White Lake Half - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Very good swim. I took it easy and enjoyed the experience. I kicked it for about the last 50 to 100 meters since I saw there wasn't anyone close in front of me, but there were several swimmers right on my heels and I wanted to be first to the ladder. Didn't feel light headed after the swim like I frequently do. I ran down the dock and even sprinted a bit because I wanted my time to be under 40, and I knew it was close.

Maybe go a little harder, but I met my goal of a sub-40 swim, so it's hard to argue with that.

Took it easy. Made sure to stock up on the gel, bar & sunscreen I had laid out. Also wore the headsweats bandana thing to keep the sweat out. It was worth the extra time since the sun came out on the ride and it got hot.

Sun came out around mile 10 and I reapplied sunscreen on the fly, but I somehow missed my neck. But when you're at white lake, you fit in with a red neck. Good idea to carry the small bottle on the ride. Had to stop to pee at mile 30. I had to keep reminding myself that I shouldn't worry about people passing me (a hazard of being a MOP finisher starting in the 2nd wave). I kept saying to myself that there was no one else on the course, just me and a watch. Just me and a watch.
A guy passed me midway through the bike and I swear it looked like he dropped a duece on his top tube right under the seat. Maybe this was to discourage drafting.
The song stuck in my head was "He War" by Cat Power.

Ran with shoes on. Not bad for having to put on socks and such.

Had to stop around mile 2 to pee, so I guess I was hyrdated enough then. Missed water at a stop on the last leg back in due to volunteers being occupied with other things and I was pushing too hard to stop and fill a cup myself at that point. That was a mental blow and made miles 10 and 11 that much harder. Was really getting hot and suffering at this point because I was probably doing sub-9 minute miles trying to make my (new) goal of a 5:30 race. My right quad was on the verge of cramping the last leg of the run. Got a squirt from the boy in the neighborhood which helped a bit. I missed the 11 mile marker so I was starting to panic with the thought that I had slowed down. Once I saw the 12 mile marker I knew I could make it under 5:30 and after the last aid station I started feeling great.

Drink more and use the towels more. Do more to stay cool on the last half of the run, if that's possible. Maybe grab two cups of water, drink one and dump one on me.

Walk around and drink a lot. Quads felt like they were about to fail & I was unable to stoop down to remove my chip or pick up water.


Need more run training. I held back on the swim and the bike in order to save for the run, which was the right thing to do at this point. Run training was hampered by PF this winter, so this was still the best possible outcome considering the circumstances.


I was aiming for a sub 6 hour completion of my first half. Made a change in goals when I started the run and realized I had a chance at breaking 5:30. As a result I pushed the run much harder than I would have otherwise and I'm still sore almost 72 hours later, but the satisfaction is well worth it.