remained calm but tense most of the swim. Day before I ran into 'head' first into a outgoing swimmer as I was coming in... during the race.. I was punched pretty hard in the eye, arm, left stomach... but overall.. i felt the slippery sliding suit as literally I saw through waves of people... very odd feeling... rounded one corner (i hit all bouys right on after the first 3 which since I started closer to the shore i made a bee line to the 3rd bouy hoping to avoid the initial carnage..) .. of course I still ended up into the washing machine on the bouys..especially the red ones.. several points where I felt like I was making good solitude progress and not hitting or running into anyone. When I saw a 'arm' coming out of the water with the 'IM ABOUT TO PUNCH YOU' i veered off to the left in hopes of avoiding. also kicked it in hard on the corners and swam wiht my head entirely out of the water on the corners... so as to avoid being totally blinded... one person said 'here goes the waching machine' which seems to stick in my mind now...

nothing... im pretty good in the water... but obvioulsy more upper body stregth training would help on the pull... winter base weights would help more most likely

a maze of rooms.. I took my sweet time on this.. kindah felt a bit of a wack with all the logistically differences in this race compared to the other races I have done.. all the bags and rooms and help was complex to me.. but like herding cats... triathletes are harder.. so it makes sense i suppose... changed into bike shorts in place of my jammers for the swim..

well.. here is where I screwed up... logistics are suppose to be my strong skillset outside triathlons.. so its no wonder I f$%(* up on this.. I managed to crank moving at 6:40 with avg 16.8 moving time.. but I was reduced to 7:03 due to a flat tire and not having a pump/co2 compatibility. I didn't actually know that the co2 had threaded vs. non treaded and that the pumps were designed for only one or the other. So at mile 33.. i rounded a corner .going pretty fast and the back tired seemed to 'rib' and rub and slipped out from behind me sliding about 1-2 feet.. scared the bejesus out of me as I thought I was going down... but I managed to straighten out and then realized I had a flat.. so I stopped.. and started changing my tire.. suffice to say. I SUCK at changing tires.. so helper on a bike stopped and got my spare tube back into my tire.. then I proceed to attach my pump with a co2 in it and it wouldn't inflate... DOH!!.. i opened the pump and saw the co2 (non threaded) was already punctured.. IT WASN"T punctured when I left .. but somehow it must have been... so then I thought.. well I can just use one of my other 2 co2's.. which were screwed into my v-stem on the back of my hydro tail... but then as I kept trying to screw on the pump.. they would'nt go on.. OMG!!!! I just stood there and looked at the guy who stopped on the bike and said.. this is really F$%($... I told him to go.. and if he could get a co2 non-thread or a pump back to me .. that would be great... so I keep playing with the incompatible co2 and pump and the clock keeps ticking.. i dreaded the worse fears and considered all the time and training and this logistic issue was going to stop me..!!! OMG!! so then a cycler about 100 yards in front of me stops.. and I thank the gods.. I ran up to her and ask politly if I can use her pump.. which so says.. Im not suppose to .. but here you go .. make it quick.. I snatch it and use my thread co2 and my tire is back!! YAAAAAHHH... I looked up into the sky and was soo happy luck overcame my stupidity... if only the lottery would do that now.. ROFL.. so I got back and had the extra 23 minutes to pour on the hammer and kicked ass the rest of the way..

On the old Sauk pass.. i climbed hard and passed tons of people.. I kept in AERO the WHOLE way other then when I saw my girlfriend and my mom and sat up and stopped to say hi... When I passed through the old Sauk Pass the first loop... the croud was astonishing... as I climbed that steep short hill after the long one.. there were 100s of people on both sides of the road and the road itself had only limited room for biking.. but all the cheering and screaming was so enthralling.. I felt for a few moments like I was in the Tour De France.. its was soooo cool.. it was another one of those 'moments' that I will never forget like the pre-entry into the swim... I just got a burst of adranaline and hammered up those hills... 2nd loops wasn't as intense but that lingering feeling kept for the 40 miles it took to lap back and hit those hills again.. Man that was soo much fun.. i would just love to get that 'feeling' again... like a the first hit of heroine (so Im told)... im sure its a once and done kindah of eurphoria.. but maybe .. just maybe I can get it back... ROFL..

after that.. that flat and the co2 issue seemed to just melt away from memory.. and the attitude is all you can control quote just kept me in spirits the entire way... im amazed at how well I managed my attitude.

finishing was the goal here... I had not qualms about the 23 minutes.. but its a bit disconcerting.. but I went 'into' the race with the intention of finishing between 13-15 hours.. so my loss of a few minutes wasn't as critical to me as it might have been for those aiming for a specific time. If I do another 140.6 ..and I am thinking about it.. I will have time as a goal. instead of just 'finishing'.

