Ironman St. George - TriathlonFull Ironman

I set up towards the front and middle. I didn't get to clobbered in the start and things were fine. Just before the first turn I kept wondering who was driving speed boats around us because the water started to get choppy. As I turned the first buoy I wondered how it could be raining since I heard rain hit my suit. I then realized that there were 3-4 ft waves hitting us and sending spray. I have to say I have never swam even in the ocean with swells and water like we had. I had a great swim. I was able to somehow figure out where I was going - totally couldn't see the buoys but knew I had to stay right of the island. I saw kayakers over turned, the buoys were blown away and I didn't see many people at all around me. I could see anything because I was in a hole between waves. I was worried about people that were not strong swimmers - I found out later than many were pulled. Just glad everyone got out. Considering the conditions I had a good swim - not at my planned pace but I stayed on course and didn't drink a lot of water.

I was shaking with cold in the change tent so the volunteers put me under a heater but I told them I would be fine - I just had to keep moving. Opted to ride with my long sleeve jacket, gloves and cap. Didn't eat the bar I had planned

The bike leg is always my weakest leg. Headwinds didn't help. I trained on steeper and longer hills but not with wind. I think I should have trained on more moderate hills and tried to keep better speeds but not sure much would have mattered. I was slow and looking at my AG results I am slower than slow. Not sure what to work on. During the second loop I started coughing a lot and realizing I couldn't breath well. I was having symptoms of pulmonary adema but knew that couldn't be. I tried to ignore it. I started with 590 cal bottle of perpetum concentrated and took water at aid stations. I ate on power bar and some Gu chomps before special needs where I made another bottle of Perpetum. I think I drank too much - I peed at least 9 times. I couldn't finish the second bottle and stayed with just the chomps. I think 150 cals an hour would work better or maybe I should go for a flavorless form of liquid. People warned me that nutrition would be tricky but not sure what I did wrong. Nothing went too badly but everything tasted awful.

Everything was OK


more sunscreen maybe
I did wear my fuel belt which I usually prefer but with aid stations every mile with anything you could want basically, I wouldn't have used it. I ditched in on the run anyway.

I started out fine. It felt slow but it always does. But rather than start to feel better which I normally do - I felt worse and worse because I couldn't breath. I have never had any symptom like this before. I ignored it for a while but then I started to get dizzy so I was forced to walk a lot. I was trying to figure out what I had done wrong. Was some strange salt thing happening to me? It couldn't be the altitude. At some point mentally I gave in and figured my race I had hoped for was gone and I was so pissed that I was being stopped by something I couldn't figure out but I was going to finish. I would jog until it made me dizzy and then walk. About 4 miles from the finish I started to jog again and I didn't get too dizzy so I kept going. The last 2 miles are downhill so I started to push the pace and I finished strong. I headed straight to the med tent to have them listen to my lungs and make sure what I felt wasn't fluid filling in them. The Dr. pointed out that I had inhaled dust and silica during the swim and bike that had gotten in my lungs - no wonder if felt like the smoggy days in LA in the 70's when they would cancel PE because it hurt to breath.

Not breath up dust

Walked to the massage tent and face planted on a table. The massage was nice but, really, I just wanted somewhere to lay down.



I can be a lot stronger on the bike but the dust held me back since I couldn't breath well - that aside I think I would have still had a tough day but not so much.
I stuck to my race plan - except for the run - I totally stopped eating since nothing felt good.


Amazing amazing volunteers. I had heard what a great town SG was and how awesome the volunteers were and it was for sure the truth!