Ironman Frank: Week 6

Augusta Sports Council President Frank Gibbs, Jr. is training for his first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Frank will compete in the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta on September 26, 2010. In his weekly blog, “Ironman Frank” will share his experiences leading up to his first competition, as well as basic guidelines and training tips for other first-time triathletes.

An Ironman 70.3 encompasses 70.3 total miles of racing – a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. For more information about the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta, visit IronmanAugusta.com.

There’s an old saying in the biking world: When it comes to crashes, it’s not “IF,” it’s “WHEN.” Well, last Sunday was my “when” moment. My personal cycling expert, Randy DuTeau, took me on my first 10-mile bike ride. It was my longest ride to date, but in Randy’s capable hands, I had no worries. Unfortunately, I was wrong!

We started our ride with a couple of warm-up laps around Lake Olmstead, and then headed out to Beech Island. The trouble started when we pulled to a stop sign and I couldn’t get my locked foot out of the pedal. Before I knew it, I had dumped my brand new bike on the ground. Thanks to my gloves, the only thing I hurt was my pride, but after that I made sure to unlock my foot prior to stopping. I found out the hard way that practicing stopping and starting would have been a good idea!

Tune in next week for more of my training trials and tribulations! Thanks as always to my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore.