I am Ironman!

What an incredible event. On may 7th, St. George hosted their second Ironman Triathlon and there are not enough positive words that can express how great the organizers and especially the volunteers were throughout the entire event. As a first time participant at the full distance my mind was completely focused but a mess, which makes the volunteers and organization that much more important.

Registration was easy which gives you more time to buy all the over-priced Ironman branded souvenirs. St. George is an easy city to navigate to it was simple finding our way to where we needed to be. IMSG does have different areas for transition so participants do need to be multiple places on the day before the race. The swim and Transition 1 are out at Sand Hollow reservoir which is a beautiful location. You could feel the buzz as all the athletes were checking in their bikes and transition bags. Many athletes were in the water and no one seemed too cold which was a relief.

Transition 2 was downtown next to the finish area. My experience was smooth and I didn’t face any issues throughout the day. The athlete dinner was OK. It was nice to gather with all the other athletes and watch some great videos and listen to Mike Reilly and others. The dinner itself was nothing special and I am glad my family didn’t want to attend because that would have been crazy expensive for them to eat normal spaghetti.

Race morning went smooth as well. The excitement of the day is palpable as you load the buses and head out to the start. I never felt rushed.

For a great many details about my personal race experience click on the following links:
IMSG – Part 1
IMSG – Part 2
IMSG – Part 3

The Bottom Line ~

The IMSG course is quite difficult and the weather in St. George is unpredictable during that time of the year. Last year people were suffering from hypothermia in the water and this year people were dropping from heat stroke during the run. I have heard talk that organizers may change part of the course so that it is not so hard…but I believe they should use that as a marketing tool. There are Ironmen, and then there are St. George Ironmen. Organizers probably want more participants which this year was around 1,600 and 1,700 people; but it’s an Ironman, it’s supposed to be hard. Those who are doing Ironmans should be looking for EPIC; and St. George definitely fits the definition.

Do you have an experience or comment about this product?
Please help fellow athletes by leaving a comment.