Mountain Man Triathlon - Half Iron Distance - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Swim went very well. As usual I stayed a bit to the side so I wouldn't get kicked. Right after we rounded the first buoys I found someone to draft off who was swimming a very steady pace, in a straight line, and navigated well. He was a bit slower than I would have gone by myself but I figured I needed to save as much energy as possible. A couple of minutes faster on the swim would not make a difference overall for me. That worked well. I felt good coming out of the water.

Nothing. I wish the swim were longer and the run shorter...

Not exactly hurried but steady. Didn't waste any time.

Nothing, went as planned.

The bike also went as planned. I kept it very comfortable on the first loop, made sure I emptied my first bottle of Infinit. Then on the second loop I ate a Clif Bar and had a bottle of plain water from the aid station to sooth my stomach that was starting to cramp. That worked for now. I didn't get passed by too many women on the ride. Felt good as I came into T2. Ah, and I learned to pee on the bike. :) The bike computer never worked because something must have shifted the sensor while we were on the swim. It didn't record.

Nothing, also went as planned.

Went as planned. Nothing speedy but steady. Walked out of the area to get my HR down, relax my back a bit, and tried to feel my toes again.

Nothing.

I had planned to walk for a few minutes out of T2 to avoid the stitches I usually get at that point. I also didn't have much sensation in my toes. (I do need better bike shoes...) So walking was nothing unplanned at this point. But I didn't expect the stomach cramps that started immediately. And they didn't get better with walking but worse by the minute. Every breath hurt in my ribcage. I know the pain all too well, have dealt with it my whole life, was diagnosed with an ulcer 15 years ago. I walked all the way up the hill and past the turnaround, thinking about not making it, getting more frustrated by the minute.

Then I started crying and all of a sudden the cramps went away. That must have released the tension. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, now running, I had to pee. Went into the portapottie--and threw up. Yikes. It's rarely ever that bad. But anyway, felt better after that and shuffled along. Run/walk was the plan and I stuck to it, except that I walked more than I had anticipated. After the turnaround the balls of my feet started to hurt. Oh, and it was pretty dang hot too, 91 degrees.

I don't know. The stomach is my limiter. Well, maybe some more training would have been good too. I only got about 1/2 the volume in this spring than I should have had.

Not much. The finish/transition area was already pretty empty. Chatted with a friend who had come to cheer and take some pictures and packed my stuff. Thunderclouds were gathering all around.


Lack of training volume, stomach problem, bike shoes.


The Mountain Man course is beautiful, except for the traffic on Lake Mary Rd. I'm used to running in the quiet woods. The trucks and RVs drove me nuts.