Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Wow, what can I say. I was only 11 minutes slower than my last HIM and went from mid-pack to almost dead last...this was going to be a nightmare day. Swim out seemed to take FOREVER, and on the way back I was making better time, except for the mats of seaweed I was swimming through. I was chafing badly, and my stroke suffered. I ended up taking my arms out of the water even with my head to alleviate the pain from the chafing in my pits, and my neck was rubbed raw as well.

not really sure...I intentionally gave up swim training to focus on the run and bike. 11 minutes in the overall scheme of things did not seem so bad, but it was.

wetsuit strippers were awesome. I took time in t1, as I wanted to ensure I had everything squared away for the bike.

hurry up

again...no understanding of this time. I was over an hour over my goal pace. granted I had gear, seat, and hydration issues, but this should not have affected me this much. I have been averaging 20mph in short rides up to 20 miles, and 16+ in longer rides. This was a unmitigated disaster. When I looked at my watch at mile 20, I knew I was in trouble. When I looked at my watch at mile 40, I knew my day was over. I made a deal with myself, ride to t2, turn in my chip and call it a day. I knew I was going into t1 at 5 hours, and on my best day I could not finish the 13.1 run in less than 2.5 hours, and I'd need to bust a sub 2:00 to meet my goal time. Those last 16 miles into t2 were a total suffer-fest, as I had zero motivation left. My only saving grace was I rode every mile and did not walk up the one big hill, as I saw some others doing. That was a VERY small victory.

make sure the bike is sound before the race and stop worrying about training hard/short on hilly tracks and get some longer rides in.

6:29....with 5:00 of that sitting on the grass in t2 contemplating quitting. My running shoes were sitting next to me, and I just did not want to put them on. Why bother? My day was shot, my mental game was WAY gone, and I just wanted to pack it in. I thought of all the reasons to quit, and just thought of one to keep on going: "get this bit@h done, or you are never going to be able to live with yourself." I ambled up to the run out, and a volunteer looked over at me and said, "hey, you've got a chip on...are you just starting the run portion?" I said, with a wry smile, "yeah, I guess I am."

ditch the pity-party and HTFU

I never intended to run after t2, as I just wanted to finish and not hurt something for my next race. I power-walked the entire way, met some fellow stragglers and just kept on going one foot forward at a time.

considering my day, nothing

found a shade tree 30 feet past the finish line, and found a comfortable resting spot


total lack of motivation


Unbelievable crowd support and volunteer support. Lots of people cheering on us "walking dead," no matter we were sucking wind bad. There were even people in the chute offering high-fives, which was astounding to me...it gave me a little more belief in humanity. I managed all of DNS, DNF, and DFL, but I didn't manage the last two by much. Humbling and frustrating for sure. I'll be back. :)