ZACH WROBEL - AUGUSTA/”HURRICANE” 70.3

SWIM, BIKE, OR RUN? All 3

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RACING TRIATHLON? 2 years

FAVORITE COLOR (IN NO FEWER THAN 5 WORDS)? Lime green

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO RACING? When I moved to Florida I met this guy Kyle who told me he was getting ready to do CLASH Daytona 70.3. He mentioned I should sign up for it too. I had already been cycling for the past 2 years so I wasnt worried about the bike. I started running a lot more when I moved to Florida so I knew I could handle the last leg of the race. I took swimming lessons when I lived in Boise in 2012 but had not been in the pool in quite some time. I figured I could improve somewhat if I focused more of swimming with just 8 weeks until the race. 

GELS, MIX, OR SOLID FOOD ON THE BIKE? Gels and Tailwind drink mix

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIKE SETUP: Factor Hanzo, Zipp 858 NSW front wheel, Zipp Super 9 disc wheel, Wattshop Anemoi cockpit, SRAM Red eTap AXS, ceramicspeed OSPW, 165 ROTOR Aldhu carbon cranks, Assioma Duo pedal power meter, 48/35 Rotor chainrings with 10-28 cassette, ISM PN 3.1 saddle

FAVORITE POST-RACE MEAL? Pizza

WHEN DID YOU START TRAINING FOR AUGUSTA 70.3? Off and on since 2022

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST THOUGHT WHEN YOU HEARD AUGUSTA WAS CANCELED? I was soooo disappointed! I wanted to PR so badly knowing the swim is a downriver and having done it last year, I knew what to expect on the bike. But, there will always be next year to try!

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST THOUGHT WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT “HURRICANE 70.3”? Really excited that our community was able to come together so quickly and support the athletes! 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAY ON THE COURSE: I'm a slow open water swimmer so walking along the beach seeing how calm it was made me think I could actually make a good time. I stayed with the front of the pack for only a few minutes before everyone started to get spread out. I tried to swim each 500 yard distance under 10 minutes and I did that for the 2nd 500 but eventually I got slower. I swallowed a lot of salt water a couple times making me stop and tread water so I dont throw up. I got out of the water a few hundred yards early because I was just so exhausted. I made it to T1 feeling a little better and immediately got even more focused putting on my helmet and shoes knowing the bike is where I can shave the most time off. I went as fast as I could out to Ponte Vedra Blvd trying to avoid other pedestrians and cyclists. Once I was able to settle in I really focused on maintaining pressure on the pedals and keep an aero profile. Even though the course was open to traffic, I didnt feel it slowed me down much, except on the way back. The headwind going down to St.Augustine wasnt too bad but I definitely could feel it. Coming into T2 I was so happy to get off the bike and start the run where I really shine. The first couple miles always feel a little wonky for me because I wait for my legs to come alive. It was starting to get pretty hot at this point but I knew there were 4 aid stations on the run so I knew I wouldnt have to worry about getting dehydrated. I had a lot of friends following me on the run keeping me company which was honestly the best part of my race. How cool is that? You never get to experience that in any triathlon so that was really something special. The last lap of the run I really slowed down as my feet were starting to ache. When I looked down at my watch and saw I was at mile 9.5, I picked up the pace knowing that in about 26 minutes I would be done. Once I turned the corner towards the Lemon Bar and saw the crowd and finish line tape, all the pain goes away. The finish line feeling, breaking the tape, be covered in confetti, seeing all the Jax Beach community there, it was really special and am so glad I could be a part of it. 

WHAT’S NEXT ON YOUR SCHEDULE? Wilmington, NC 70.3 on 10/19

ANYTHING/ANYONE YOU WANT TO PLUG/SHOUTOUT FOR SUPPORT? Thank you to Neutral Service for the huge support even before you were officially open, it has been so welcoming!