Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City
RACE: Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City
DATE: Sunday September 10th, 2023
DISTANCE: 1.2 Mile Swim / 56 Mile Bike / 13.1 Mile Run
LOCATION: Atlantic City, NJ
WEATHER: 70s, Humid, Lightning, Heavy Wind and Rain
START TIME: 7AM
SIZE OF FLOCK: 1
My first @ironmantri is in the books and the Atlantic City 70.3 had it all:
✅ Obscene weather conditions, including bathtub-warm swimming water, a severe lightening storm (complete with heavy winds and blinding rain) that lasted for much of the 56-mile bike ride, and high humidity and scorching sun during the run
✅ Spectators extraordinaire, punctuated by women screaming things like "You can DO this, Barbie!" and "You GOT this, Barbie"
✅ Scenic views of the Atlantic City skyline, colorful signs that kept me entertained (was that the second or third time I've passed "The Thunder from Down Under" billboard?), and a mind-numbing boardwalk half marathon
✅ Beautifully executed fueling, including pre-race cheese steaks and chicken parm, and race day fuel including but not limited to a bagel (picked up from a 24-hr casino Dunkin), a Smuckers Uncrustable Sandwich, and two of my children's applesauce pouches
✅ Serious soul searching. While I initially set the goal of not finishing last and ended up proud of my results, that is not to say I didn't massively question why I was there in the first place. Somewhere around the 60 mile mark I made eye contact with a spectator and she said simply - "More done than not" - which I ran over in my mind for the remainder of my voyage. Because as we know, sometimes moving forward is a pace, and when you are more done than not, you have to finish what you started.
Triathlon Barbie is back in her box (for now), but she sure had fun and truly believes that anything is possible.
