Pretty good swim
The second lap was NUTSO since me and the two other leading swimmers ran into the Green caps (the heat after us, the blue caps) and it was SUPER difficult to navigate through them.

I didn't really kick the whole race, and just depended on my pull as to save ANY over-exertion so I would be super fresh for the bike. Worked really well I'd say, as no one was able to draft off me as well, which was bitchin!

Came out of the water 2nd (right on the heels of first). The other two guys who beat my time were elites (they had no crowd, that's my excuse :))

I dont think I could have done any better! Went super well!

First Age grouper out of Transition, felt rawring to go for the bike!!!

Nadda! Went perfectly!

So here's where it all went bad. Well, at least at km 14.
Started out feeling pretty good, and just let my legs spin themselves out a little. I let a few guys pass me before I finally bent down into Aero position at about km 4 and started hittin it hard.

I started noticing the bumpiness from the rear tire at about km 8, so I made a goal that I would stop at the first aid station at km 14. At first I thought it might just be my rear brake pads rubbing again, as they tend to do sometimes.

I stop about 500m short of the aid station when I see Carolyn and my friend Vincent. Vincent had a really good pump with him coincidentally and no one seemed to care that he helped me, since race officials were asking if they could do anything for me. I check the tire, the tube is flat, I fix the flat quickly and head out on my way, looking over the tire for punctures or bits of glass etc.

I get to the first aid station exactly and sure enough, I get another flat. I thought I mistakenly overinflated it, but it turns out there was a 2 c.m. long metal shard in the tire which had dug in so deep it was not visible from the top, but could easily see if from the bottom. It had ripped a section in my tube about half the length of the tube. I managed to stay positive since I knew there was a technical support truck, but ended up waiting for 2.5 hours for one to show up.

While I was waiting, every volunteer at the aid station did whatever they could to help, including check cars for pumps/tire irons/tubes etc. They were so amazing, and I hope I told them that enough! Finally, I had been waiting too long, even if I hopped on my bike and held 40 km/h I couldnt make the bike cut off.

I was disappointed, but I knew I did nothing wrong, and that when things did go wrong, I did everything in my power to fix them.

I watched the rest of the race with Carolyn and Vincent, congratulated Jon when I saw him (AWESOME JOB BY THE WAY JON) and unfortunately missed Chris' finish (AWESOME JOB TOO CHRIS!!!).

All in all, I did have a fun rest of the day. I know that I could have done well and it saddens me that I couldn't finish, but I just know the next Half-Iron I decide to do...

Y'ALL BETTER WATCH OUT!

Nothing, I dealt with it in the best way i could have imagined.