The Stupidest Thing You've Done in an HIM

Harriman in May, 48-50 degrees and overcast.  I believed the weather report that said it was going to rain in the afternoon. Didn't bother putting my stuff in the plastic bags I brought.  Skies opened up during the swim. Got to T1 and everthing was drenched.

Maybe more stupid, I suffered thru the entire race. Upwards of 20% dropped out due to hypotherma. 

It wasn't all bad though, Johnny Kay waited around and treated me to cold beer.  

1.  For some reason got the stupid notion in my head to take the wetsuit completely off while in shallow water.  Duh.  Complete brain cramp - to go along with the brutal leg cramps this caused.  Turns out the run to transition helps get blood flowing back into the legs. 

2.  Probably went too hard on the bike but never got to find out because the rear wheel broke 1.5 mi from transition.  After cranking a bike with a taco shaped rear wheel in the rest of the way my legs were fried for the run which was a sufferfest.  It may have been that way anyway but I'll never know for sure.  I will say it was a ton of fun to ride that fast for that long so it is VERY hard to go as easy as you should on the bike.  Especially at the end when people are fading and you can pass like crazy.

It's easy to catch JohnnyKay...he'll always be waiting at the finish .

I've only done one HIM. I guess the only "stupid" thing I did was not clear the fog out of my goggles when they started fogging up before the gun went off (it was very chilly that morning, and I guess my face was quite warm)...because I got stuck doing it in the middle of the swim. And then I got lost on the swim. That was a little stupid too . Don't get lost out there .

And I was expecting some reciprocation this weekend!  

Other than basically the same mistakes rollin' made at Harriman, mine have been pacing.  But mostly on the run.  I've generally been reasonably conservative on the bike, but then getting to T2 I feel so good that I open the run too hard and pay later.  Did basically the same thing in my IM too.  You'd think I'd learn. 

Gee Whizz you have more road rash than skin, nice job and so far my vote for winner of this thread 8-) 

Oh that must of hurt when you got in the shower...

Let's see. So many to pick from, in only one race:

Prerace

• Left my bike bottles in the car and had to ride back to get them.
• Jacked around with friend too much, and almost forgot to put HRM strap on and to get timing chip

T1

• Put my Endurox bottle on my bike instead of my H20
• Forgot salt tablets and had to go back and get them
• Then forgot my race belt and had to go back and get it
• THEN forgot my Garmin and had to go back and get it

Holy Shi.....!

Shouldn't it actually read "The Stupidest Thing You've Done in a HIM"

Assuming of course you are reading it has "Half Ironman."  Although maybe you intend for people to actually say the letters individually as "H" "I" "M" in which case you are correct.

But I don't know much about grammar.

I had to break down my tent that I had camped in the night before.  Not to mention that I did camp the night before. 

*snerk*