Why We Race: Oceanside 70.3 Recap

This past weekend I had the privilege of completing the Oceanside Ironman 70.3 which consisted of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, finished off with a half-marathon (13.1 miles). The whole endeavor took roughly 6 hours, 18 minutes and 41 seconds and concluded with a sunburn, blistered feet, and concrete legs with an underlying feeling of accomplishment and gratitude for a body that can do hard things. This was my second time completing this race and was my way of celebrating the end of my third year of vet school.

The race had just under 3,000 participants from 49 states and 65 countries, spanning across a vast age range and ability level. The sheer number of people voluntarily paying a significant amount of money to endure a race such as this blew my mind and automatically created a sense of community.

Everyone has a reason for showing up to the start line, squeezing into a wetsuit, trying not to drown, climbing insane hills on the bike, and then shuffling along in the blistering sun for a half-marathon. That reason is unique to each participant, which makes this community beautiful.

Before, during, and after the event, I had the opportunity to chat with some fellow racers and learn more about their reasons. Many of them were fascinated with the idea of testing their body’s limits and seeing how hard they could push themselves. 1,400 participants were doing this event for the first time. Others had more personal stories such as one woman who is a full-time caregiver for her husband and uses triathlons as a way to clear her mind and take care of herself.

Another lady was completing her 8^th half-ironman at the age of 58 and celebrating just how much her body could do. Another special part of Ironman races is the ability to witness and race alongside the challenged athlete group. This select group of individuals single-handedly prove that truly anything is possible and witnessing them navigate the course is incredibly inspiring. Watching an athlete climb an intense hill with a hand cycle gave me zero room to complain as I climbed that same hill with my considerably lengthy legs.

As I mentioned before, there is something different (maybe borderline crazy) about people who voluntarily participate in events like this. I am not limiting this to endurance triathlons but also ultra running and any other event that involves pushing a body to its limits. These people are not easily satisfied and do not rely on instant gratification. They embody the idea of “type-two fun” (fun when it’s done) and are not easily deterred by a challenge. The mindset is another level, and their grounded personalities are truly genuine. While these generalizations are fairly consistent across competitors, the individual reason that brings everyone together at the starting line is deeply personal.  

As you may know by now, I am a self-identifying endurance nut. I thrive off pushing my body to the limit and seeing just how far it can go. It’s easy to fall into the routine of completing workouts and checking off the boxes while losing sight of the reason behind all of this. Every time I complete a race, I take some time to reflect on my “why.” My answer is multi-faceted with the general theme of wanting to push my body to the limit and test my mental toughness while celebrating the privilege it is to have a body that can do these intense races. I’m not going to lie and say that it isn’t fun to tell someone you have done a half-ironman, or an ultramarathon; it is. But it’s never with the intent to elicit a feeling of superiority; it is more of my way of subtly hinting that I am not afraid of a challenge, and it will take a lot for something to get to me. Extrinsic praise has never been, and will never be, the driving force behind my endurance racing. I believe that if it isn’t coming from a deeper reason inside, passion will eventually die which can be equally said for any aspect of life.

It is an internal fire to celebrate how incredible our bodies are in a world that is constantly telling us we need to shrink ourselves to fit the societal standards. In a society that is constantly being inundated with ways to lose weight, eat less, and look younger, this community proudly shows what real bodies are capable of at any age. The triathlon community is incredibly supportive, and the athletes are some of the most wonderful people I have met in my life.

When the going gets tough, I am reminded that there are countless people who would literally kill to be able to do this. Moving my body is a gift and a way to honor the life I have been given. Along with developing my ability to remain uncomfortable for extended periods of time, it has also allowed me to take control of my mind and remain calm in the chaos whether that is internal or external.

While I am not saying that everyone should go sign up for an endurance race to develop interpersonal skills, I think that we would all be a little better off mentally and physically if we adopted the mindset that challenges are not something to run away from, but an opportunity for growth and the ability to discover a new level of competency.

Navigating this training period and reflecting on my history of endurance events, I realized I was also running a fine line on the hedonic treadmill. For those of you who are unaware of this concept, it is not an actual treadmill (you would only catch me on a treadmill for interval work), but a psychology term coined by Philip Brickman and Donald T. Campbell in 1971. It describes the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable baseline level of happiness despite major positive or negative life events or changes in circumstances. It is also known as hedonic adaptation. In short, when this term is used in the world of athletics it can be described as the cycle of achieving a major goal (such as a marathon, half-ironman, 5k PR, etc.) and then having the initial joy fade creating a need for a harder, faster goal to maintain the same level of happiness. I saw this happen after I did my first marathon and shortly after signed up for an ultra.

