The 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Texas race, held on April 2nd in Galveston, TX, was a true testament to the resilience, strength, and camaraderie of the Triple Victor team. The athletes tackled a demanding course under challenging weather conditions, including high humidity, heat, and fluctuating wind conditions throughout the day. Despite these obstacles, the Triple Victor athletes delivered outstanding performances, demonstrating the power of determination and teamwork in achieving remarkable results.
The day began at 7 AM with a cold, wetsuit-legal, saltwater swim in the protected Offats Bayou. Athletes jumped into the 71-degree water three at a time every five seconds from Moody Gardens’ Palm Beach docks. The water felt great with the 71-degree, 91% humidity weather. The day started hot and only grew hotter.
The swim course was mostly flat for the first few hundred meters as athletes swam east into their first left turn. They then headed north for a hundred yards into their next left turn. From there, the athletes faced the long stretch west towards the finish of the rectangular course at the Colonel Paddlewheel boat. This section brought them further into the bayou and away from the island’s north shore, where they began to feel the impact of the south-southeast winds. The current of the bayou and the 5-7 MPH winds created a slight chop, similar to a boat wake.
With sunrise at 7:07 AM, a “mostly cloudy” overcast sky, and a course that mainly traveled east to west, visibility was limited during the start of the swim. Athletes who opted for dark or tinted lenses reported having issues sighting. Coach Dave and Lyle mentioned that their mirrored light blue lenses from TheMagic5 worked exceptionally well.
Regarding wind and clouds, the air temperature at the start was around 71 degrees, with a relative humidity of 91%. The heat only went up from there, reaching a peak of 79 degrees and humidity in the low to mid-80s. With a storm forecasted for 2 PM that didn’t arrive, the athletes did benefit from overcast skies for most of the day. Late in the race, the clouds cleared, and those still on the run felt the full thermal effects of the island sun and humidity. At least they had a nice constant breeze!
From the swim, athletes left Moody Gardens and biked west along the Seawall, hugging the coastline to the end of Galveston Island with a 7-10 MPH tailwind. As they crossed the San Luis Pass onto the mainland, the winds began to pick up along the underdeveloped coastlines into the turnaround of the single-loop, out-and-back course. The headwinds ranged around 8-10 MPH for the front of the pack, while the rest of the field faced increasing headwinds through the afternoon, peaking at 17 MPH. With climbing winds and heat, IRONMAN 70.3 Texas is a race that truly rewards the swift.
After battling the headwinds, athletes embarked on the primarily flat run course through Moody Gardens, along Offats Bayou and Palm Beach. The three-loop course features multiple u-turns and a few rolling hills before finishing near the Discovery Pyramid. The combination of heat, humidity, and wind provided an extra challenge for competitors as they pushed themselves to the limit in the final phase of the race. While some managed the heat well, others didn’t. Triple Victor athletes reported seeing fellow athletes struggling and succumbing to the elements throughout the run. At the same time, the “purple pride” was strong and helped our athletes power through the heat on the run. Beyond spectators recognizing the kit and teammates cheering each other on, Triple Victor athletes reported having fellow non-3V competitors cheering them on and mentioning they were fans of the squad.
Despite the challenging conditions, the team had a great day, with multiple athletes achieving personal records, accomplishing goals, and taking home hardware.
Competing in the 35-39 age group, Coach Dave Mudek completed the race with a time of 5:13:46. His performance included a 39:18 swim, a 2:36:39 bike ride, and a 1:52:52 run. Although it was humbling to exceed 5 hours on a course where his record is a sub 4:30, he wouldn’t have traded the day for anything, considering his past twelve months of dealing with a-fib. Most of all, he enjoyed running around Moody Gardens with the team, sharing high-fives and fist bumps.
Michael Quillen, racing in the 40-44 age group, finished the race with a 36-minute course PR of 5:09:44. He swam 40:30, biked a 2:31:06, and ran a 1:49:13. Michael had one of his fastest races to date, finishing only a few minutes behind his personal best at the IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta, which featured a downriver swim. Michael focused on staying relaxed and building lessons and fitness for his upcoming “A-Race,” IRONMAN 70.3 Blue Ridge.
Lyle Crispin, racing in the 55-59 age group, finished the race in 6:38:46. He swam 42:03, biked a 2:47:31, and ran a 3:00:53. While Lyle didn’t PR the course, he said that he had one of his best races to date and his fastest IRONMAN 70.3 in nearly a decade; he set his overall IRONMAN 70.3 PR on this course in 2015. Congrats on a great race Lyle.
Margaret Meyer, competing in the 65-69 age group, finished in 4th place for her age group with a time of 7:22:39. Her performance included a 42:36 swim, a 3:31:04 bike ride, and a 2:57:56 run. After putting together a well-executed training block this spring, Margaret was all smiles at the finish as she gave out high fives to Michael, Lyle, and Coach Dave. Congratulations, Margaret, on your podium finish!
Jim Briggs, who competed in the 65-69 age group, completed the race in 6:33:58. His performance included a 43:20 swim, a 2:53:11 bike ride, and a 2:49:21 run. Jim bested both his 2022 and 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 Texas times. By lowering his course time by nearly 20 minutes, Jim demonstrated his continuous improvement and commitment to the sport.
The 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Texas race was an incredible showcase of the exceptional talent and dedication of the Triple Victor athletes. Their performances in the face of challenging weather conditions and a demanding course serve as an inspiration to fellow athletes and a testament to their determination, teamwork, and love for the sport.
Great work Team!
Awesome work !