Runner Leana

...sometimes with a little swimming and biking thrown in...

Challenge Yourself – Ironman 70.3 St. George 2016

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Last year after Ironman Boulder Neil and I decided to drive to Las Vegas for a few days of R&R before going back home to Calgary.  As we drove through Utah I studied the map trying to figure out where we could eat lunch en route.  A little googling told me there was an In-n-Out Burger in St. George.  Bingo.  I’ve always wanted to try In-n-Out.

In-n-Out Burger

As we drove through town I mentioned to Neil that there is an Ironman 70.3 race here and I hear it is really hard.  Two days post Ironman thinking about hard things sounds like no fun at all.

In May my coach Angie raced St. George and she gushed over how great of a race it was.  Yes, the course is challenging but the volunteer and community support were unbelievable.  She shared the race video with us.

Wow…talk about stunning scenery in St. George!  Just watching the video gives me goosebumps.

When I think about my strengths as an athlete the two words that typically don’t come to mind are heat and hills.  I don’t like racing in the heat and I generally don’t think of myself as a strong climber on the bike.  What does St. George have a lot of?

Heat and hills.  Lots of hills.

St George Bike

St George Run

Just the thought of racing here takes me outside of my comfort zone but I’m somewhat fascinated by the idea of racing in Utah.  I know it will be hard and I know it will be a challenge.  You don’t grow as an athlete unless you are willing to work on things outside of your comfort zone.

Ironman 70.3 St. George

Next year will be my opportunity to work on my hill climbing skills and to push past my perceived limits.

st._george_ironman registration

Ironman 70.3 St. George…May 2016!

st._george_ironman

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Comments

  2. 3

    I am so excited for you! I have read you blog for awhile and was so excited to see you on the run course in Boulder. Unfortunately, I didn’t really run the marathon because I had such horrible blisters, but I had a blast and finished my first Ironman after beginning my triathlon journey back in 1999. I hope you get to enjoy the beauty of Utah!

      • 5

        I use speed play peddle/lollipops and they are know to cause blisters but I have an odd pedaling stance and they give me the best ability to be comfortable. I’m not sure if it was that with the combination of my socks but I knew early on in the run I had blisters. Once I realizedI could walk fast enough to finish in time I switch completely to walking. I will definitely complete one more but hope to do a non-Ironman event, less pressure/$ and more swag. I feel Ironman branded events are gotten a bit obnoxious for my liking but it happened to be in my backyard so I did it to safe the travel expense. I am waiting until my little girl gets a bit older to do one more. She will start kindergarten. I did most of my racing with a company callled Set Up, that has a great Iron Distant event in North Carolina but since I don’t currently live on the east coast, was to pricey to drag the family too. That was the company I did my first half-Iron distance. Good luck with your training!

  5. 10

    Woohoo! Way to go Leana. I hear you: Heat+Hills= death for me!
    But I love trying new races. Let me know how it goes 🙂

  6. 12

    I raced St. George this May and I *loved* that course. Yes, it is hard but it’s really fun (in a crazy way) and it is SO freakin’ beautiful. Also, like your coach said, the crowd support is amazing too. I was totally freaked out beforehand and almost DNS’ed, but ultimately, it is one of my favorite race experiences.

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