Pigman Triathlon: Scott's Report

by Scott Carkhuff, Kyle’s Bikes 2014 Triathlon Team Pigman Long 1.2 mile Swim, 56 mile Bike, 13.1 mile Run Pleasant Creek State Park, Palo, Iowa August 17, 2014 Pigman Triathlon was my first half Ironman-distance event or anything close to this distance. I was excited and felt good coming into the race. Little did I know that would all change.

Swim

The swim actually went well and probably was the best part of the entire day for me. This was my longest open water swim, and I didn’t feel bad when I got out of the water. I was looking forward to a good bike to make up some time. My swim time was around 36:00.

Bike

T1 went well. I didn’t hurry like you do in a sprint or even Olympic, but I moved quickly and headed out as everything I needed was already on my bike. The first 20–25 miles were pretty uneventful. I always pass a bunch of people on the bike; it’s my strongest part of the race. I got close to the turnaround and headed down a hill to a left turn, when I feel my rear tire is flat. If you ever have had a flat tire and try to turn a corner going about 20 mph, it’s not a good thing to have happen. I managed to stay off the pavement and didn’t wreck. I asked a car that was sitting close by if he had a pump. (I have never used CO2.) He said he couldn’t help me but he would call the repair vehicle. So I thought while I was waiting I could go ahead and give it a shot and change the tire. Everything went pretty smoothly, actually. I got the tire changed, and off I went. I figured I probably lost 15–20 minutes with the flat. Got back on the bike and finished. Now, one mistake I made was that I tried to make up some time after the flat. I think I went a little bit harder on the bike for the second half.

Run

The run was probably the worst run of my life. I ran a half marathon earlier in the year in 1:35, so I’m an average runner. This run is hilly and all on open highway with no shade, which was fine by me. I just knew that with how much I sweat I needed to take in fluids at every aid station. So I headed out on the run and started with a water bottle and sipped on some water for the first mile or so. All the sudden I had sharp pains in my ribs and couldn’t quite catch my breath. Never really experienced anything like this before, so I walked. I tried to keep telling myself to at least run to each aid station since they had them at every mile marker and then I would be able to walk through the aid station, and then run again. That didn’t work either. So I jogged slowly, and walked 13.1 miles in the sun. It was brutal, and I hated that I wouldn’t make my goal, but this will be a learning experience for me and all I can really do is keep training and do another one to redeem myself. I’m glad I finished and didn’t throw in the towel. I WILL TRI AGAIN!!

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Full results from the Pigman Long and Olympic Triathlons are online at JMS Racing Services.