Port Macquarie Half Ironman 70.3 - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Tide affected swim. It was a run in tide so the swim to the top 2 bouys was pretty good. Took it easy to begin with to get into a rythm, then stretched out and swam my own race. I had placed myself well and didn't get knocked about at all so was pretty pleased.... till I rounded the top two bouys and headed back (against the tide). I had planned on pushing a little harder on the way back to make up for an easy start. I pushed harder but didn't seem to make up any ground on everyone around me. Got out and thought it was a pretty good swim should be around the 31 - 32min .... 36min What the ???? Oh well the race goes on.

All went well. Better than expected with the congestion, found clean water and I paced myself well. It was just the tide factor which blew the swim times out. I found out later that alot of people where about 5min over their predicted swim time.

ha ha ha ... I can laugh about it now. I clipped my shoes onto the wrong pedals and didn't realise til I was just about to jump on the bike .... arrrhhhh sh!t ... how could I do something soooo stupid. Stopped and clipped them out put the on and rode off :(
Oh and you nearly had to swim through T1 due to all the rain.
Other than that it was a quick transition, suit was off well, helmet on, no socks (big gamble but paid off)

clip my shoes onto the right pedal -- you doofus

Pouring rain. Head wind on the way out but tail wind on the way back. Pushed hard right from the start. Friday morning hill sessions had paid off. The hilly section was a breeze, passed heaps of people, them pushed through the head wind till the turn around, the tailwind didn't quiet feel as strong as the headwind but I was sitting on over 40km avg on the way back fairly comfortably (and passing people galore). Hit the hills again and passed heaps of people, got back to transition turn around and out for the second lap. On the way back in from the last turn aound I started to feel a little queezy and thought I may not have eaten enough so banged down a gu and volia, a coule on mins later started to feel better. Had kept the gatorade and water going in (even if it was raining and chilly - but not cold) but obviously needed to get a bit more food in and luckily I didn't blow before I realised this.

Chilly, fairly windy, pouring rain the whole way. What I would do differently ...hhhmmmm .... don't do a rain dance the night before :).
Seriously, I exceeded my expectations of what I was capable over that distance. Even with the weather the way it was it was almost a faultless ride.

Found my rack really easy, racked my bike, helmet off, pulled my shoes and socks out of the plastic bag they were in. Ahhhhh dry feet. Ran around to the start of the run exit and had to go through this muddy lake to get out onto the run course. So much for dry feet :(

all went well ... very well apart from the lake you had to run through to get out of transition - drain the course next time, I say

Felt absolutely crap when I got off the bike to run, but then I remembered the one piece of advice a multiple IM finisher had told me, " everyone feels crap for the first 3kms, everyone", so I go OK, my back hurts my shins are burning, there goes the 4km marker and I still feel sh!thouse. The back starts to easy off, shins are still sore, 6kms gone and I'm thinking, this is going to be a long 1/2 marry. Still pacing at 5mins k's the 8k marker is up ahead and I'm starting to stretch out and pace a bit better, 10kms and I'm feeling OK which is just as well because here come the hills. Pushed well through the hills, cruised down the other sides and before long I was 3kms from home and back on the flats. I lifted the tempo a bit and it was hurting bad, my calves were sore but surpringly my quads were good.

Drank well, gu's and jellybeans were good, water was OK. What I would do differently is get a different bike that allows me to run better off it .... mine just deadset sux. Oh yeh .... and don't splash gatorade in your eye ... it stings.

A big drink, some fruit, walked around, waited for a friend to come across the line then went back to our apartment for a hot shower to warm up. Did some stretched and walked back into town with Mrs and Baby Nuked to get some lunch before we went back to presentation. (Which had been moved from transition to a school hall around the block)


For my first HIM, I don't think I could have done more to go faster. I just needed to do one and now I have something to improve on :) - The swim is probably the area which needs the most improvement though.


What a race. Weather was bad but volunteers were awesome, the muscles were/are sore but the diehard spectators were inspirational,the course was challengeing but honest and fair.

I had an absolute ball, my first HIM (70.3) done and dusted, sub 5hrs, 30th in my AG, 101 overall, direct qualification for IMOZ on 1/4/07 (definitely no April fools about it) and I'm pretty sure there would have been a roll down spot for 70.3 Worlds in Florida but I didn't stick around (I will confrim this - but I couldn't have accepted it anyway edit - yep I got a spot for Florida).
Let the journey begin, I am just on cloud nine. All my expections of the whole experience have been exceeded big time and I can't wait to go and do this distance again .... then double it :)