Spirit of Racine Half Ironman Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I am guessing at the actual time because HFP doesnt have anything for me anywhere- ugh.
I really had trouble getting going- I tried swimming normal- but damn that was cold- so I swam with my head above water. No thats not really a very good way tp swim. So I stood- yes we could stand. And I pretty much had top talk myself into it. SO away I went- and I actually felt really good swimming- I was going pretty straight and I was passing some people. The last bouy was there so fast. I looked at my watch when I styood up and it said 33 minutes :) Nice swim for me- especailly including my minute or two freak out. Im guessing the run to transition took maybe a minute?? I dont know but I passed a ton of people taking there sweet little time- People- its a race- MOVE!! I had a bike to ride....

Not freak out- not be a wuss. Other then that swim was good

No idea on time- again. My fingers wouldnt woek thouh. I couldnt pull my wetsuit off- I couldnt get my garmin on- so said screw it and left it in T1. I was really close to the bike exit- which was great so off I went.

not have frozen fingers?

Well heres where the bad stuff begins.
I crank up the hill out of T1, turn the corner and I kind of slide. I was like- wht the heck is my bike that wet? Then it just didnt feel right and it didnt sound right- so I am kind of looking down at my brakes and cassetee and wheels. It then dawns on me that I probaly have a flat. I am not even a half mile into the race. WTF? So I pull off the road and sure thing- back wheel is flat. SO I get the wheel off. But Icant get the freakin tire off- my fingers are cold and I am shaking from the cold. I start to get mad as everyone else is flying by me. I struggle but finally get it off. (now- this is my 2cnd tire chainging experience- so Im kind of clueless) I get the spare tube on - the tire back on adn figure out the CO2 thing. Then aguy is walking by and I ask if he knows how to work it and he helps me - Iknow- no outside help- but it ddidnt seem like air was going on and Ididnt know wheat else to do. Then a guy riding by throws us another CO2- which we also use- thanks dude! And off I go. I start really pushing- I spent about 18 minutes screwing around already. and figureif I push - I can ay least do as well as I did last year. So I start passing all the peoplee that passed me. there really wasnt that many people out there- I was already in one of the last waves to begin with. I get out of aero going around a corner and my aerobar pad flys off my bike. I was like- oh well- no time to stop now. OK- maybe I should have- not really comfortable with no pads. Another HTFU to me. Then I hit one of the 2 million bumps in the road and my yellow aerobottle thing goes flying and water is splashing everywhere. Nice...doin well here. Then I get to a small hill and WTF- another flat. Well I have bo more spares with me. No way in hell Im gonna cathc up with everyone even if I do get bike support to come change it- so I walk back to the intersection to call for sag to come get me :( I had a minor breakdown on my walk back, I was really set to have a great bike split.
The sag guy was very cool and so were the cops onthe intersection- which lifted my spirits (spirits at spirit:)). I actually got to see the lead guys coming through- dman they were fast. Then we got to follow them in- very cool- they were doing like 25mph.
I get to trasnsion and had them my chip :( Luckily I saw Maggyruth, Joe Runner, and RTP- so that was good. they kept me smiling while we watched people coming in.- thanks guys. I waited for my friend Bob to come in- I decided I was at least going to do the run. I paid for the dumkb race, swam in the ice water and even did a slight taper for this dumb race. (dumb- being the key work here). Was funny cuz he gets off the bike and Im standing there smiling and saying "what the heck took you so long??" hee hee... he waslike " how, what, ugh why...why are you here??" (there is no way Id ever get ahead of him in the swim or bike and he strted before me) hee hee. So off we went

not flat, know how to change a flat, have another spare

So we strt out running at 7:04 pace.... Im thinking holy shit- I didnt even do the bike and Im not going tobe able to keep up. He says it feels good. Ok- HTFU again. By mile 3 or 4 the pace slows way down and hes not feeling so good anymore. SO I try to keep the pace at about 8:30s. On the way in from the second loop I get question about no bib # and no chip. I explain - for the second time- that I had to flats and turned my chip in- that they said I could still run. Ok.... so we keep running, They come back again and say Im pacing him andf hed get DQd if we were associating. WTF- for one he runs fater them me, and why the heck cant we talk. jerks. I really didnt want o gethim DQd cuzx he was going to qualify for Vegas. So I kind of ran ahead of him. then at the turn around I had to runa nd tell his wife to check themout of the hotel... felt really good to pick up the pace again. I caught back up with him before the hill though. He told me to just go. So I went and waved and supported all you donkeys out there. I felt like kind of a poser because I actually felt really good and I think everyone else felt like crap :) Oh well.
So I get to the end and Josh is there yelling at me and I just get off the course and stop- hes like- what the hecka re youdoing- go finish! I wasl ike-no- Im done :) No one had any clue I didnt do the bike and had no chip.
So- yes mutri wins the smackdown THIS time.......

have a chip :)

Not thrilled with HFP this time.
Mykids were busy in the volunteer tent all morning which was good for them- but I think they could have used more ummm... mature volunteers down there :)
And can I at leat get a DNF in the reults- yeesh