PRs All Around! North Carolina 70.3 Race Report
I absolutely love this race, and it was our third time doing it. (The first was just 1 week before our wedding in 2022) But this time it was a team race for TriMarni, so we got to race with our friends and coaches, which made the experience even more amazing.
So buckle up and get ready, because spoiler alert (we both did amazing! PRs all around).
*Paid subscribers get our traditional race recap video at the bottom of this post! Plus a video tour of the houseboat.
Race Home Away From Home
It’s a 9-hour drive from Florida to Wilmington, and we had workouts to do Wednesdaymorning. So despite having our gear and suitcases all packed up and ready to go, we didn’t hit the road until lunchtime, which meant we didn’t get to Wilmington until 10:00 pm…
The first order of business was settling into our race home away from home. If you’re a longtime reader, you’ll know that my husband, Matt, has a special talent for finding the most incredible accommodations. Whether it’s a glass-walled cabin in Maine, a hacienda in Utah, or a house-boat in North Carolina, he always picks the best places to stay.
And yes, you read that correct… We stayed on a houseboat!
The first time we did this race, we stayed at the beach, which is great for easy access to the swim start on race morning. But because this is a split-transition race (where T1 and T2 are in different places) you have to hitch a ride back out to the beach after you finish.
The second time we did this race, we stayed in a condo that overlooked the finish line. It was pretty cool, but staying downtown means you have to ride two shuttles in the morning- one shuttle to T1 and a second shuttle to the swim start. It’s a bit more logistics, but easier post-race.
This time, we stayed in a cool houseboat that was right across from T2. It’s two-story and has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room downstairs and a bedroom, sitting area, and bathroom upstairs. But the best part is the upstairs patio that overlooks the water!
Ever since Matt saw these houseboats, he’s been dreaming about setting up our trainers on the deck and riding outside since the temperature in the morning is 45°-50°.
North Carolina 70.3: Honest Reflections and Takeaways to Help You Nail Your Next Triathlon
Pre-Race
On Thursday morning, we met our friends, Angela and Kevin, for an open water swim in the river. One of our teammates has a house right next to the swim start, so we planned to swim down a half mile and get out at the beach. The water was amazing! A bit chilly, but perfect wetsuit temperature, so it was an invigorating way to start the day.
However, we misjudged the tides just a bit, so it was like swimming in an endless pool! I think we did a half mile in 30 minutes… which is crazy because on race morning you swim with the tide, so 1.2 miles in 28 minutes.
Then, we grabbed some lunch and headed to athlete check-in, where we met up with more friends- Joe and Trey- to stand in the absurdly long line. We only had an hour to relax before we headed back out to the beach for the TriMarni pizza party at Jim’s house. It was fun to catch up with our coaches, friends, and chat with our teammates who’d recently come back from Kona.
Friday- the day before the race- is always a busy day because we have final workouts to do before we pack our gear bags, drop off bikes, eat more food, and try to get off our feet and relax.
There isn’t a great place to ride safely in Wilmington, so we rode on the trainers, did a short run, and packed our gear bags. Because this is a split-transition race, instead of laying your gear underneath your bike, you have two gear bags- one for the bike that stays in T1 and one for the run that stays in T2.
You also have a morning clothes bag that holds any items you took to the swim start but would like to have at the finish line, like a hoodie, water bottle, keys, ect. We use this as our “swim bag” to carry our wetsuit, swim cap, and goggles to the race start.
How to do a Triathlon With Split Transitions
After dropping off our bikes at T1 and our run bags at T2, we met up with our friends for a team picture with IRONMAN, because we were the 3rd largest tri-club at the race!
Race Day!
Because we had to ride two shuttles in the morning, and the ride out to the beach takes about 25 minutes, it was an early wake-up call of 3:15 am. We did some mobility exercises, ate breakfast, made our bottles, and got dressed so we could walk to the shuttle at T2. These weren’t school buses, but super-fancy travel buses, so we felt like VIPs.
After setting up our bike gear in transition, we hitched a ride with Jim back to his house by the swim start. This was so nice, because we could hang out inside where it was warm and put on our wetsuits. After dropping off our morning clothes bags at the swim start and lining up, it was time to race!
TIP: One thing I did differently this year was bring a pair of throwaway socks that I could wear while waiting in line for the swim, so my feet didn’t go numb.
The Swim
I love this swim! While the air temperature is a bit chilly in the low 40s, the water is perfect wetsuit temperature, around 68. It’s a pretty straight shot, with just a few turns, and there’s always a nice current downriver.
There was quite a bit of chop this time, but I don’t mind a rougher swim, and I was able to navigate pretty well around other athletes. I found myself a bit farther off the buoys than usual and, after talking to other athletes, they said the same thing, so I think the buoys might have been moving a bit in the current.
We live in Florida, so we’re used to saltwater, but this river is super-salty! One of my favorite parts of the swim is seeing the sunrise above the sailboats. Before you know it, you’re at the floating dock. Then, it’s a looong .5 mile jog to transition.
