RAGE 1/2 Ironman, Las Vegas, NV
This race is put on by BBSC, a local company with races in Utah and Nevada. The course is a favorite of many local triathlon, open water swimming, cycling, and run events; so much that the swim, T1, and T2 are held on the Boulder Beach Special Event area, an area specifically built for this type of stuff.
Packet pickup was held at the Wingate in Henderson Nevada. Pretty uneventful. A little far away from the race though. Overall professionally managed.
Race Morning: Plenty of people directing traffic where to park. Early race start (6:30am) which was a real help later on in the sun!
Swim: The swim had a mass start, relative to the races size. I think there were ~300 doing the 1/2 distance. Another ~700 doing the sprint and olympic. Big bouys, plenty of staff. Water was clear and a little cold at 60, but overall for April I was pleased! I started a little cold, the early start had me moving slower than I planned so I didn't get the warmup swim in. Got out in about 37:30 and started the hike up the launch ramp.
T1: The transition area is held on the launch ramp, and due to the extremely low water at Lake Mead results in it being about 1/2 mile long. So being that it's only 20' wide and 1000 bikes were stacked in, minus the access path down the one side equals a very long narrow transition area. Got out and did the switcharoo and started running up the ramp. After a minute or two of running with my bike shoes on I started to wonder the effects of running on concrete would have on my speedplay cleats!
Bike: The bike is an out and back course on the hills of the South and West shores of Lake Mead. There were a number of long sustained climbs and a total of 6300' vertical climb, making it a pretty tough one! The wind held calm for the first 2/3, just got a little headwind on the last real climb past Lake Las Vegas out to the East Ranger Station. I had debated on the wheel cover on the rear, and ultimately in light of the climb aspect, just went with the ZIPP 404 front and my regular PT/ DeepV on the rear with a lighter ZIPP race tire. Got a little overexerted on the bike, checked my avg watts after 34 miles and it was 203! My intended average was only 182, but with all the hills even trying to stay under 220 it was way high. Alot of downhill on the way back brought it right in where I had planned though. 3:02 overall
T2: The transition area being downhill came in handy as I ran with my shoes clipped to the pedals back to my spot. I don't usually leave them on the bike, but with all the downhill I had a great chance to get them off and not worry about sliding down the concrete on metal cleats.
Run: The run course is a straightforward out and back, with the first 4 miles a steady climb up to and then running on the historic Rail Trail that serviced the construction of the Hoover Dam. The aid stations were moderately stocked with gatorade, water, and Hammer gel about every 1-1.5 miles. Had a plan of 3mi at 9:15, 7mi at 8', then let it rip. The 4 mile climb made the 9:15 pace feel fast, so I watched HR and tried to keep it below 152. By the turn onto the flatter Rail Trail, the blazing hot sun with no cover had started to take it's toll. I was tossing water on my head and body trying to cool. The Winter has lingered in Northern Utah this year, so no acclimation didn't help! Got up on the flatter area and opened up. Cranked for miles 4-9 about 7:55 pace. Made it back out to the now downhill, and really started to feel the fatigue and heat setting in. Had to slow the last 2 miles to about 8:30, but overall, satisfied with the run.
5:36:45 final time
Summary; Rage 1/2 was a professionally ran race, and despite it being a difficult course I would recommend it to anyone seeking a early season race with plenty of competition in a beautiful area. It was in essence a test/training day for my IMCdA training, and as such was a good indicator of my progress this past Winter/Spring in the OS.
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