Athlete Race Recap: IRONMAN 70.3 Memphis, Breast Cancer Awareness Ride, & Smuttynose Half Marathon

This weekend, Full Circle Endurance athletes overcame adversity to reach their goals!

• IRONMAN 70.3 Memphis - Memphis, Tennessee
• Breast Cancer Awareness Ride - Rome, New York
• Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon - Hampton Beach, New Hampshire

IRONMAN 70.3 Memphis

Paul Elm may not have been walking in Memphis, but he sure did swim, bike, and run there when he raced in IRONMAN 70.3 Memphis on Saturday, October 2, 2022!

Paul raced his first 70.3-distance triathlon earlier this summer at IRONMAN 70.3 Musselman. The goal for IRONMAN 70.3 Memphis was to continue to build his skills at racing this distance, and if he had a good day, improve his time at this distance.

Paul arrived in Memphis well-trained and ready to go.  When he arrived at his spot in Transition 1 after the swim, he noticed something important.  His bike was there.  His helmet was there.  His cycling shoes?  They were NOT there.

After his heart sank into his stomach like a lead balloon, Paul pulled himself together and went into problem-solving mode.  He talked to the race officials and volunteers in Transition.  They swapped out his clipped pedals for flat pedals so that he could still ride with his running shoes on.  (Thankfully, Paul had remembered those!)

After a reasonably short Transition (only 12:54, including the equipment change!), Paul rode his fastest 56 miles EVER.  He beat his time from IRONMAN 70.3 Musselman by nearly ten minutes! 

Unfortunately, Paul’s woes weren’t over yet.  He got back to Transition 2 and realized that he had also forgotten his handheld water bottle for the run.  One again, he adapted, and used what was available on-course at the aid stations.  However, (unsurprisingly) Paul started to cramp around Mile 9 of the run and this slowed him down considerably in the final four miles of the race.  

I’ve talked about how specificity matters. Riding a hard 56 miles with a bike configured differently that he had trained on used his muscles in a way that Paul was not used to. Then, his hydration and fueling plan for the run was not what we had trained for since he forgot his hydration vessel. In the end, these things caught up to him and impacted his ability to perform in the race.

Despite all of this adversity, Paul still finished incredibly strong and with his fastest time overall for the 70.3 distance of triathlon! (He also learned the importance of making a pre-race checklist and checking it. ;) )

Congratulations, Paul!

Breast Cancer Awareness Ride

Amy Otero rode a virtual Breast Cancer Awareness Ride on Saturday, October 2, 2022!

Unfortunately, Amy has been sick for the last few weeks.  This shifted her training and her plans for the Breast Cancer Awareness Ride that she planned to do.  However, Amy still found a way to honor the cause that she is so passionate about.  On Saturday, Amy headed out on her own bike ride for a few miles and used it as a virtual Breast Cancer Awareness Ride.

No, it wasn't the original distance we were planning for.  And no, it was not on the “official” ride ourse.  But Amy’s adaptability showcases how you can still do something meaningful and significant for yourself, even if it looks different than what you originally planned.

Bravo, Amy!

Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon

Heidi Caruso ran the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire on Sunday, October 3, 2022!

Heidi is a super busy lady; she’s a mom of three teenagers, an emergency room nurse, and a nursing school teacher!  Despite her busy days, she put in the work and ran a great race in Hampton Beach! 

Heidi last ran a half marathon four months ago in June.  This past weekend, she finished 13.1 miles over seven minutes faster than her June race!  What a day!

Congratulations, Heidi!