As I ran to my bike, I heard someone singing the Jaws theme, and of course I knew who that was… It’s always fun when Matt and I get into transition together, and because we swim similar speed, it happens at almost every race.
TIP: After putting on bike gear, don’t forget to put all swim gear into the blue bike bag so it get transported to the finish line.
The Bike
I knew the bike was going to be a bit chilly, so I planned to wear gloves, but that’s it. In hindsight, I might have added toe-covers, but honestly my feet probably would’ve still be frozen. (Matt said his were numb until 17 minutes into the run.)
The start of the bike is fun because there’s always a ton of spectators. The only slightly tricky part are two drawbridges with grates, but as long as you slow down and stay straight, it’s fine. These are no aero-bar zones as well.
As soon as I got on the bike, I settled into my race effort pretty easily and tried to focus on a consistent, steady/strong push. That’s what I had written on my arm, actually- steady/strong- along with a picture of the kittens, Monty and Jasper!
This course is a pretty straight shot from the beach into town, and then it’s a 30 mile section before you make the first turn. So I made a cue sheet for my top tube with a few mile markers to help me stay focused and ride each section to the best of my ability.
Why You Should Use a "Cue Sheet" For Your Next Triathlon
It was windier than in the past, and we had a pretty strong headwind for the first 30 miles, which can drain you a bit if you don’t stay patient. Once you hit 35-45, it’s a twisty-turny section in pretty farmland before you do the final 45-56 with a nice tailwind all the way back to T2.
The only obstacle I encountered was the fact that, despite wearing gloves, my fingers were completely numb until mile 45. That meant I couldn’t get the bottles out of my rear cages, which are pretty tight. I just had no grip strength. So I stopped twice to swap around bottles.
After I racked my bike and put on my run gear, it was time for the last (best/worst/intimidating/hopeful) part of the race…
The Run
I was optimistically looking forward to this run, more than most, because I really like the course. There are a few rolling hills at the start before you head out to a beautiful shaded section around a lake and then back down the cobblestones in town to the finish line by the battleship.
As soon as I started the run, I knew I had good legs, so I was pretty excited. I saw my coaches and friends at the top of the last hill heading out of town, which was awesome to have that support on course. I worked with a mental performance coach ahead of the race, so I had tools to use to regulate my breathing and phrases to help me stay focused.
TIP: You don’t have access to your run bag on race morning, so instead of letting our nutrition sit out all day, we just put powder in a run flask and fill it up with water at the first aid station.
I felt strong and ran with good form, and thanks to the lower humidity, it felt easy to breathe. It does get a bit warmer as the day goes on, so I walked a few aid stations to get ice and pour water over my head, but having this nice of weather is a total game-changer when you live in Florida!
One unique thing on this course is you have to pick up a wristband at the turnaround to ensure you complete the entire course. The aid stations are amazing and there’s so many volunteers that it definitely helps when the race starts to get hard. Also, I saw so many friends and teammates, which was a lot of fun.
The hardest part was the last two miles, because it goes back uphill and into the wind. To give myself something to focus on, I dedicated the last 3 miles to my babies: mile 10 was for Monty, mile 11 was for Jasper, and mile 13 was for Ellie. As soon as I saw Matt waiting on the side of the road, I knew I was close to the finish line. I gave my coach a high-five and crossed the finish line to get a big hug from Matt, who was so excited.
The Finish
I was SO excited! This was the most successful race, and run, I’ve put together, and both Matt and my coach know the challenges I’ve had to overcome to get to this point, so it was really amazing.
I don’t look at paces when I race. I just focus on my effort, so it’s always a bit of a surprise to look at numbers after the fact. I got a 10-minute race PR (original PR was same race 2 years ago) and a 5-minute run PR! It was my fastest bike split as well, so I was shocked and pretty excited. I ended up 12th in my age group and did get a spot for the 70.3 World Championship in Nice (although we won’t be going).
Matt had an amazing day as well with the best swim he’s ever had, a race PR, and a 4-minute run PR! He was 18th place in what he likes to call “the Age Group of Doom.” After the race, we did laundry, grabbed some lunch, and met up with friends at the awards ceremony before enjoying ice cream!
Overall, it was the most amazing day. We encountered a few challenges, stayed strong, focused, and delivered the most successful, complete races we have thus far this year. Our coaches have taught us so much and helped to improve our fitness in a healthy, sustainable way. (Thank you Marni and Karel!) Our friends have given us love and encouragement, (Thank you Claire and Mack!) and our families have provided their support.
But throughout the day, there’s something I thought about a lot.
“I am weak, but the Lord is strong.”
Now you might think it odd that an athlete would call herself weak, but I’ll try to explain. As human beings, we are weak, broken, and have limitations. But there is one, above all things, who is perfect in every way- the author of our faith. By acknowledging personal weakness, I give room for His higher, divine power to provide support, guidance, and strength. He works through me. He’s able to do far more than I could ever imagine, comprehend, or ask for.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. 2 Corinthians 12:9
All for His glory.