Another season has officially drawn to a close, as I completed one of my favorite races and race experiences at the UWC Triathlon in the Bahamas. This year was even more enjoyable, as I managed to come in 6th place without crashing my bike!
Side note: I was comfortably in 4th until I missed the turn for the finishing chute, and gave up two spots right at the end. Doh! Maybe third time will be the charm…?
There aren’t proper words to describe how amazing this race has been. Barbara Ann Bernard’s dedication to creating a quality event and stellar experience for the professionals cannot be lauded enough. She is a professional at making us all feel welcome and taken care of as vistors to the Bahamas. Also, hats off to all the volunteers and race staff for making this event safe and enjoyable for all competitors. Talk about a race you need to put on the schedule…
Our week began with an amazing trip to Highbourne Cay, a swath of sparkling white sand in the jewel-toned waters of the Exuma island chain. On the island, the pros competed in a point-to-point open water swim along the limestone and coral coast of the island. Happily placing third with some ITU guys in mix, I can honestly say it was one of the most scenically pristine swim races I have ever competed in. That was probably the hardest event on the private island, as most of the rest was snorkeling, spear fishing (I helped get rid of one of the non-indigenous lion fish!), and eating and drinking incredible food and wine. If you have ever wondered what it is like to be shipwrecked on (or brought in by sea plane to) a remote island, and then waited on hand and foot, this is the place to find out! Thank you Mark Holowesko for your extreme generosity and kindness.
The race was good fun, as I found myself out with the leaders again in the swim, and riding hard to try and close the gap to Ben Collins and Tim Don. I never felt super snappy, as the body has been steadily shutting down since Kona, but I gave it a go near the end of the bike with Luke McKenzie, and we nearly came off with the leaders. The idea was to hold on for dear life as the temperature was rising quickly on the run, but after all my hard work to stay in 4th, I blew it by missing the finishing chute and running an extra out and back, falling to 6th! I’ll never blame anyone but myself for errors like this one, and I think it was an indication that it’s time to be done racing for the year. A funny aside: I rode better power for Austin 70.3 than this olympic distance event!
The rest of the time on the island was great, getting to know other professionals, spending time with the crew that included Chef Biju, photographer Paul Phillips, and Kevin McKinnon from Ironman. We had many great dinners and plenty of wine, and even had a visit to Atlantis to spend some one on one time with the dolphins. This race will always hold a special place in my heart, and I seriously can’t say enough thank yous to all the people who made it possible.
Heading back to Colorado to spend a little time with house projects, etc., and giving the body a few weeks of total rest. Now that it is offseason/beard growing season, don’t forget to swing by my Movember team page and donate to men’s health. I will be working hard to eke out something that resembles a “mo” by month’s end: bitly.com/bisgravy
Results from the race can be found here:
And a photo gallery from the event:
http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/11/photos/photos-2013-uwc-bahamas-triathlon_89399
Thanks for reading!