The Beast of the East

Ironman Lake Placid 2007

Triathlon is a contact sport

That fact got punched or kicked or elbowed into my head 100m into the first lap of the Ironman swim.  My stroke sputtered and my lungs filled with water as I tried to realize what had just happened.  In the frothing mass of lake and limbs, I expected my vision to be hampered, but something was wrong.  My right eye wouldn’t open.  The roaring white seemed to collapse on one side, weighing me down.  I drifted out of my body as the melee continued and looked down.  The calm of the depths below me began to look inviting. Read the rest of this entry »

Pro Triathlon Racer
Felipe Bastos
Race Report

The Beast of the East Half Ironman Distance Triathlon

2005

“Two weeks ago I toed the line at the Beast of The East 1/2 IM, located in the mountains North Carolina/ Georgia border:
It was an amazing race put on my the good folks of the Great Smoky Mountains Triathlon Club ( www.gsmtc.com).
It was also the most scenic race I have ever done in my life. I ended up second.
The Beast of the East Spring Tune-up will be the toughest and most beautiful course you’ll ever do.

If your a true Ironman or woman, this is the race and the course that will prove it.
We thank you for your continued interest in our races and hope to see you here in the Western North Carolina and North Georgia Mountains this year.

Beast of the East, that is how the race director was pushing the course. And to be honest it is a very fair assessment. Wow, this bike course is relentless. Some very nasty elevation changes, very few times when you could catch a breath, I had no idea what I was getting into. By 20 miles or so I realized that hitting my goals were not going to be possible, so I tried to settle in and pass all the racers I could. Read the rest of this entry »