There was no real chop or current even though we had steady winds of 20-25mph. Water felt warm given the outside temp. Plenty of buoys/markers for reasonably easy sighting, something I usually struggle with.

Push my pace a bit. I left too much on the table.

The wind was brutal. 20-25mph all day long, gusting, in-your-face, and crossing at times. My training on similar terrain led me to believe I would finish the bike in about 2:54 with medium effort but I was not even close. Thinking afterwards about the windy conditions, I wonder if having a tri-bike (with proper fit etc) would have made a difference.

Nutrition was good - I sipped from my bottle of Hammer Perpeteum for 2.5 hours and I had no energy problems at all. I should have been consuming Endurolytes as well but since it was very cool out, I skipped them and paid for it with a run-stopping cramp later on.

Stick to nutrition plan!

Thought about taking a few Endurolytes as planned. Didn't. That was dopey.

Stick to nutrition plan!

Started strong, feeling great. Saw my wife and kids at about 1/2 mile into the first lap, got some high fives and was having a great time. Then at 1.5mile mark I got a wicked cramp in my hamstring. Luckily I was at the first water stop so I took 2 Endurolytes and some water and I was back on the course after 4 minutes or so. Had to back off my pace for the rest of the first lap, worrying about the hamstring. Murder Hill section was tougher than I expected.

Incorporate more hill work into run training. More brick workouts.

I had a great time. Montauk is an excellent venue for a race, the event was well organized and the volunteers were great. I was hoping for better conditions for my first half but hey, at least it wasn't raining :-)