I was a little nervous about this swim because my age group was going off first right after the pros. The 35-39 males were going off behind us followed but the rest of the groups. Not being white lightning in the water, I was really worried about getting mobbed by the fast 35-39 males. But nothing I could do about unless I wanted to slip on a Jazz(whatever color that is) colored hat and start with the ladies. I don't say that meaning I could swim faster than them. Just that they were starting almost dead last and would not have alot of folks swimming over them.

This was my best swim in my short triathlon career. In my two previous races I got really panicked in the mass of people at the start. This time I just stayed at the back of the pack as the gun went off. I ain't setting any course records so no reason to be trading elbows with the big boys. I also really concentrated on just putting my head down and swimming. In the past I was constantly raising my head to try and steer through the crowd. Not this time and it went great. I know this may not be a great time for alot of people but I was really happy with it. I think I was about 55th in my age group.

Nothing

Right at the end of the swim I had caught a couple of the hand-cycle competitors. They had gone off with the pros. Coming out of the water I was right behind one of them and a couple of the volunteers were helping him to his hand cycle. Unfortunately I could not get around them politely so I just kind of half walked half jogged to my bike. I was so impressed with those guys I was not about to say a word. Those guys are truly an inspiration. I got to my bike and just took my time. I did not want to forget anything on this ride.

Nothing.

Man I hate that giant hill right out of T1. But I got throught those first two hills and felt pretty good over the next 30 miles. There is one climb called Spiral Staircase Rd. As you can imagine is winding hill. As I am going up, obviously there are people coming down. At high speeds. Well I am about half way up, just concentrating on getting up the hill and feeling pretty good about myself. Some riders zip by going down hill and as one passed I hear what sounded like his tires sliding on the asphalt. This was followed by a very painful sounding grunt/scream combination. I didn't want to look back because I was afraid I would either veer into the other riders coming down the hill or lose so much momentum that I would just fall over. So I just kept going and those of us going up the hill tried to warn those nearing the hill that a rider was down. From there it was just a couple of miles until you turned around and would then go back down Spiral Staircase Rd. I fully expected to see an ambulance when I rounded the corner. But instead there was a guy on the side of the road with a little bit of road rash on his arm and shoulder changing a flat. He would pass me at about mile 50. That's the kind of cyclist I am. I figured the injured should feel good about themselves too!

So I am going along feeling pretty good about myself. I have been drinking, had 3 gel packs during the ride, plenty of fluids(sports drink & water) and judging from my time at this point I am thinking I have an above average shot and hitting my goal of 6:30. Well, at BSLT, just before you enter T-2 there is one last little climb you have to do. It's really unfair. As if the previous 7 hills were not enough. But remember, I am feeling pretty good about myself. I am just about to the top of that last hill when I feel it. A little twinge in my quad. I was like, "what was that?" I have never felt that before. But I was almost at the top so I just fought through it and got over the hill and coasted down the back into T-2. Remember this.

This was a great time for me overall. I am not much of a cyclist and my avg speed was over half a mile per hour fast than a month earlier at Buffman.

One somewhat scary note. Apparently a competitor was hit by a drunk driver out on the bike course. The driver was apparently arrested on the spot and the competitor was bumped and bruised but otherwise ok. Apparently their bike did not fair as well. I did not see any of this so apparently it happened behind me.

I'm not sure. As you will see from the run, I have some tweaking to do.

Took more time in T-2 than I normally would because of what I had felt at the top of that last hill. Wanted to just take it easy. Drank some more gatorade and water then I was off.

I started off on the run feeling pretty good. My legs felt ok. I felt hydrated. I did the first 3 miles at roughly a 10 min pace. Then just after mile 3 it happened. That twinge in my quad came back. And before I knew it my quad was in full spasm. I tried to shake it off and but just as I was leaving the park it started in the other quad. So I tried to walk and just let them relax. The spasms stopped so I started to run again but they came right back. So I did the walk run thing for a couple of more miles. About mile 5.5 it was feeling better so I was able to run for a pretty good little stretch and then the calf cramps started. So I did the entire 2nd half of the run, walking more than I ran. I tried to walk the aid stations, then run to the next one but I could not even make it that far with out these debilitating cramps hitting. I mean my legs would not function at all when the cramps would hit. I really got mad at one point because while all this is happening, I am watching my 6:30 goal disappear. I finally realized at the turn around that even if I was cramp free the rest of the way my goal was officially out of reach. But I was still determined to finish and at this point my new goal became sub 7. Wow that sounds so bad when I type it. Anyway, there were so many nice people who came by(and believe me, MANY MANY people came by) and offered their support. Everything from a kind or inspirational word to gel packs to salt tablets. Oddly enough the kind and inspiring words seemed to work better than anything else. Anyway, I pushed on and eventually came across the finish line with a very disappointing 6:58:42.

My wife met me at the finish line in tears and gave me a big hug. I had given her my estimated times so she would know when to watch for me. Well, when I told her my estimated run times, I told her my stretch goal was 2 hours, my attainable goal was 2:15, and 2hrs 30mins or more something went wrong. Well, the poor thing is 5 months pregnant and had been sitting around in the heat for the past 6 hours. So just before the 2 hour mark she went over to the finish line to start watching for me. It got to be the 2:30 minute mark and she started to worry because she thought anything over 2:30 then I was dead or something. So she sat there watching minutes and other competitors pass thinking the worst has happened. She was thinking I had been hit by a car or had a heat stroke or whatever else bad could happen to you. I assured her I was completely unharmed, just disappointed.

Duh. Not cramp. Really though I am not sure. I have some research and tweaking to do with my nutrition/hydration. I felt like I really was well fueled on this race. One of the many competitors that offered assistance/advice told me about something from Hammer called Enduralite that he says did wonders for him so far as combating cramps. I am just lost when it comes to this. In all of my 34 years I have never cramped during any kind of sport until this race. But then again, I have never done a half ironman before.

My wife insisted I get an IV so I obliged and just laid there and tried to take it all in.


Cramps


I was originally very disappointed with the outcome of this race. But, as I sat in the medical tent with a needle in my arm, I kind of took it all in. Then everything kind of hit me. Just over 18 months ago, I was a drunk. Today I am a Half Ironman Finisher. I also thought about the men and women I saw out there in their 60's, 70's, or even 80's. I thought about the guys in the hand-cycle division and seeing them out on the course. And I had the nerve to complain or be disappointed in a bad run. That is out of whack. I gave it everything I had. I didn't quit. Believe me, there were times I wanted to. This is a crazy sport. Not because of the things we do. But because of the sports ability to both humble us and build us up at the same time. That course definately humbled me on Sunday. But it also built me up. Can't wait for next year.