Leadman Epic 125

Last Saturday was the 2012 Leadman Epic 125. Even though this is a mere half of the distance of the inaugural Leadman Epic 250 I raced last year, it is still one of the toughest races I've competed in. Leadman triathlons are unique. They have a longer swim and bike leg, and a shorter run when compared to the transitional half and full iron distance races.

The Epic 125 in Vegas consisted of a 2.5km swim in the choppy waters of Lake Mead, a 112km bike on a very hilly course with stunning views, and a run that has you battle your way up the 1200+ ft ascent into Boulder City.

Unlike other races, I was able to sleep in and actually not use an alarm clock! The race started promptly at 10am. The winds already picked up and the air temperature outside was already warm. Fortunately for me, I love both of these conditions!

3 minutes separated the pro women from the men. The water was a frigid 62 F and I opted to use a neoprene cap. I don't think I would have survived otherwise. I'm a wimp in the cold; cold water literally sucks the marrow out of my bones! The water was very choppy. At times you felt like you were going nowhere (and I probably was!). I kept reminding myself that if I just keep moving my arms and following feet I'd be on land soon.

Unfortunatley this plan of mine, failed about halfway through the swim when I had to make the decision to leave the feet I was following to get to the furthest buoy. The leader of our little pack was heading to shore. So the rest of the swim I navigated in circles and hit shore just as disoriented as one would after spinning around in place.

The volatile mix of wind gusts up to 65mph and unrelenting sun exposure had me questioning my race gear decisions. I opted to use the new prototype Shimano disc and a shallow front wheel. In the end, this decision made my bike feel like I was sailing in the wind (at least the cross-winds!).

In all the racing I've done in 4 years, the views of Lake Mead area are truly the most stunning. It's too bad I was focused on staying aero with my head down most of the time!

At the turn-around of the bike, an almost-like sinister headwind pushed you backwards.T2 was a god-sent oasis by the time I reached it. The last 10 miles on the bike took more out of me than I imagined. I made the mistake of not taping enough Gu's on my bike and was a bit light-headed and lacking calories. I knew Coke was being served on the run and I was like a kid waiting for the icecream truck. I wanted that Coke.

Last year's race was twice as long and so an 8 mile run that is 2-17% grade throughout, didn't seem as daunting as it sounds. The winds were fierce though and made for a run form that had you staring at your feet the whole time and bending at the hip. I hope there wasn't any pictures taken! I kept it steady knowing I just had to keep moving forward.

After finally reaching the last mile of the run, I was greeted with a very steep half mile climb into Boulder City...and the finish line. Needless to say I was happy to see the Leadman finishing arch and defend my title!

Leadman Epic Series is doing another inaugural 250 event in late September in Bend, Oregon. After doing this race, it's on the schedule! Life Time Fitness puts on amazing event and this series is a must-have on your bucket list! Thanks Life Time...