CSSC’s Grant Aran Competes in Virginia Ironman 70.3 Triathlon
Grant Aran, a member of the National Team of Coral Springs Swim Club, recently competed in the Ironman 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge, in Roanoke, VA, and did so with outstanding results. Aran, wearing bib 635 and entered in the men’s 18-24 age category, completed the event in a time of 5 hours, 30 minutes, and 37 seconds. His time of 5:30:37 placed Aran 8th out of 50 competitors in the men’s 18-24 category and 185th of 1,544 competitors overall. This race, held June 5th, was Aran’s second Ironman 70.3, having competed in his first race of this kind back in December 2021 at the Ironman 70.3 Florida at Lake Eva Park in Haines City.
For those unfamiliar with the sport of triathlon, the race consists of three legs, those being the swim, the bike, and the run, along with the two transitions in between. Within triathlon racing, there are various distances in which triathletes compete. Aran began his triathlon experience with a sprint triathlon, which is normally a 400-yard swim, 10-mile bike, and 3-mile run. During the Ironman 70.3, Aran and his fellow competitors were tasked with a much longer race comprised of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. To say that this is an impressive amount of racing would be a major understatement.
After learning that the Ironman 70.3 is literally a race over the course of 70.3 miles, one may wonder how an athlete becomes interested in this type of competition. Grant Aran, who is a 2021 graduate of Coral Glades High School, was talking with his friends around graduation time, and they were all wondering what it would be like to train for and compete in triathlons. There was a lot of excitement and energy surrounding this idea and the friend group was in! Well, it turned out that the only one who actually went through with the triathlon plan was Aran, and he is extremely glad that he did. When speaking with Grant, it is apparent from the start that he is motivated and enthusiastic about the sport of triathlon, and looks forward to participating in many more races in his future.
Going back to the morning of June 5, “race day” in triathlon circles, Aran arose at 3:00 a.m. to prepare for the race. His prerace meal consisted of oatmeal with blueberries, beet juice, banana, and energy waffles. Upon arriving at the course, somewhere around 4:00 am, Grant immediately checked on his bike to make sure it was mechanically sound. He then set up his transition areas, which are the spots where the athlete moves from swim to bike, and then from bike to run. Equipment is changed, clothes are put on, and this transition area is a valuable part of a triathlete’s race; a poor transition can be costly to the racer’s overall time as the transitions are included in the results. After his equipment was ready to go, Aran began his stretching routine, preparing for a 6:30 a.m. race start. Lots to do on the morning of race day.
Being a swimmer, his training with Coral Springs Swim Club gives Grant Aran an advantage during the first leg of the race. Grant truly feels that this part of the triathlon is where he can develop a lead over the other less experienced swimmers. However, he doesn’t go all out during the swim, knowing how important pacing is over the course of a 5+ hour event. Even though he held back a little to save his legs, Aran still finished the swim portion of the race with a time of 27:26 minutes, for 2nd place in his age category, and a very sound 6th place overall. And according to Grant, the location of the swim, a local reservoir, was flat, calm and peaceful, lending to the enjoyment that he takes from every moment of a race.
Up next for every triathlete is the bike portion, and this is where course layout and location really comes into play. Comparing his first 70.3 Ironman in Haines City, to this most recent race in Roanoke, Aran commented on the vast difference in elevation as would be expected when comparing a course in Florida to one in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The Haines City course offered a bike elevation of 1,300 feet, whereas the Roanoke course was much steeper, that being 4,200 feet. As he described the bike portion through the Blue Ridge Mountains, a portion that he completed in 3:09:20 hours (12th in his age group), he described being in the moment, taking in the natural beauty that he had become a part of, and just being so appreciative of his opportunity.
As Grant Aran transitioned into the run portion, he remained as focused as he was when the race began some 3+ hours earlier. As he progressed through the race legs and transitions (which were much improved from the Haines City race), he was constantly thinking about technique and strategy, and how they would affect upcoming sections, always trying to maintain a successful pace through the run and to the finish line. His run portion clocked in with a time of 1:46:33, 9th in his age category, and once again good enough for a total overall finish result of 8th in that 18-24 grouping.
What does a triathlete do at the end of a race after being awake for almost 10 hours and racing for over five of those? Grant found the first thing he saw, which was a beef sandwich, and enjoyed a tasty meal, even though he wasn’t as hungry as one would think after expending that much energy and calories. As he enjoyed his sandwich and recovered from a very grueling race, Aran reflected on what a tough day that was, and how he learned a lot about pacing and preparing equipment, while also learning a little about himself.
That spontaneous discussion with his friends during graduation has turned into a passion for Grant Aran. He’s excited for his next race, which just happens to be in a couple of days. Grant will be competing in the Turtleman Triathlon on June 25th in Jupiter, FL. This race is a sprint triathlon, that being the shorter distances as compared to the Ironman 70.3 distance. Then, on December 11 of this year, Aran will return to Haines City, to compete in his third Ironman 70.3 at the location where he participated in his first. As he continues his triathlon training leading up to that race, he’ll be thinking about his bold prediction – that he will finish the Haines City Ironman 70.3 in less than 5 hours. Everyone at Coral Springs Swim Club is confident that he can do it!
More photos:
