Monday July 14, 2025. I’m in Indianapolis, Indiana Day 1 of a 4 day, 40 hour drive back to Tucson, Arizona. Yesterday, I completed in my 14thhalf ironman 70.3 which consists of a 1.2mile swim, 56mile bike ride, and 13.1mile run in Geneva, NY at Musselman 70.3. I’ve known about the race for a while since it’s near my mom and stepfather whom live 45minutes away on Keuka Lake. So my wife Fiona and I decided to do the race. Since I get a lot of PTO and we wanted our furchild Roxy to be with us and experience the boat, I drove out almost 2 weeks ago. Tucson – Amarillo, TX, Memphis, TN, CedarPoint OH (I rode Sirens Curse), then Keuka Lake. Now opting for another route on my 2nd ever cross country trip, I’ll be going from here to Hays, KS, through Colorado Springs CO, thru Alamosa CO, to Farmington, NM and back to Tucson through the Colorado Plateau.
THE SEASON
We started training for this 70.3 after the 2marathons we completed in January and February (Buckeye near Pheonix, AZ 3:02:45 (BQ), and Mesa Marathon 3:22:04). I took off 8 days of running after Mesa and then went on to bike 2,286 miles, run 905 miles, and swim 159,616 yards through today’s 3 mile run at the hotel, YTD. I grew the swim with Tu/Th 5:20AM 2KM swims and Su 3KM swims. I biked 2-3X per week with weekend long rides of 3-4hours. I did Mt Lemmon 1X, Kitts Peak for the first time, and Arivaca. The run built up with 2 epics run of the Grand Canyon Rim to River 24.6M-6hr27min, Mt Lemmon Trails 21.3M-6hr41min, and 20M Treadmill 2hr45min at 8:15/mile. The weight was elevated most of the season at 187lbs due to too much alcohol of wine and ScotchSundays.
The long runs were of course, not for a 70.3 race which only includes a half-marathon, but was for Marathon #53 which will be in less than 2 weeks at the Jack and Jill Downhill marathon out of Seattle. I have no idea what I will do. A Sub3 is the ultimate goal but we’ll just have to see. Fiona is trying to BQ with sub 3:35 and she’s ready with Hal Higdon’s marathon plan.
Keuka Lake
I drove both TriBikes cross country and en route I ran on the treadmills at the hotels. 7Miles in Amarillo at 5:30AM, then the next day I did 7miles at 5:30AM in Mississippi (3M from Memphis) followed by 7miles at 8PM that night in Ohio which will go down as an epic day after 11hours of driving. Do you get that I am nuts yet? Monday “Off” Standing in line for rollercoasters for 12 hours. The next day 7miles after I got to Moms and another 6hrs of driving. The next day I swam in Keuka Lake for 34min and did a 2hr15min bike. Thursday another 41min open swim which were the first open water swims since 70.3 Worlds in Taupo, NZ. Friday an early bike of 2hr14min with 2 fellow 70.3 athletes in their 60’s and 70’s followed by a 7.6m run. Saturday was a 2hr32min bike Mussleman ride of 57.4miles to scout the course. I went around 2:28 for the 56mile course followed by another open swim. Sunday was a group ride with Steuben Brewery with a group of 30-50 riders. I went with the A group and the highlight was chasing after a strong female athlete who was going for segment. 20s power was 670watts, 1min power 431 watts to catch her by the end of the segment.
Monday Race week was a 4mile run. Tuesday was an open water swim and 54min bike ride to Hammondsport which I learned was the center of Curtiss Wright and the center of Aviation after the Wright Brothers. Pretty amazing history. Wednesday I finally saw my wife after picking her up with Roxy from Rochester. We ran 5miles past the vineyards. Thursday she got in the open water for the first time since T100 Las Vegas and we biked 46min in which I held above race power for 15min towing Fiona along to 6KOMs. I held 293 watts for 15min. Friday an easy 30min ride and 3mile run brick. Saturday totally off.
I typically don’t do 2 – 15min race pace efforts but was feeling good and went for it during the week. I think it worked well for me and I don’t believe hindered my race. That helped bring me to 10 weeks for 40miles of run with peak week of 52miles. Race week was 25miles, week prior was 14.6miles with travel.
Lots of wine, bourbon, golfing 9 holes in the 90F heat and humidity 2 days prior, and keeping busy had a busy week for us but all was good and we had fun on our first summer holiday in the Finger Lakes region.
