After getting up at 4:30, 3 hours later I was finally running my first HIM.

They pushed the race back first 15 minutes then another 15 I think. Got to see Papi off into the water, 4 waves in front of me. Lots of waiting around, in a crowd of people but feeling alone (the family will come out later in the day). Forgot to look around for BT'ers! Too bad.

So I got in the water - and broke my goggle strap with 1 minute to go. Yes, that's right. After all that went wrong though leading up to the race, I didn't panic, I laughed. In the last 10 seconds I got them fixed and with 2 seconds (literally) I donned the goggles and the cap in time to dive in at the very back of my wave.

Stayed calm, didn't push it too much. Drafted off a few guys who were going my speed. Did my own siting. Managed about 70/30 right/left side breathing, but old habit (right side) hard to break.

Got really crowded on last leg as several waves were mixing; I never really got kicked or hurt but I was not being aggressive at all.



Start at the front. Push a little harder. Don't break the goggles. Don't have a cold. Find and wear a wetsuit.

I socked and shoed up at the bike sitting down. I washed my feet (they were nasty, but I brought a bottle just to spray). I took time to drink some and eat as well, and take stock of the head cold (would I get feverish? hack up a lung?).

I could have rushed everything more but this was my first HIM.
I need to try riding/mounting with shoes in the pedals, maybe without socks.
I need an on-bike bag to carry food (and not eat during transition).

With all the things that went wrong leading up to this race (aero bars, derailleur hanger, borrowed bike) and with the head cold, I felt like I did fairly well.

My general goal was to negative split and hit 19.0 mph - go out easy by feel and push hard on the way back. Without a cyclocomputer I was familiar with (and no HRM) I was riding by feel, and I ended up hitting 19.4 with a strong second half. Lots of guys in my age group rode with nice equipment - aero helmets, solid wheels, aero frames. I could probably buy 10-20 minutes of time with my same level of fitness.

At 26 miles (the turnaround) we turned back out of a head wind and I found I felt really good. At 35 miles or so the left aero-bar went from "just loose" to "about to come off" so I stopped for 3-4 minutes and tightened it (glad I brought my mini-tool).

So on the return I pushed it a bit, esp. during the zig-zags where the headwind came back out to punish people. I passed a lot of people in the last 10 miles, even some of the tricked out bikes. I stood up in the saddle a dozen times or so in that last hour to sense how the legs were feeling; I never cramped nor burned really so I don't think I even "burned a match". I didn't cough much but did blow the nose a lot.

I ate the rest of a sandwich and 4 gu paks on the bike. I grabbed a gatorade at each stop and a water. I only had one empty cage, so I tried drinking/splashing the water and then saving the g'rade. I usually ended up with extra g'rade at the next station, maybe I needed to drink more steadily.

On Quadzilla (Papi and I had scouted it) I went right up both hills fairly easily, standing up to feel the legs, and came off the bike feeling good. In retrospect though, I barely made the top 3rd of all bikers, so I have some work to do.

Go out a little harder. Wear a HRM and push it. Check all bike components at least once - tighten screws, etc. Bring a cyclocomputer I know how to operate. Bring the aero bottle (fillable) and use it.

I was dismayed (surprised at least) at how my legs behaved off the bike. I took some time to hydrate, eat a gu, wipe down, clear nose & lungs.

I didn't rush too much, but only took a few seconds to spray own some bullfrog (which puddled up).

Apply sunscreen more evenly after wiping, or get a tri-suit with broader shoulder straps. Rush more.

I was really uncomfortable the first couple of miles - the cycling legs wouldn't loosen up. I had to walk 5-7 times, later I walked less. Then I managed to run miles 3-13, walking only the water stations. Miles 9-12 were tough, my knees and hips were aching, and I had some coughing that hurt my lower abs and just sapped energy.

It was windy and hot, I actually dried out between stations in the second half. I used sponges and towels alot (stay cool), and drank gatorade and then water until I felt really full. I ate 2 gu's (maybe 3?). Never felt cramps or got a headache.

Run more miles leading up to the race - prepare for a 13mile pounding (hopefully reducing the pain). Run harder - more pain probably would have been okay.

Nothing really, just walked around and ate and drank and then sat in the lake. The massage line was too long. I wasn't really hungry but I ate anyway (steadily) pretty much till I went to bed.


The head cold, the unknown, and the limited run training.


My first half-ironman!

See http://results.active.com/pages/oneResult.jsp?pID=43347167&rsID=707...


The swim was short but it didn't phase me (nor would another 200 yards). I'm happy with 19.4mph by feel (no HRM, strange bike, first HIM). I could have used some more running fitness, could have dropped 10-15 minutes off my time. Need to practice my transitions - knock off 2-4 minutes there too!

The dry Austin season made for ugly, dusty, brown conditions. The parking was screwed up but we got there early so missed everything.

Overall, I was very happy.