When you win a lottery slot to Ironman Hawaii, you must prove yourself in order to keep your slot. You do so by completing a 1/2 or a full Ironman race prior to arriving in Hawaii. James had already planned to race the Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake race in June, so completing it will hold his slot for Kona.
On June, 26, James's race day will begin at 6:30 am with a 1.2 mile swim around Buffalo Springs Lake. After he exits the water, he will get on his bike for a 56 mile ride through the Texas countryside. There are 8 challenging hills on this "out of town, farm to market" road course. After his bike ride, he will then run a 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) along a "partially shaded, tough, scenic course". There are three different challenging hills on this run. When he finishes in less than 8 hours, he will receive a medal and the satisfaction of knowing he is set to compete in Hawaii!
BSL is a great place to practice for Hawaii. The average race temperature is around 90 degrees F, but back in 1994 they had record breaking temperatures of 113 degrees F! Should that be the case, the boys and I will be cheering for him from our air conditioned hotel room!
Wow, this sounds tough. Good Luck James!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd this is only 1/2 of what he will be doing in Kona! I think he is a bit crazy, but it makes him happy. :)
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