Joel Myers - Triathlete and Multisport Coach: St. Croix 70.3

Wow, what a trip. If you are a triathlete and you have not made it to St. Croix yet, you definitely need to put this one on your “to do” list. The race is charming, small and accessible, scenic and incredibly challenging. All three events are difficult and nothing is easy there; the water is choppy and the currents are shifty, the bike course is hilly and windy with lots of rough pavement, and the run is hot, humid and hilly. It’s 70.3 miles and you earn every inch of it. It’s truly a test, both mentally and physically, but it is a beautiful place to race and an awesome place to enjoy a relaxing vacation afterward.

For us, the week didn’t start out great. Our flight out of Norfolk was cancelled which threw a big wrench into my pre-race planning. We were supposed to arrive in St. Croix Thursday afternoon but we didn’t get in until Friday night. And to make matters worse, my bike didn’t make the plane. Luckily, it arrived Saturday morning, so I put it together just in time to tag along for a shakeout ride with pros, Luke Bell and Mac Brown which was very cool. Our condo wasn’t far from the legendary climb they call “The Beast”, so we spun up to it to have a look. At ¾ of a mile, topping out at a 23% grade, it is not for the faint of heart.

The base of the mighty Beast

Race morning arrived and I was actually pretty relaxed. I knew I wasn’t in that great of shape coming in, so I really just wanted to race smart and do my best. This winter was hard; cold weather and too much work really hurt my motivation and cut into my training time and I just wasn’t as fit and lean as I needed to be. But I was still looking forward to the race; we had a good group of racers, some of which were doing the half and others were doing the sprint.

Body Marking

The warm up swim over to the cay

Our top performer of the weekend - Amy took

3rd overall in the sprint

Our MVP of the weekend - J-fab forgot to train for the race

but that did not deter him from finishing, or being the life of the party all week

I didn't feel great Sunday and I didn't go very fast but I was committed to enjoying the day. The course was epic, the scenery was breathtaking and our support group on the course was unmatched. Steph, Jerry and the rest of the crew were having a blast watching the race and their enthusiasm attracted some big names. By the time I made it to the finish line, our cheering section included Mac Brown, Luke Bell and Kate Major.

Glad to be done!!

I am not disappointed with how I raced; I actually feel like I executed pretty well. I am however, disappointed with the build over the winter. I just wasn't as fit as I should have been. Some things were beyond my control, but most of it was just lack of motivation and laziness, and I know if I want to be competitive I have to make some changes and do better. I'm really not sure what is next for me so I am going to take some time to figure it out. I do want to thank Brooks and PowerBar for all the support, and Jerry and Amy for being great sponsors, but more importantly great friends. You guys are always there to encourage me when things don't go well and that inspires me to get it together and do better.

After the race, we stayed for 4 days and we had an absolute blast. We laid in the sun, saw the sites, drank fruity drinks, snorkeled, played golf and kayaked.