Expedition Man - Ironman Distance race # 10. (Ten and done?)
Ten years ago I did my first Ironman race – Expedition Man was my 10th race in that distance.
And boy! Was I the least motivated to do this race…I really did not feel like racing, but went to do it anyway.
Expedition Man is a small, new, independent Iron distance race in Nevada. The swim is in Zephyr Cove, Lake Tahoe (2.4 miles), the bike from Zephyr Cove to Sparks, NV (112 miles) and the run was around Sparks, NV (26.2 miles).
Chakri, Murali Krishna (MK) and I drove up for the race, we were camping at Zephyr Cove (across the road from the swim start). The first logistic problem was figuring out how to get back from the finish in Sparks, NV to Zephyr Cove as this was a point to point race. After the convoluted registration process, which included a bike check at the Scheels Bike Store [delayed things and was rather lame], we set our running gear up in the boxes provided to us [neat idea by the RD]. We asked if there was a shuttle to bring us back to the start after the finish and the RD said nope...but there was a shuttle (you had to pay for it) leaving one of the Sparks hotels at 2:30AM taking folks from Sparks to Zephyr Cove. MK, who signed up for the half distance race, offered to drive the car at 2:00AM and park it at the hotel and take the shuttle back to the start – that way we had a car to come back after the finish! Thanks MK!
After checking in our bikes in the evening and setting up our tents in total darkness we folded in for the night. MK was up and out at 2:00AM...poor guy, due to some road closers he missed the shuttle at the first hotel and had to call the second hotel to hold the shuttle for him. The shuttle driver was not the most pleasant person, but she waited just long enough for MK to park and rush into the bus!
Chakri and I made it to the start with plenty of time to spare (it was just a walk across the road). I had forgotten my gels in the bear locker (yup there are bears around Lake Tahoe) so had to run back to fetch those. The race start was delayed as the sun had not risen yet...so we hung around waiting for the buoys to be fixed and the swim course to be figured out. Once the course was explained we set off for the 2.4 mile swim. I must say this was probably my best swim experience – the water was superb! Clear, clean, calm and cool. My timing did not matter – I was having fun. Once out of the water there is a 4-5 mile 1000 foot climb to about 7,300 feet out of Zephyr Cove, followed by an amazing 10 mile downhill to about 4,700 feet! After that the bike course has some rolling hills and some scenic spots. The last 20 miles were pure hell, nothing but in and out of residential areas in order to make the miles. The volunteers were great but did not know much about where the next water stops were . The last water stop at mile 90 or 93 miles also gave out incorrect information...they said ‘you have 6 miles to go’ – I looked any my watch and thought, wow that GPS is really screwed up! They also only half filled my bottles (while I ran to a bike shop to use the restroom) the next 15 miles were really irritating...more out and backs and I had run out of water.
The run was a 13.1 mile loop in one direction and then a few smaller loops in another direction. As usual, I had not checked the course so I was clueless. The first 13.1 loop was fine as there were other runners (including the relays and the half distance runners) so I just followed them. As I came back to the transition (a huge mall parking lot) I was pretty much lost...the volunteers had gone and I had no idea where I was supposed to go. I asked a guy in an orange vest and he directed me back towards the same loop I had come from...so off I went. The cop at the highway crossing was shocked ‘didn’t you just come this way? Why are you heading back?’ I mumbled something about a second loop and he said ‘Oh! Second loop? Ok...best of luck’. Off I went running in the wrong direction! I met Chakri and he told me I was running in the wrong direction but I was convinced I was right :)and carried on. The water stops were shutting down and one of them even called in to race central saying ‘Bib 320 is back! Looks like he really liked the loop and wants to run it again!’ I had no idea, I plugged on. The other water-stops were gone, the turnaround at the hotel was gone too...I started cursing the RD...I was out of gels, water and gas! As I was slowly fading a golf cart come racing towards me...the volunteers handed me some water and some ghastly sweet twisties! Ugh! They did not have any gels. A mile later a few more volunteers came by in a pickup and handed me coke, gels, water and one of the volunteers, Debbie Strickland, who founded the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation, walked with me with a flashlight as it was getting dark. I finished the race, laughing at my stupidity and the RD said I was fine as I did run a marathon...even though it was not on the actual race course!
Chakri finished just before mid-night and had his own drama on the run course, I think he ran a couple of miles more! After packing up we finally left for Zephyr Cove well past mid-night. MK was really tired and so was I – but we managed to keep talking long enough to get us back safely. I just jumped into my sleeping back and was out for the count in seconds...the bath could wait till morning!
Summary: Good race, great swim. The bike ride is fine...gets a bit boring later on. Make sure you carry enough stuff with you (Gels etc). They also need more porta johns along the bike course. The run is confusing, but hopefully next year they will have the marking done right. I will definitely recommend this race, the swim is great!