Keeping this in mind and knowing it is a slippery slope that can lead to overtraining, injuries, and a loss of genuine enjoyment I have been consciously making sure that I train with gratitude and am more focused on the process (also known as eudaimonia) than the outcome. The results are a bonus and being in tune with my body and enjoying the process is far more important. This doesn’t mean that I will not set goals or work towards other challenges, it just means I want to ensure I approach these challenges with the right mindset and for the right reasons and will continue to keep this perspective as I continue to navigate the world of endurance athletics.

I also want to be a source of community for anyone who wants to push themselves whether that is joining a yoga class, running a mile, or completing a half-ironman. I will be your biggest cheerleader and know that with the right mindset, you can truly do so much more than you think you are capable of!

All that being said, here is the fun part, a little race recap for those of you who would like to relive this experience with me from the comfort of your own home.

The morning of the race started around 3:45 and after an early breakfast and some electrolytes my dad dropped me off at the transition area, which is where all the athletes put their bike, swimming, and running gear. One of the perks about racing in your hometown is having your own personal chauffeur on race morning, and cheer squad throughout the course!

Once the transition area is set, everyone wiggled into their wetsuits and self-seeded into the corral. At 6:40 the professionals went off, 6 minutes later the challenged athletes went off, and at 6:50 the age-group participants went off 5 athletes every 5 seconds. The swim around the harbor took about half an hour and then we were right back into the transition area. This race had volunteers at a “strip station” which basically meant they would pull your wetsuit off. I had never been in a race with this sort of bougie assistance and found it amusing to watch athletes fly in, lay down and get their wetsuit stripped off in about 5 seconds. I did not partake in that activity but may consider it for future races if the opportunity presents itself.

After the swim we embarked on a 56-mile ride around Oceanside, most of which took place on the Camp Pendelton military base. Since it is a military base, the ride is fairly protected from cars and is a unique opportunity to see the base. The ride was beautiful and had some gnarly hills, with 2,600 feet of climbing over the course. One particular hill was the notorious “Hell Hill” which had a 12.4% grade. The climbing was an instant way to build community and most of the riders around me started cheering each other on since we were all on the same struggle bus.

As a side note, we are currently in our small mammal course and just learned about four ways to kill the Easter Bunny (RHDV, myxomatosis, rabies, and tularemia). Sadly, being on the bike racecourse of Oceanside 70.3 with some speedy athletes on TT bikes can be added to that list. Rip bunny #1 and #2!

After the beautifully brutal bike ride, we made our way back to the transition area where we racked our bikes and headed out to the run course. This was a 6.5-mile loop that was completed twice. The run course was also beautiful and involved some sneaky little hills, running on the pier, and some awesome ocean views. Aid stations were available roughly every 0.5 to every mile and the volunteers were fabulous. They were passing out ice, electrolytes, water, oranges, bananas, and coke which I guess is something people like to drink during endurance athletic events?? There was also a magical station at mile 5 that passed out ice pops! I stuck to the water and electrolytes for the duration of the run and probably poured the same amount of water on myself as I consumed since it was starting to get pretty hot on the course.

The run was also a fun way to take in the race atmosphere and cheer for people. I saw a ton of Cal Poly Tri Team members and our common undergrad institution instantly brought us together. Every time we saw each other it was met with encouragement and high fives.

Additionally, the run was a way to witness many people hitting their physical limits. Cramps, GI upset, and mental fatigue was apparent among competitors, yet they continued to push through in embodying the Ironman spirit. A little after two hours on the run course I finished the race and was able to fully enjoy the experience. I finished about 6 minutes faster than the first time I had done this race, which was a bonus but not the determining factor regarding the quality of the race. I felt strong and did not walk away with any injuries which is a win and walked away with a renewed level of gratitude for racing and the amazing blessing it is to do things like this!

Quote of the race: “You don’t want to give yourself a self-inflicted liver biopsy…” – race volunteer checking in the bikes (who also happened to be a veterinarian) “I don’t want to give myself a self-inflicted anything!” -race fellow participant

*Special shoutout to my parents for supporting me through the race, I couldn’t have done it without you and know that you both walked countless miles that day to cheer me on.