over the horizon.  Bang!  My wave is sent off around the lake!  We run and dive into the algae-filled water.  Robin has a great perch off to the side to catch the action on camera.  My start is good in the middle-front.  As we make the first turn I feel I may have started too fast.  I strain to breathe.  The pack I was with swims away from me.  But I find the feet of another guy that fell behind and he does a great job of pulling me around a few buoys.  There are 3 waves ahead of us:  "pro / elite", "50 and older men & women", and "25-29 men".  I'm trying to be careful not to swim into some of the slower swimmers ahead, while keeping an eye on my draft-guy.

I'm getting hot.  I knew my full-wetsuit was going to be a problem.  The water is 74 degrees (anything over 77 degrees, suits aren't even allowed) but it feels like 100 in my suit.  I chose to use it because of the 2-1/2 minute speed advantage it gives me.  Periodically I tug on my collar and let the water rush in... it feels so good.  It cools off my chest and arms.  I keep telling myself to stay with the guy ahead of me.  It's hard. But I've been wanting to break through with a really fast swim.  Near the end.  The Youth Corps volunteers are so helpful and pull me out of the water, helping unzip my wetsuit as I scamper up the ramp.  28:44 and 7th place!  3-1/2 minutes faster than the 2000 race.  While running to my bike, I compliment others on their swims, too.

The Transition

My transitions haven't been fast enough.  This time I really focus.  No relaxing.  Keep moving.  Good one!  I leave in 6th place.

The Bike

The first climb is immediate & steep.  Robin's at the top with the camera.  We speed across the dam and up another steep climb.  My riding position feels good.  I fine-tuned it a couple days ago.  I'm averaging 23mph and feeling pretty pumped.  But that was mainly because of a tail-wind I learn as we turn back onto the main road.  Now heading East into the wind.  Reminding myself this is training for the brutal winds of Hawaii.  I'm also trying to make up for the slow bike I had here in 2000.  So I push and push.  Drinking a lot.  I'm really thirsty!  Which means I'm already dehydrated.  Must have been the swim.  And the humid climate.  We turn South for an out-an-back across the gorge (down one side, up the other, and back).

Every once and a while I pass a 50-60yr old, or get passed by a speedy 30yr old.  Otherwise it's just me, the wind, and farmland as far as the eye can see.  Then a rider comes up alongside me.  I plan to hold him off.  If I surge and keep his front wheel from passing my front wheel, he has to back off 7 meters before trying again. That's the rules.  So I step on it.  It works.  I stay ahead of him.  But he doesn't back off.  Just stays alongside in my draft zone for about a minute!  Poor guy's gonna get a 4 minute penalty.  I turn and yell through the wind, "You'd better drop back or you'll get called for drafting".  He does.  But 1/2 hour later he does it again.  Tries to pass. I hold him off (his front wheel never passes mine).  And then he sits off my left flank.  I maintain max speed and hope a marshal will show up and penalize him.  And there's the headlight of the marshal's motorcycle.  But the guy doesn't even notice and continues drafting for 2 minutes!  An obvious infraction.  A hill comes and I let him, the marshal, and a couple others go by.  I take notice that the marshal is recording some numbers. That's good.  I won't have to worry about these guys since they're now 4min behind.

The rest of the ride goes great.  I encourage everyone that I pass or that passes me.  I'm pushing very hard.  Whenever I see Dale he cheers for me, even when he's going up a hill.  There's horses, bunny rabbits, and even peacock families taking in the action along the rode.  When I cross the gorge for the last time and head home on the 10mi downwind stretch, I pour it on and pass a few guys in my age group.  Robin is cheering at the entrance to the park.

But the last couple miles are back into a tough wind.  It slows me down and I don't reach my 2:30 goal.  Still a good ride, 6 min faster than 2000.  I finish in 2:31:54, in 8th place.  Now it's time to run

The Run

Ouch, this is tough.  But I stay positive and know that the legs will loosen up soon.  Wow, 3 guys go by me.  I encourage them, but, at the same time, set a goal to catch them later.  I see Robin at 3 mi and jokingly tell her "Those guys passed me without asking first".  She tells me to catch them.  And I do my best.  It's not too hot.  But it sure feels hard.  I try to maintain 7 minutes per mile, but I'm starting to fall off a bit.  I turn the corner onto the long, straight road to "Energy Lab II" as they call it here.  Reminiscent of the tough, barren, out-n-back at Hawaii Ironman that always saps your energy.  I can see for a 1/2mi and no sign of the guys!  They're out-a-here!  I don't lose hope and press on harder.  I can see their heads bobbing on the horizon.  I congratulate the guys coming back already but they don't look very happy.  At the turn I find out why.  Head wind.  My pace is slowing to 8min mile but I'm giving it all I got.  At 9mi I see Dale & Jeffrey battling it out up the hill.  They're doing great.  Then Robin & Noel cheering loudly from an area where they encourage runners in 4 directions.  Then Tana, looking strong as always and smiling.  Then Kenton, doing his first half, and doing great!  The last 3 mi I focus on a guy near me in a younger age group.  We go back and forth and it helps us both.  I'm sprinting the last mile with Robin cheering from the side.  Even though I can't see my competition, every minute still counts since some of them may have penalties.  I thank God for giving me great strength and perseverance today.  I'm already so happy about my bike and swim.  Coming down to the finish, the body is hurting, but it's all for God.  If not, then it would be meaningless to me.  The announcer is reading off stats from previous races I've nishdone.  Some that I've forgotten and take me down memory lane.

The Fi

I finish in 10th with a 1:34:22 run (1-1/2 minutes slower than 2000).  I pray, hug Robin, and then plunge into the lake.  Ah!!!   But then the results show I'm 12th because of a 4 minute penalty!  I'm totally amazed as I was in control and highly aware of the entire ride... perfectly by-the-book.  We found out from the head official that the marshal saw me as the one who wouldn't back off and remained drafting for 2 minutes.  Well, even though wrong, triathlon penalties can't be changed.  Robin & I both realized that I'm in no position to be upset after God graced me with a qualifying slot at Keauhou when my own ability didn't even warrant it.  Now my ability says I'm 10th but the results say 12th.  It's a very fair trade :)  Thank you, Lord.

I did receive a very nice call from the head USAT official.  He confirmed the tactics of holding off another rider were correct and that, as the lead rider, I'm not responsible for those behind and that I should do the same at Hawaii.

God Bless.

Troy Soares and Robin Soares.... "Team Soares... Press On"