The start was a little crowded and stressful, but I settled in fairly quickly. I decided at the last minute to ditch my normal race goggles which are tinted for my everyday clear goggles. Unfortunately, my everyday goggles were GRUNGY with a capital G. I could not see s?it. Fortunately, the only thing I need to see was the exit, and I had practiced that the day before.

Nothing, but it was a good reminder to always scope out the exit for sighting opportunities.

That's a good T1!

Nada.

Prior to the race, I had researched all my previous halfs. In the past, I have either gone too easy or too hard (and blown up on the run.) I was trying to find the right pace. My goal was 23MPH, but the wind had some impact. Overall, my strategy worked because I just the right amount left for the run (barely.)

Nutrition: 2 bottles of carbo pro w/ gator aid endurance 350 calories each. 2 gels that were 100 calories each.

Nothing really. In a race of this distance, there tends to be points where I loose focus and zone out. But this time, it went fairly well.

Nice T2.

It started well,but it became a battle. I started the first couple of miles at a 7:50 pace. Then, I ran most of the middle from 8:20 to 8:40. The last couple dropped to 9:00. This is what I wanted - the right bike/run combo. I had to dig deep for the last two miles, but I didn't blow up. Nor did I have anything left.

Keep working the positive mental state. This was an improvement, but I still have room to get tougher.

Heaving in front of the misting fan.


Wind if anything.


These guys did a great job considering the number of athletes and the course layout. There were tons of volunteers. It did seem like the aid stations on the run could be better placed.

Finally, a sub 5 hour half!