Ironman 70.3 San Juan, Puerto Rico - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

All things considered, I feel good about this swim. It was the first open water swim I had done since August, and my siting, breathing and pacing were spot-on. I was a bit slower than I would have liked, but since I had planned for this to be a training race *and* I was sick, I was OK with that. I finished the swim feeling like I hadn't used up too much energy.

Become a better swimmer! Other than that, nothing.

It was a quarter-mile plus run on asphalt, plus I had to make a pit stop in the portapotties. I decided not to rush it, since I was happy just to be feeling like I could get on the bike. So I took extra time to get my head together and try to get in some more solid food/settle my stomach.

It was a fine transition for that particular day. However, next time I would make sure to put sunscreen on my hands and wrists by my thumbs, because I got sunburned on the bike in the areas of my hands that were facing upwards while holding my aerobars.

I really liked this course - I thought the roads were nicely paved, and there was plenty of room for passing. In some other reports, people were complaining that there were too few aid stations, but that was not my experience at all - you pass an aid station four or five times on the course, and that was way more than enough for me. This is definitely a course where being aerodynamically positioned on a tri bike was a help.

I probably should have backed off more than I did. Considering I hadn't been able to eat much the day before or that morning, I may have overdone it. That said, I had a really good time, and both the other competitors and the spectators were as great as they could be.

I got off the bike, and everything came crashing down. My stomach felt crampy and everything felt weak/feverish. I purposely took a long transition to think about whether I should run, and finally determined that if I was conservative I should be able to finish. I hadn't seen the run course yet, so I had no idea it would be as hard as it was.

Nothing - other than staying far away from my boyfriend the next time he gets the stomach flu.

This run was brutal. No part of it is flat and you are in direct sun for pretty much the entire time. I knew almost immediately it was going to be a bad run for me. Mentally I was pretty shot, and I was getting stomach cramps. I couldn't manage anything faster than a 10:30 pace at any point, and I had to walk several of the larger hills. It was brutal. But also beautiful, and challenging. I regret that I let myself get so mentally and emotionally spent before the run. But I'm glad that I finished it.

Biking or driving the run course before the race would have been useful in this case. I needed more mental preparedness/strength. I don't think it hurt that much more than anormal HIM; I just couldn't find my focus or my rhythm. I would also grab and hold ice in my hands, rather than just dumping it on my head or down my back. I might use a hat rather than a visor, to be able to put sponges or ice on my head and keep it there.

I found a shady spot and collapsed. I ate the crust of my boyfriend's pizza and tried to stretch. Finally talked myself into picking up my flipflops and getting my stuff out of transition. I was very glad that I used tribike transport and could just give my bike to those guys before leaving transition.


Stomach flu; living in the northeast/not being used to the heat.


I loved this race and will definitely do it next year. The volunteers were amazing, the course was gorgeous and challenging and when you finish you're in puerto rico! I would use tribike transport again in a heartbeat. I think I'd also stay at the Hilton next year (we stayed at another hotel in Condado instead, and walking back and forth was a pain).