EagleMan
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EagleMan Ironman 70.3 EagleMan Ironman 70.3 is a very competitive, very exciting Half Ironman. The race offers significant challenges, in addition to the distances themselves. It is a good race to select for either a first-time long distance triathlete or for a veteran. EagleMan is held in early June and is a qualifier for Ironman Hawaii in Kona. This year there were 30 Hawaii slots available. A significant number of the 1800 competitors vie for a Hawaii berth. The field includes the top triathletes in the world as well as many veteran and first timers. Gina and Ron both competed this year as their first long-distance Tri. The 1.2 mile swim is an out-and-back swim in the Choptank River. The swim can be very choppy, especially in the middle of the river. The 56 mile bike ride is very flat, but is usually very windy as well. The 13.1 mile run is also an out-and-back which is also very flat. However, given the early June timing, it is usually quite hot. The 2005 EagleMan was no exception to these challenges. The organizers moved the start time up to 6:50 for the professionals to try to time the current. Even the pros complained that the river was challenging this year. There were 13 waves, approximately 8-10 minutes apart. The waves were organized to contain between 150 and 200 competitors each. My wave, the 45-49 Males, started at about 8:30. This was rough not only because of waiting 1½ hours to start, but also because it was getting hotter by the minute. It was well into the 80s by the time wave 11 started. The water temp was good and there was plenty of room to swim without getting banged up by other swimmers. It was a little challenging in places to spy the buoys due to the waves. The bike was mostly contested around a large nature preserve. Much of it was wide-open, so the strong winds blew right through. The entire course was as flat as could be. Even so, due to the winds my speed varied by more than 10 mph. There were 3 aid stations along the bike route. There were also plenty of motorcycle-riding officials to monitor the ride. At one point, an official was riding right next to me and wrote a note in his book. I knew I was not drafting but I was worried none-the-less until I realized that someone had been drafting off of me and was receiving a 2 minute penalty. The temp was in the 90s during the bike ride. Still, it didn’t seem that bad due to the winds and the speed of biking. The run was on roads and, for the later heats, was contested in brutal heat. There were water stations at about every 1 mile interval. Due to the heat, they also had tons of ice at the stations. At every single station, I stopped to drink water and also poured a cup of ice in my hat and let it melt on my head for the next mile. Keeping to this routine, I completed the run and completed my first ever Half Ironman. Gina overcame the heat and numb feet and completed her first ever Half as well. All in all, the EagleMan is a great race where you can challenge yourself and also see some of the worlds greatest Triathletes. Despite the heat, I loved the race and look forward to competing again next year.
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