The Man Who Saved My Race
Saturday night after dinner, I was exhausted and shuffled back to the Knoxville Holiday Inn a little after 8:00. As I circled through the revolving door, I remembered something very important . . . I had nothing to eat before the race in the morning.
The gates were closed on the hotel store and I cringed at the thought of navigating Rocky Top to find pre-race food. But, when I looked a little closer, I noticed one of the gates was halfway open and there was activity inside.
I did a little limbo under the metal and noticed Eddie from Nashville was buying a few things from a very helpful clerk, who I will call Chuck. It was obviously after hours and the older gentleman behind the counter was a freak of courtesy, even while balancing his till.
Eddie left with his goods, and I apologized for the inconvenience before asking if I might buy a few things for the morning. Chuck was all in.
“Sure! Whatever you need, my friend.”
I scoured the shelves for fuel. Bagels, bars, and bananas. This was a blessing and I loaded up. But I couldn’t find peanut butter.
“Oh, hang on buddy, I’ll go get some from the kitchen!”
Seriously? What a guy!
He came back with four packets and sheepishly asked if it was enough. I assured him it was.
These are the little things in life that I crave and never seem to find enough. It was more than “service” it was kind human behavior. It was someone who put others ahead of himself.
He was lighthearted and asked genuine questions. He even told me a story about Wisconsin and promised someone would be there at 5:30 in the morning if I forgot anything.
I tipped him kindly, then noticed three or four other guys meandering about the store. I ducked under the gate again and heard Chuck in full glory, ready to feed the next wave of hungry triathletes.
The Rev3 Experience
I’m telling you, Rev3 puts on a great race. You just get the feeling they really care about the athletes and takes pride in the little things. To a man, and woman, everyone I know that raced said they would definitely come back.
First of all, I love the course they designed. The swim in the Tennessee River rocks. It just feels big and anytime there is multiple bridges, count me in.
The bike course was, as many people describe it, tough, but fair. It’s really the perfect course for me. Lots of turns, challenging climbs, and fast descents. The scenery was gorgeous and everything was well marked.
The run course was a little blah, but still enjoyable. It was mostly on a bike path, but there was a nice creek/river along the way and it’s always cool to run through parks. The last .3 miles was uphill back into the finish line and probably the most memorable portion.
Rev3 is professional, yet accessible. The finish line felt big, but had a warm mid-sized town feel to it. I love their attention to detail, like the big monitors at the end showing your finish and a little tent where you can pull up your splits on the screen. It’s not the Final Four, but it’s definitely Elite Eight, and on some level that is more intriguing.
I plan to write more later on why I believe Rev3 is poised to challenge Ironman for attention in the shorter distance races.
Location, Location, Location
I absolutely drool when races are in a city and are PART of the city.
I love Ironman Louisville and Wisconsin because they showcase the location. Both run through their respective downtown’s and you always know where you are.
I was underwhelmed by Ironman Muncie and New Orleans. Both could have easily been in Bowling Green, Kentucky and I wouldn’t have known the difference. To me it’s the difference between playing a baseball game at a stadium versus your practice field. There is cache’ in the venue.
Rev3 Knoxville set up right at World Fair Park. I decided to stay at the Holiday Inn which is normally attached to the finish line, but moved about a block this year because of a book fair (which I regretfully didn’t attend).
Transition was a few blocks from the finish and nearly close enough to make my post-race bike fetch enjoyable. In New Orleans, I had to drive 20 minutes to get my bike after the race and got lost in the hood along the way, which actually came in handy in the form of ridiculously delicious hot wings, but other than that, driving to get your bike blows.
At Rev3 Knox, everything was a short walk, including Market Square, which set the pre-race table beautifully. Just a cool little town that genuinely seemed happy to have a bunch of goofy triathletes walking around in spandex.
Because of their excellent planning, I am “this” close to signing up for Rev3 Wisconsin Dells. I’ve been there many times and it is a crazy little place with a lot going on. Water parks, bearded women, fire eating jugglers, and I’m confident I’ll see them all.
The swim is where they hold the Tommy Bartlett water-ski show and the run course appears to be nicely entwined with the tourism absurdity. And what could be better than a ride on the amphibious Wisconsin Dells Ducks to wind down after a glorious day of pain?
