I had very minimal training for the swim (1 OWS practice last weekend) before the race due to injuring my right foot so I was not expecting much. Aimed to stay BOP and away from other swimmers to avoid getting my foot hit because it wasn't completely healed yet. I finished in my predicted time and felt super wobbly getting out of the water. Volunteers helped me up and one of them followed me to transition. I musta looked really bad, hehehe!

Nothing.

The tape on my foot got worn out so I had to retape it. It was difficult to do because I was really wet so it took me some time to get it dry enough to tape. Also getting out of the wetsuit proved difficult since I did not want to fall and hurt myself. The volunteer stayed with me and helped keep me steady while I was unsuiting. :) Thanks man!

It was a long walk from the swim exit to transition so that also added quite a bit of time. Yuck, super slow but what can I say. I wanted to make sure I had my mind refocused and ready to bike after virtually not training for this bike course so I knew I was gonna be in the hurt locker in the later miles of the upcoming bike ride.

Skip taping? Nah!

Kept my effort as easy as possible to maintain a pace that I can finish the bike split in. I started switching to take out some of the first long steep hill since the field was thinned out at that time. A couple other bikers were doing the same. Many walkers. The rollers were fine and stayed in aero for most of them. I pounded the downhills but made sure I followed the 25mph speed limit zone so I wouldn't get DQ'd. My legs were feeling weak at mile 40 before the last long hill. More walkers there and I switched again about halfway up. As I looked back, no one was using this strategy but grinding their way up. That or they got off their bikes.

After the last aid station (I pee'd at the last one and this one) I was happy I made it this far with the minimal training I had. My butt was hurting bad. My left leg was also experiencing some ITBS pain. Quads almost seized up as well. Also right foot was hurting the last 10 miles. Ugh.....

Nothing, I'm happy I made it through the bike segment. :)

Tape was frayed and coming off so I took some time to replace that. Foot was hurting bad and had to take a few moments to refocus my mind and make that pain go away so I can run. Forgot NewSkin for my known chafe areas but thought ahh well, I'm gonna pace the half marathon at 0:30/0:30 run/walk pace to help ensure I finish it without too much blister pain.

Not much, doing this faster?

I tested a 0:60/0:30 run/walk ratio pace but that didn't go so well so I changed to 0:30/0:30 and held that for most of the race. I aimed to make the 3:00pm turnaround cutoff and successfully made that. Encouraged alot of the walkers to try my pace to make the cutoff as well.

I saw Bernard, Darlene, and Parker as I got close to the turn around and I made it by 2-3 minutes! Yay! After that I felt I can make it. On the way back past the bridge Darlene gave me a cold Coke can and I guzzled that down, hehehe! I shared some of it with another runner nearby. :) I maintained my 0:30/0:30 pace the rest of the way as often as possible. Chafing issues in my left foot starting bubbling up but fought through it. The run/walk ratio helped alot. Thanks for distracting me a bit on the run course Elisa. :)

It's too bad the aid stations ran out of cola. :( I ate some pretzels, Clif bars, bananas, and oranges where I felt the need to. Gel'd and Salt Sticked where needed as well. After the turnaround, my legs were toast but I wanted to make it. I didn't know there was a timing chip cutoff as well (8:30 after last wave start) and it looks like I missed it by almost 6 minutes and received DNF result. But.... SO WHAT! I made it and got my medal!!! YEAH!!!

Read the athlete's guide thoroughly. =P

Walked around and ordered food from fish taco joint nearby. There was no more post race food. :(


Severely injured foot 6 weeks before the race.


Maybe I should sign up again and kill it next year!