Ironman 70.3 Campeche
March 19, 2nd place, 3:56:04, Results
I surprised myself at Ironman 70.3 Campeche, taking 2nd against a stacked field including three Olympians, the reigning Xterra World Champion and several Ironman Champions in my season opener. I had a very consistent winter of training despite some major distractions and stresses. Here’s my video recap including some race footage and my Mayan adventure featuring the one and only Leanda Cave.
Ironman 70.3 Texas
April 2nd, 9th, 3:53:56, Results
On the heels of a great race in Mexico, I arrived in Texas confident that I could race for the podium again, if not the win. Ironman 70.3 Texas is a special race for me. Three years ago, I made my professional debut here. An impressive, deep start list like the one below would have terrified me back then. In fact, I would have avoided looking at it and seeing my name at the bottom.
That day in 2014, I surprised myself with a 5th place finish and a huge personal best of 3:50:41. I was so clueless that I wore my race shirt at the awards ceremony (apparently a major faux pas for pros)!
Related: Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Texas 2014
The following year, I found my name little further up the list and my confidence a little higher as well. I came off the bike with Lionel Sanders and Andy Potts. I vividly remember the electric atmosphere as we ran the first of three laps together, our laser focus interrupted only momentarily by a ridiculous mid-race interview with TRS Triathlon. I took 3rd in 3:48:21 in one of my most memorable race experiences.
Related: Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Texas 2015
#TBT That time @LSandersTri, @Andy_Potts & I did a mid-race interview with @TRS_tri at #IM703Texas '15. ? #sopro pic.twitter.com/xb1ffIP2PD
— Cody Beals (@CFBeals) April 14, 2016
These days, checking start lists no longer terrifies me—it fires me up! I now make a point of scrutinizing the contenders and developing a plan of attack. But I’ll never quite get used to seeing my name near the top!
Unfortunately, things didn’t go my way in Texas and I came away with my worst ever triathlon performance, the first time I haven’t earned a paycheck since my flat tire at the 2015 Ironman 70.3 World Championships. In this recap, I discuss dealing with disappointment and resisting the urge to DNF on a tough day.
Run footage from #IM703Texas. ? Relieved to reach the finish after [#triexcuse redacted]. Good to see so many familiar faces! pic.twitter.com/hXiiqAAFwL
— Cody Beals (@CFBeals) April 2, 2017
Thank you to…
- My sponsors: Ventum, Skechers, Martin’s Family Fruit Farm, Bliiq, STAC Performance, Alto Cycling, Keystone Communications & Giles Atkinson, Pioneer Power, and Randy Stanfield
- My coach/mentor, David Tilbury-Davis
- Keith & Sandy Cressman for a much needed camera upgrade
- Gemma Hollis of Push Glide Kick for an excellent swim analysis session
- All of you for following my adventures!
