Swim started out OK, but the chop got pretty heavy as the winds came up. I felt like I was having a good swim, but couldn't get a sense of time. Knew I could push harder, but with the pre-race blood sugar issues, I wanted to save my energy for the bike and run. Overall, it was an OK swim, very slow for me, but I didn't blow my myself up in the first 400m like I'm prone to, particularly in fresh water.

Push a little harder.

Had a great transition. The concrete in T1 was hard on the bare feet, but I'm very pleased with the T1, compared to IM Cali.

Nothing

The rain sucked. Did I mention that already?? I probably would have been able to cut 4-8 mins off my bike time if it weren't for the rain. It was a mood killer, but I think I dealt with it OK, all things considered.

Go harder. Not let the rain and other things I can't control get me frustrated.

Smoking T2 for me. I didn't waste time on anything. I was ready to get the 13.1 run done and it showed.

Nothing.

I'm a little disappointed in my run. It started off well, but I found it hard to hold the 7:30/mile or less run pace that I'd trained to. The rain messed with my head here as well. At least I didn't have GI issues, which was a nice change. Fought off a nice side stitch the first two miles. My pace started slipping towards the end of the first loop - I'd hammer a little harder, then lose focus and see it start slipping off again. Overall, given the conditions, I can't complain. And no bloody feet like IM California this time - gobs of body glide in the shoes, and soaking wet makes for happy feet, lol. The whole race was a learning experience in mental toughness.

Push much harder on the run.

Pizza. Cookies. Gatorade. Dry clothes.


The rain. Did I mention the rain??? It rained nonstop from the time I started the bike, until I crossed the line. Soaking wet HIM racing sucks, other than the cooling benefits.


I was shooting for a sub 5 finish in this race after pulling a 5:10:01 at IM Cali in April, but it just wasn't in the cards. It was within reach but I just couldn't get the job done on this day/under these conditions. I will definitely be doing this race again, hopefully in dry conditions. I know I could pull a PR/sub 5 out of this one on a dry day. The city is great, the fan support was amazing and the volunteers are top notch. A fantastic 70.3 race - I'd highly recommend it to anyone. It was also great to meet up with the BTers for dinner the day before.

One additional note is that I'm not so sure they have all the kinks worked out of the Garmin 310XT. Mine was on the entire race, then after I crossed the line I turned it off. That's the last time it ever worked. It won't power up now - the Garmin splash screen flashes and it shuts off instantly. When connected to the charger it just constantly restarts. Not quite as H2O proof as they had hoped, I suspect.