Ten years ago I did my first Ironman race – Expedition Man was my 10th race in that distance.
And boy! Was I the least motivated to do this race…I really did not feel like racing, but went to do it anyway.
Expedition Man is a small, new, independent Iron distance race in Nevada. The swim is in Zephyr Cove, Lake Tahoe (2.4 miles), the bike from Zephyr Cove to Sparks, NV (112 miles) and the run was around Sparks, NV (26.2 miles).
Chakri, Murali Krishna (MK) and I drove up for the race, we were camping at Zephyr Cove (across the road from the swim start). The first logistic problem was figuring out how to get back from the finish in Sparks, NV to Zephyr Cove as this was a point to point race. After the convoluted registration process, which included a bike check at the Scheels Bike Store [delayed things and was rather lame], we set our running gear up in the boxes provided to us [neat idea by the RD]. We asked if there was a shuttle to bring us back to the start after the finish and the RD said nope...but there was a shuttle (you had to pay for it) leaving one of the Sparks hotels at 2:30AM taking folks from Sparks to Zephyr Cove. MK, who signed up for the half distance race, offered to drive the car at 2:00AM and park it at the hotel and take the shuttle back to the start – that way we had a car to come back after the finish! Thanks MK!
After checking in our bikes in the evening and setting up our tents in total darkness we folded in for the night. MK was up and out at 2:00AM...poor guy, due to some road closers he missed the shuttle at the first hotel and had to call the second hotel to hold the shuttle for him. The shuttle driver was not the most pleasant person, but she waited just long enough for MK to park and rush into the bus!
Chakri and I made it to the start with plenty of time to spare (it was just a walk across the road). I had forgotten my gels in the bear locker (yup there are bears around Lake Tahoe) so had to run back to fetch those. The race start was delayed as the sun had not risen yet...so we hung around waiting for the buoys to be fixed and the swim course to be figured out. Once the course was explained we set off for the 2.4 mile swim. I must say this was probably my best swim experience – the water was superb! Clear, clean, calm and cool. My timing did not matter – I was having fun. Once out of the water there is a 4-5 mile 1000 foot climb to about 7,300 feet out of Zephyr Cove, followed by an amazing 10 mile downhill to about 4,700 feet! After that the bike course has some rolling hills and some scenic spots. The last 20 miles were pure hell, nothing but in and out of residential areas in order to make the miles. The volunteers were great but did not know much about where the next water stops were . The last water stop at mile 90 or 93 miles also gave out incorrect information...they said ‘you have 6 miles to go’ – I looked any my watch and thought, wow that GPS is really screwed up! They also only half filled my bottles (while I ran to a bike shop to use the restroom) the next 15 miles were really irritating...more out and backs and I had run out of water.
The run was a 13.1 mile loop in one direction and then a few smaller loops in another direction. As usual, I had not checked the course so I was clueless. The first 13.1 loop was fine as there were other runners (including the relays and the half distance runners) so I just followed them. As I came back to the transition (a huge mall parking lot) I was pretty much lost...the volunteers had gone and I had no idea where I was supposed to go. I asked a guy in an orange vest and he directed me back towards the same loop I had come from...so off I went. The cop at the highway crossing was shocked ‘didn’t you just come this way? Why are you heading back?’ I mumbled something about a second loop and he said ‘Oh! Second loop? Ok...best of luck’. Off I went running in the wrong direction! I met Chakri and he told me I was running in the wrong direction but I was convinced I was right :)and carried on. The water stops were shutting down and one of them even called in to race central saying ‘Bib 320 is back! Looks like he really liked the loop and wants to run it again!’ I had no idea, I plugged on. The other water-stops were gone, the turnaround at the hotel was gone too...I started cursing the RD...I was out of gels, water and gas! As I was slowly fading a golf cart come racing towards me...the volunteers handed me some water and some ghastly sweet twisties! Ugh! They did not have any gels. A mile later a few more volunteers came by in a pickup and handed me coke, gels, water and one of the volunteers, Debbie Strickland, who founded the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation, walked with me with a flashlight as it was getting dark. I finished the race, laughing at my stupidity and the RD said I was fine as I did run a marathon...even though it was not on the actual race course!
Chakri finished just before mid-night and had his own drama on the run course, I think he ran a couple of miles more! After packing up we finally left for Zephyr Cove well past mid-night. MK was really tired and so was I – but we managed to keep talking long enough to get us back safely. I just jumped into my sleeping back and was out for the count in seconds...the bath could wait till morning!
Summary: Good race, great swim. The bike ride is fine...gets a bit boring later on. Make sure you carry enough stuff with you (Gels etc). They also need more porta johns along the bike course. The run is confusing, but hopefully next year they will have the marking done right. I will definitely recommend this race, the swim is great!
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