I can’t believe that in just 19 days, I’ll be treading water in the Savannah River waiting for the starting gun to go off at my first half Ironman. Augusta 70.3 is almost here!

This past weekend, my training group and I drove the 2+ hours from Atlanta to Augusta to preview the race course.

I woke up at 4 a.m., and we were on the road by 4:45 a.m. We parked at the transition area where the swim ends and got a download on the race course, event logistics and other tips from our coach.

We then set out to ride all 56 miles of the bike course, followed by a 40-minute run on part of the half-marathon course.

So what was it like?

Thoughts on the Bike …

• Although the race starts in Augusta, the majority of the ride is in South Carolina. At the beginning of the ride, we passed the “Welcome to South Carolina” sign, and right before the end of the ride we saw the “Welcome to Georgia” sign.
• The course was more challenging than I expected. The first 15 miles are fast and primarily flat, as are the last 10 miles. It is going to be important to be strategic at the beginning and end of the race. I don’t want to go out too fast at the beginning and fatigue myself for the middle of the ride, and I want to be sure I do some easy spinning at the end of the ride to get my body ready for a strong run. The key is to not go all out on the bike so that I leave my legs something to work with for the half-marathon.
• The middle miles were full of rolling hills. There were some that were rather steep and others that were deceivingly long, gradual climbs. Because the bike is the 1 sport out of the 3 that I have not trained as hard in, I am likely going to need to readjust my race goals for this portion of the race. I had originally wanted to average a 17 mph pace. During my training and during the course ride, my average has been more around 15.8-16 mph. So I’m going to realistically shoot for that, including time for one aid station stop.

• The asphalt throughout a large part of the bike course is quite rough. Lots of bumps, holes and ridges. I am going to have to pay very close attention to the road conditions and accept that my booty is going to hurt even more than usual over the rougher terrain.

• I perfected my race-day fueling strategy. I am going to try to consume 200-250 calories an hour, eating every 20 minutes and hydrating at least every 15 minutes. I will be eating cooked baby red potatoes covered in a little olive oil and LOTS of salt, peanut butter filled pretzels, and Honey Stinger vanilla waffles and gold gels. I will be drinking Nuun and water. I did not have enough fluid on the bike. Before the race I am going to get a bottle holder mounted on the back of my seat so I can carry two additional bottles (for a total of 4). I am also going to stop at one of the aid stations to fill up all my bottles later in the race. I plan to take a Honey Stinger gold gel 2 miles before the bike finish.
• Right before you get to the transition area, there are some railroad tracks that are not paved. Anyone doing this race needs to be very, very careful of these. Slow down completely and be very diligent with your bike handling. A friend I was riding with crashed on the tracks, less than 100 yards away from the transition area. It is a very easy thing to do even for the best cyclists.
• I can’t wait to feel what it’s like to do a long bike ride when I’m not on tired legs. All throughout the training season, I’ve been doing my long runs the day before my long rides on a marathon schedule. The day before riding the course, I ran about 19 miles. I could feel that fatigue on the hills and gradual inclines throughout the course. I hope on race day I’ll be zipping along with ease.

After we got back to the transition area, several of us set out for a 40-minute brick.

Thoughts on the Run …

I was shocked at how good I felt given how tough the bike felt on my legs. I ran 4.6 miles with a negative split at an average 8:35 pace. My last 0.6 was at an 8:06 pace. What!?! I know I’ll need to start much slower to get through all 13.1 miles on race day and feel good, but it was incredibly encouraging and great for my confidence. A few other takeaways from the run:

• The run is a double-loop course through downtown Augusta. The 5 miles I ran were completely flat (yay!).
• It was around 12:30 p.m. when we started running, so the sun was beating down and it was hot. It is going to be critical that I’m fully hydrated by the time I get on the run and fuel really well during the bike. I’m going to use the bike as a preparation for the run. I drank 20 ounces of water just during my 4.6-mile brick alone so hydrating during the last part of the bike is going to be key.
• I’m hoping the fact that the run is a double loop won’t be too challenging mentally. I’m going to miss running with music.
• It will be great to be able to see our spectators several times on the run course.

All in all, it was a great training day with an incredible training team. Although I should have spent a lot more time and focus on the bike leading up to race day, I am feeling as prepared as I can and ready for the big event.

Have you ever done a half Ironman? If so, what advice would you give me and others competing in their first half Ironman race?