Race Day
Up at 3:30AM. 2 pieces of white bread with Jam, banana, and 2 medium redbulls for 220g caffeine and 600+ calories after the previous days carbo-loading adventures. We left at 4AM and drove the 45min to Geneva, then walked the 1M+ to Transition. Front wheel with sealant to 80PSI, back rear disc tube to 100PSI. Bike held 3 bottles of Maurten 320 +200mg Caffiene, LMNT, and Mortal for 3G+ Salt and 960 calories. I had 1 gel. On the bike I went through 2.5 bottles and half bottle of water. I laid out my stuff underneath my bike and Fiona was 2 numbers down since they place you upon rego at the tent. Race turned into Wetsuit Optional. Even though Fiona and I didn’t go for 70.3 WC Spots, I opted for SwimSkin that I first got back in Kona 2016, 9 years ago! Same with Fiona!! 😊
Everything was set and we went to the swim start and took a spot. Anthem, and then 6:30start the first swimmers of this non-pro race were entering the water, 3 athletes every 3-5seconds.
SWIM: 1.2Miles 37:47, 13th M40-44, 1:57/100m. 13th AG
My worst ever swim. The northern edge of Seneca Lake is always windy and choppy as my Mom said, she was right (first time ever). And the South end of this 38mile LONG lake is just as nuts. On July 9, 2022, I competed in the Swim/Bike of the 100K distance race CLASH Watkins Glen with my Mom who ran. I went 35min at 1:45/100m for the 2KM race. In that race I wore my wetsuit but it was still nutty. Considering I went one of my best at 29:29 in Taupo, NZ only 8 months earlier, I went 8min slower without a wetsuit and rough conditions (3’-4’ swells). Fiona even panicked thinking about pulling out and she’s an Aussie Fish! I swallowed a lot of water, couldn’t find the buoy’s from the big waves, went off course, it was nuts. But FUN!I was thinking there would be a lot of DNF today which there was. Like a Massive 22% DNF!!! Open water swimming in Tucson is a 1hour one way trip to Patagonia and not worth it in studying for my CPA. So, I just had to deal with it like everyone and got through it the best I could. Terrible swim but at least the challenge made it fun. This was my worst swim by far in any of my races since 2009.
525yards Laps: 8:56, 9:30, 9:31, 9:45 for 515 yards.
T1 2:03
A fast T1 right there, I got to my bike, sunnies on, Helmet over that, swim skin down, and on with the cleats, no socks. Grab bike, run out.
Bike 56miles (56.15miles, 2:19:09, avg speed 24.23MPH, 1,280’ climb, 82%IF, 126HR Avg, 247 power avg, 256NP. 76F, 82F Peak, 136HR Max. 4th AG
A PB Bike by 43 seconds! Beat my previous at 70.3Arizona from 8 years ago in 2017 and on power that was 19NP lower. I wanted to scout the course and was happy I did so. I knew there was on key hill at the half way which would be a 3min climb (done at around 320watts), I knew of the headwind the way out, tailwind way back, I’d make up to 1.5MPH (max) from the crest to the finish. But I knew this course was FAST.
I mounted shoes and then hit Wahoo Bolt after the line so Garmin time of 2:18 was not official but this is still a Lifetime PR which I was quite proud of.
I started off passing a ton of people at 30MPH on the way out, many first timers and newbies on roadbikes. That continued on till Mile 30 where I past a guy on a roadbike that I complimented after finishing. I drank every 7 minutes from my alarm, dowsed myself with water at the 2nd aid station. This was the only one I grabbed something at, at the top of the hill I mentioned. The other 2 were passed by at 30MPH in terrible spots. Power was on goal target of 282watts for the first 20min which would be 95% IF. I also held 27.9MPH probably for this first 20min because I went through 20 miles in 45minutes averaging 25MPH. It felt so good to go this fast.
I inevitably slowed down. The first half was 269NP, 263 Avg Power at 129HR and 24.4MPH. The 2nd half, starting at that hill was 242NP, 233 Avg Power at 123HR and 24.0MPH. So Power dropped 10%, HR dropped 5% which indicates decoupling, and lack of strength… story of my triathlon career. But, it was also down-hill and with a tailwind.
Only 2 people past me the entire time, I didn’t see any of the drafting like Fiona did which sucks majorly and is WEAK. I enjoyed seeing the lakes, the support, volunteers, the vines, horses, cows, and farmlands. The 2nd person caught me with 3 miles to go. Turned out he went 50:58 swim, and a 2:07 bike (Fastest on the day), Damn!!! He beat me by 3 minutes and took 6th in my A/G just ahead of me.
