I always find it beneficial to race a half iron distance race in the lead up to your goal race of the season. Typically four weeks out is a really good time, and if there are none in your area or the finances don’t permit there is always the ability to do a well structured HIM race simulation.

Doing this really allows you to not only get a beneficial solid race effort in, but allows you to really test if your race nutrition, gear etc before the big day. I also usually go into these races with pretty much a full training load (taper is typically travel day and doing some EASY training with some very short race pace efforts across the disciplines).

So with saying all that above my goal race happens to be Kona in 4 weeks time. We (my wife Charlotte Paul & I) have been training in Penticton (home of IM Canada) and a group of very good local athletes mentioned they were doing a half iron distance race called the “Grand Columbian Triathlon” which so happened to fall exactly 4 weeks out and it was only a 3 hour drive to Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. Perfect!

Grand Coulee Dam is this huge dam on the Columbian River and is the fourth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world.  The rest of the area would be best described as desert country with lots of rolling hills and endless vistas of wheat fields with mini tornadeos all over the place.

The race itself had two separate transitions with the swim to bike up the road in a lake and T2 and finish area right infront of the dam. The swim was a beautiful clear lake and the bouys had a cable attaching them about 10 feet down so you actually didnt really need to sight much on the swim.

The idea for this race for me was a solid TT effort the whole day and come what may! So even with getting my goggles punched off turning a bouy I was still able to knock off a great swim getting out in the top ten in 25min and change.

On to the bike we got a nice 1km flat section before climbing for the next 5k, with most of it averaging out around 8% and a few switchbacks in the 14% range. (people would undoubtedly ruin their races on this section). From there we got into the rolling hills with a mix of tail wind, crosswinds, mini tornadoes and a very long section of headwind climbing a gentle 1-3% grade into some more solid rollers and then the final section of the bike was on a highway and mostly descending where you couldn’t pedal fast enough!

I got myself into 4th position within about 30mins on the bike but lost that around the hour mark in an out and back section. I actually felt pretty ordinary but had to believe the work I had done would allow a good back half of the race. When I got passed I couldn’t even go with the guy and looking around we where strung out with around 1-2min separating each rider! The fairest race I have ever seen and been in.

Around 90min into the ride we hit a very solid headwind section, I had some guys not that far behind me but then I just started to feel great and very soon there was no sight of the riders behind and I caught and passed the guy who had got me in the O&B and then I caught a glimpse of 3rd place who is a kiwi (Olly Piggin) who lives in Penticton.

I caught and passed Olly with about 10k to go and hopped off the bike with a 2:28 bike split which was 3rd fastest on this solid course. I took a mental note on how good my legs felt running to the T2 tent. Off onto the run which started with a mile of downhill running which lead to running beside the Columbian River on very soft, spongey gravel.

My running felt solid, however I couldnt push the effort hard like I have been able to on the back end of my long training runs so I did not think I would see second or first place until the finish. I was very surprised that after 3 miles or so as the markers were all over the place that I had first and second in site running together.

I kept pushing which felt more like IM race pace then HIM and by mile 5 had caught both the leading boys. I kept going and Tom Evans ran along with me but unfortuantley Mike was paying the price for his very solid bike effort.

I had to pinch myself that here I was now heading home running in the lead with an Ironman Champion. How good is this. As always the final sections are tough and your hoping you don’t get run down! The last mile goes back up hill through some switch backs then you head directly towards the back of the finish area but have to run around the block first before heading down to the finish.

So here I am winning not only my first half iron distance race as an age grouper but overall and I think I also broke the course record in the process going 4:26 and change! Not my fastest HIM but on this course a very solid effort which is exactly what I wanted on the day. I believe the top 6 were all within 6mins of each other.

Bring on Kona…

Kristian