Race Report: Training, Traveling and Life

By Kelvin Davis

On September 25, 2016, I competed in the Augusta Ironman 70.3 race along with over 2,000 other brave
individuals.  This was considered to be my “A” race for the season, so my plan was to really devote myself seriously to training, eating well, resting when required and “sticking to the plan”.  

 As “Iron” Mike Tyson so eloquently put it once; “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”.  For me, this summer has been that way.  Because of my job, I have had to travel at least 3 weeks out of the month for the past 4 months.  That and other life changes really tested my ability to stay focused and to keep my motivation for training up.  I had to do way more solo training than I’ve done in the past and now have an even greater appreciation for the camaraderie, support and friendships that the tri community offers all of us.  Especially my Team Podium crew! 

Kelvin on the bike at Augusta 70.3

To keep up with my training, I had to do bike workouts on various spin bikes in random gyms all over the country. This is not good for the knees!  I swam in some very small swimming pools, and ran in a variety of places.  Getting lost on a run, at night in some random town is not fun!  These experiences also taught me how to get creative though.  I’m much more savvy about what type of hotel to book, finding running paths, and locating local gyms than I ever thought possible.  If anyone ever needs a good gym recommendation in Fargo, ND, let me know!  

Even with all of the chaos of traveling and training, I felt like I’d done enough to really be prepared for the race.  Which according to all the races at Augusta in the past, the weather would be perfect, the swim would be wetsuit legal, the bike would have rolling hills and run would be pancake flat.  

As everyone probably knows by now, the race was not wetsuit legal (first time ever!), the bike course was
changed to include more elevation, and the run, while pancake flat, the heat made the run more like running in pancake batter. 

What made the race worth every minute of it though was the Team Podium folks.  I was really happy and proud to be a part of this team.  I got more than a few shout outs on how awesome our kits are.  I loved hearing the cheers and encouragement from our fellow team members, and even though I had to walk a bit during the run, every time I got close to the Podium tent, or saw a teammate, it inspired me to pick up the pace, smile and keep pushing on. 

Once I finished the race, I started to reflect on all it took to get there.  I’d like to say I was overcome with joy at the accomplishment, but the truth is, I just felt relief.  Relief that I made it through and intact. At least for the most part.   I also felt relief that I didn’t have a heat stroke and relief that I didn’t have to drink anymore Red Bull. I hate that stuff!

Next race season I’ll have a wealth of information to draw from to race better, travel and train smarter and keep living a fuller life!   

A grateful Kelvin finishing up Augusta 70.3 in challenging conditions.