I did have Strava Live Segments that I was setting PR’s off of which was fun. And as always, was thinking of Fiona hoping she was having a great race on this 1 loop bike course. I came in 52/2,942 on the Strava course segment all-time. I had the 23rd fastest bike on the day out of 1,608 athletes. But as usual, I blew it on the run holding the slowest run the highest up in the M40-44 rankings.
T2 2:25
Off the bike with cleats on feet, run to the rack, helmet off, sit down, socks on, Hoka Cielo X1 Carbon supershoes, camelpak with 1 bottle of maurten 320 and 1 LMNT, then bib belt. Visor on and go.
Run 13.1Miles 1:46:45, 17th AG, 8:07/mile, 381’ ascend, 130HR avg
I didn’t know what to expect but did have my 2nd worst run of all-time behind Deuces Wild from 2018 held at 7,000’… so yea, my worst ever. Again, in Taupo, I went 8:35 faster to one of my fastest runs in 6 years. So this race, was highs and lows. The run, a low. I headed out looking for the first aid-station at M1, where my Mom and Stepfather were supporting for the first time ever. It was great seeing them but I was suffering and mostly due to the humidity. The average temp was 88F peaking at 91F. And, although it didn’t feel “Hot” during the run, the humidity got to me big time and I just felt so hot. My core temp felt hot, and I just continued to suffer. I had memories of Kona, Hawaii, and Couer d’Alene where we came off the 112mile bike to start the marathon run in the heatwave of 102F.
The whole time on the run I just kept thinking about how hot I felt. Clearly running 90%+ on the treadmill with a 60F A/C aimed right at me did not prepare me for 88F Sun. I walked most of the aid stations to dowse myself in water and get Coke, Mortal, and Water in and mostly because I wasn’t motivated to run hard since I wasn’t going for a WC spot and mentally was broken from the heat.
There weren’t many people out there on the first of 2 loops. At M4, a girl yelled out to me that I was in 33rd position overall. I wasn’t getting passed which was surprising. At M4.5 or so, there was a steep little hill lasting 1minute or so, I saw it for the first time and said “Look at that little bitch”. I walked it since I would have run up at the same speed I was walking. Speed was non-existent although consistency was relatively there. I slowed down the 2nd half as I was starting to grab handfull’s of ice throwing them down my chest, back, and groin. I was covered in water.
Pace picked up the last 3 miles coming into the finish, I did get off a Kiss to Fiona before heading in to the finish chute, Fiona was having chest pain (probably from the humidity as well).
Miles: 7:41, 7:51, 8:03, 8:14, 8:06, 7:55, 8:03, 8:09, 8:05, 9:09 (Hill and ice stops), 8:21, 8:06, 7:46, 7:42 (0.1).
HR: 130, 129, 128, 132, 132, 131, 131, 129, 129, 129, 128, 131, 133, 139
Again, I wasn’t going for WC, I wanted to just have fun, and enjoy myself, I knew the day went to shit but still got a bike PB, I knew this was going to be my last 70.3 in the USA as well and I got to see Mom and Tony 4X on the run.
Finish 4:48:09, 7th AG, 40th Gender, 45th/1,395 overall (3.2%)
I did qualify for the 70.3WC, in fact both of us! Under the new system, I was 34th out of Age-Graded results, there were 35 spots. But, many didn’t want to go to France in 2026 and it rolled down to over 100. My Age grade was a 4:26:53.
I waited for Fiona, cheered her in with 400m to go, got a kiss in the finishers chute and she finished 5th AG. She smashed it even though she wanted to pull out in the swim. Proud of you Fiona! Now it’s time to BQ. We chatted war stories, got BBQ chicken, our bikes, and walked to Mom and Tony. We then helped out for 1-2hours sweeping up thousands of cups, garbage, cheering the back-of-packers, and helping out. It was great to give back just a little after our own race and 16years+ in the sport for both of us.
Thanks to the heaps of volunteers including Mom and Tony who really worked hard themselves at nearly 70years of age. This course is rated the best in North America and it truly is a good one.
Next up:
The marathon in 2 weeks you already know about. Also, we cancelled T100 Las Vegas which turned out to get cancelled anyway because I was super motivated after Rim to River to run R3 Rim to Rim to Rim. This 50mile, 12 hour run will be grueling and done in November. Then I’ll run Tucson Marathon. In 2026 it will be one race, my 4th IRONMAN Arizona and 20th overall.
Tucson Athlete 