Here is the report from the inaugural Boise 70.3 race this Sunday:
The Beavers were well represented with myself, Chris Jackson, and Denny all having strong finishes. As expected, the race was well organized and supported but I was surprised at how nice of a venue the city of Boise is for a race. The fans and volunteers were enthusiastic and made the whole thing a little less painful.
The day started at 7am with strong winds and maybe 60 degree water temp (they must have rounded up). Chris was the bravest among us with just the short sleeve wetsuit, I don't think I would have jumped in if I didn't have my long sleeves and hoodie (thanks Sandra). We all made it out alive and it good time to hit the bike course.
The bike was mostly rolling hills with 2 Decker sized climbs. Part of the course was an out and back which gave us a good view of the pro field coming in the opposite direction. This was my first time competing in the same race as the pros so I was pretty excited that I got to pretend to track them down on the bike! After a few hydration issues with my broken water bottle cages and new aerobottle I pulled into T2 in downtown Boise a little thursty but in good time.
We ran on a 2 loop course around the Boise River greenway. The flat, tree lined run was a nice break from the hills and wind on the bike. It took me a while to the legs up and running but after the third mile I felt great and found a good pace. Chris was lucky enough to hit the run while the women pro field was coming around for a second lap so he we was kept busy chasing them for his first half.
I finished the day with a 4:39 (31:46 swim, 2:28 bike, and 1:35 run) and a 21st overall finish. Chris had a great day with a 5:15 finish. Now all we have to do is put two of those together at Canada back to back, how hard can that be? ;)
Joe