I stopped at the special needs and collected my two 24 fl oz. bottles.. turns out only needed one .. as the weather was unbelievably perfect for this day of RACING... so my hydration was perfect... i drank/sipped every 10-15 minutes... ate gu/hammer/clif gels every 1/2 hour and watered every 20 spraying a bit on my legs and drinking a bit down the hatch... so with the heat and humidity being so perfect.. I managed to keep my weight and hydration in check.. no doubt if it had been hotter.. the true test of hydration would have been trickier for me... oh.. i also ate 3 peanut yogurt bars at special needs.. NEVER used the porta-poddy.. felt a few times like I did.. but I swallowed it and waited until T2 to drain the lizard bags... ROFL..

logistics run down.. practice changing a F$(%$ tire.. OMG...

was totally disoriented.. tried walking my bike to who knows where.. the lady finallly told me she got it... then I walked into the terrace and took a left... they lady took me back in .. as she had just let one person go through .. not sure why.. maybe bathroom.. so I came back and made my way to the change room.. took my sweet time again.. felt pretty strong... changeed into tri-shorts and new top.. felt really good.. took the bio break just before haeding out on the run..

felt so awsome as I started out.. with the intention of running non-stop for the first 13 miles... had to pace after mile 2 as I seemed to get off a bit too fast (sub 9 on mile 1) and sub 10 on mile 2).. wasn't hard though.. as the body started registering with significant pain in my lower back left and right and my shoulders (as I have mentioned several times from a pinch under my scalpula)... so i ended up with a 2:20 on the first 1/2 .. I saw BRIAN (mndiver) .. we looked at me and showed me his thumbs up.. I didn't say his name.. as I was equally dispondent at the moment.. I also ran into michael (oipolloi) shortly after the turnaround just before states street and walked with him for a few 100 yards.. he was very down and explained he wasn't too sure about finishing.. not sure what I said now.. but he seemed to have a conviction about himself that he was going to do his best and keep going.. I continued on.. but after mile 14-15.. I seemed to lose my goal.. of keep moving.. so I made the mental deal that I would run on flat/down and walk any hill... I walked the hill on 1st loop when i hit observatory.. so the walk/run game began.. made it to the mile 17ish and started walking flat as well.. off an on.. found that my walk pace (12-13) isn't all that swift.. but that my waddle/jog wasn't all that fast either(13-14 minutes).. i ran into a few people who gave me some inspiration to walk 'faster'.. and even kick it up to a light gander.. the biggest inspiration was when I saw this little old crunch over 74 old man.. fly by me and then start walking about 100 yards in front of me... I saw his calf and remarked to the person beside me about how I suddenly felt invigorated and motivated again... this little 74 devil was kicking my ars.. at 38.. holy crap those guys are amazing.. so he kept me going the next 5 miles.. until as expected his run/walk pace kicked my ars and I let him go on to finish 5 minutes earlier then me... those last 2-3 miles I was contemplating the rationale to 'go faster' and the benefit of a 'few minutes' in terms of the grand scheme of things.. I knew it was close to 5:30.. and that was my watermark and felt just fine to lose a few minutes and spare my upper body .. the legs just felt like 200 lbs weights were attached to them anyhow.. so lifting and swinging at anything more then a lift swing one in front of the other was all I could muster....

1 mile or so before the finish it started to rain... a light rain.. felt soo nice.. then 1stTimeTri trots along and gives me a pep talk.. kept talking to me and troting along with me.. cheering me on... i managed to start running again then.. and finished the last few hundred yards kicking in all I could muster.. the crowd, the speaker , the finish line.. I was there... I saw the banner across the finish line and was totally in that 'moment' again.. overwhelming rejoice came to me and I think I smiled a smile so wide you could get a truck in it.. so happy...

my intake consistented of gels for the first 18 miles at about 30-45 minutes intervals.. I took in a little gatorade (my choosen training liquid) and water... ate grapes and one banana... after mile 18 I couldn't ingest the gel anymore.. just tasted to thick and terrible.. mouth started getting very sore and pasty... stopped the gator and only took in water last few miles... I had ice off and on until the sun set.. stopped the sponge and ice after the sun set.. as I kindah started getting cold with goose bumps on my arms... clearly telling me to lay off the cool down regimine...

i need to practice more speed training and some more consistent 5-10 romps on the in winter base and move my pace from 9:30 - 10 minute avg to 8 1/2 to 9 minute as my benchmark pace... this will undoubtable assist me in building a solid 4:30 or lower on the run.. the marathon should be telling and set the inital starting point for where I should take my pace into next season.. Im hopeful I can improve that .. in spite of the fact that

amyjo caught me.. (took over for initial person).. i was totally disoriented as she asked me questions.. i was just happy to be in the finisher area... got my plastic jacket, medal, t-shirt.. and amy walked me over to sheryl and then we made over to the pizza.. ohhh pizza... i started craving it after I smelled it from some college section of the race at around mile 18.. omg.. it was sooo good.. i had 4 pieces and then ate a couple of cousins subs... pretty good stuff...


i didn't push the limits in this race.. i managed to play enough mental games though to keep the pain at a tolerance level for an extened amount of time.. nothing crashed.. nothing was too intense (no stiches, no puking, no bathroom issues).. the heart seemed to be in z1-2 most of hte bike and run.. so i did good.. but I believe to do great.. i would need ot bring the z3-z4 into play and tolerate a much higher degree of pain management... perhaps next time as my goals will be different...


Clearly the pinacle/apex of the last 3 years of my life.. It doesn't get any better then IRONMAN! This was the greatest venue I have ever attended and absolutely organized... This site and the people in these races are some of the nicest and most empathic people I know.. its truly amazing...and part of what keeps me coming for more of the high I get from this sport. Thanks to my family and friends for coming out and supporting me the whole time.. you all rock!!... I just totally enjoyed the whole expereience from end to end I am not sure I will sign up for another IM next year.. but 2010 looks likely to me though.. as I will be 40 and likely itching to do 'something' to consumate 4 decades on the lonely planet. maybe a internation IM.. not sure though.. I will stick to 1/2 IM and lower for next year.. maybe concentrate on the run segment as my key weakness.. Thanks to all for the relationships and conversations.. its been a heck of a ride... I LOVED IT..