Up at 4am for a shower, breakfast, toilet and got dressed. Watch a little TV. Kids were hyper, bouncing all over the place.
Left the hotel in the dark, and there were still people plying on t he slot machines in the casino! It was cool in hte am but the sky was clear
At the lake. The day started looking nice sunny and no wind. Water was flat. After a 25min drive to the race start I was getting very nervous. Kids were loving it.
Looked over bike, slow puncture in front tire as had gone down over night! And computer was stop starting. It was going to be one of those days!. Anyway there was nothing I could do so got wetsuit on. Then Oh No!!! I did not bring my fluid bottles out of the van. The wife had to run back to the van and get them and it was 15mins before the start!
Anyway got to the water and it felt warmish, I think it was around 67 they said anyway waded to near the front as the national anthem was sung, and then it was a 60sec countdown. The main problem with the swim would be my sighting all buoys were on the left and I am a right side breather.
Anyway we start and we are off. Only thing to think of is stroke stroke etc. Tried to get on someone’s feet but could not so swim my own race with no drafting. I don't like swimming but I find open water swimming very calming. I remember thinking to make the kids smile and talk I would tell them I could not see any sharks.
After about 2000m I started to get cramp in my calves but it settled ok. But would keep coming back over the next 1000m but stopped for the last part. Any way my navigation was good as I felt I stayed on course ok.
Anyway, it was a great feeling to start to see the lake bottom again as I got nearer the end. Then it was time to get out and I felt drunk! I could not walk in a straight line. Time of swim 1h 4min 30secs a PB by 2mins Very happy
_________________


better drafting

Into T1 and I was having problems getting my wetsuit off. But got it off in the end. Got a quick weather report from local in tent and wet for the tri top with no arm warmers. Dropped my jelly snakes on the floor but picked them up with was a nightmare as went very light headed. Had half a cereal bar as felt Hungary. Got to bike family as giving it their all walked to the Mont line and kissed the kissed the kids and wife and a couple of hi 5 later was off. Shared a couple of jokes with some other athletes and was off.
t1 4mins 44

On to the bike and lie the rest of the course it is a hill start. The granny gear is going to take a hit today. Anyway, off we go and the bike computer craps out after about 0.5km. It’s going to be one of them days. Take a look at my watch and it is saying 1h 10mins!! I am very happy as this must mean I have had a good swim for me. Anyway after about 1km I stop to try and fix computer. It starts working thank god. But it craps out every so offern during the ride. Well the course would live up to the profile up and down all day with some long drags. But there was great scenery on the ride to keep you from getting board. Day was starting to get a little warm so nutrition plan was to drink water at every aid station with hammer perpetum thrown in. Also took a gel every 20miles on the bike. This went well and never seamed to get hungry or in need of a drink. Got to the turn around and things were going well. Stopped for a pee and took my special needs bottle and was off. One problem which I would have over the next 90km was a nosebleed, which would not stop! Passed a couple of people over the next 30mins but then it went very quite. I did not see anyone one for 90mins. Didn't even see any pukekos!(my son always asks how many i see on my training rides here in nz) A Pukeko is a swap hen with red beack and blue body. It got very lonely. But the hills kept me from getting board. Anyway just before the 3 sisters caught up a guy who I had passed 60miles ago. Had a quick laugh together. Then we took on the sisters. They are very hard my 23 was almost not enough after 94miles of hills but made it up them. But that was not the last of the hills as there was still another 8miles to go!!! But it did end. And going into t2 was great. The family was all there giving it there all. I was a sight, covered in sweat blood and almost in tears.
Bike time of 6hr 29mins


nothing all ok

Felt like I could quite easily stop. I was going to have trouble running on my right quad that I had pulled on the bike. But thankfully my nose had stopped bleeding about 10mins out of t2. Anyway got rid of bike shoes and socks swapped for a new par of socks, and emptied my pockets. Had a quick chat with one of the volunteers. He was very impressed with my kids and wife giving there all on the out side. Walked out of tent for a quick pee. Then set my watch to 10mins intervals for the run. Had a quick chat with the wife and kids. Kids loved it seeing dad suffer! A kiss for all and a couple of hi-5s and it was on. And guess what........it was up hill out of t2. It was going to be a hard run, and there was no way I would finish before dark, as it was dark around 1630.
T2 time was 4mins 40


need to speed up, but had a toilet stop included

It was a two-lap course, with hills and more hills. But it did have some flat. About 2kms per lap!
Anyway nutrition plan was to take water at one aid station then coke at the next. Throw in a couple of pretzels at water stops and things would go ok. Also took in a couple of gels and endurolight caps at 20min intervals. Not one issue with cramp at all, which was nice.
The run went well doing the 9min run 1min walk. Except there were some hard hills to run up. Anyway it went well. There was some great support on the course. Then running through the casino complex was great there was no way I was going to walk that part even through I was to. Hitting the second lap was good. Except the family was not there to see me (they were off getting the kids some food and getting some socks for a friend from a local shop. Oh well boxed on. Only problem was a needed a pee. So plan was to stop and take one except every time I came to an aid station the toilets were busy. I was not going to hang around so carried on for 4mils before I got one. By this stage I had decided to do some more walking as the hill were taking there toll. At this stage the light was also going into dusk. The next thing I noticed is that it is completely dark! Also the temperature was going down quite quick. Oh well soon be over. Just kept ticking off the miles. The only real problem I had on the run was I took a wrong turn in the dark so ran 400m extra to get back on course.
Then with 2miles to go I felt great. Running through the casino was great. Felt very light on my toes. Then it was down to 1mile to home and the thought of meeting the family was great. It brought tears to my eyes! Then the finishing carpet. Could not see the family but herded them. They were just on the finish line. So stopped for a quick hug with the kids before crossing the line!!!
Run 3hrs 55mins
great race very tough

nothing

Finishing was great. Kids and wife were giving me big hugs. We got a great photo of the kids and me at the finish line, which I will put up on the blog. It felt great to finish, loved being back with the family. And in typical post race headed to food tent with kids in tow. It was not what I wanted to eat it was what they wanted! So they got a plate full.
Next was a trip to the shop to get a finishers hat, picked out by my daughter. She has good taste.
Then all I could think of was to get back to the hotel and relax, with large cafe mocha from starbucks. First we took a trip to the supermarket for some food, and then it was chill in the hotel. Kids got a little tired around 2200 so it was off to bed and, I took a shower and just sat in bed watching TV, as I could not sleep. Got about 2hrs sleep and gave up at 430am and had another shower, went and got some breakfast and sent some emails to my family back in UK.
Then when everyone else was up we packed up our van for the trip to Disneyland. I wanted to get going but made me go and get my official rest. Low and behold I was 15th overall and I had won my age group!! I was well happy. And for it I got a return airfare with in the US and a plaque to go on my TV.
The best thing over all was that with in 24hrs of finishing the race I was in Disneyland with the kids, which made me the happiest man on the planet!
A big thankyou to everyone over the last few months.
And an even bigger thank you to Susan Nathan and Hannah. You are the best and without you things would not be possible. (I know these words are not strong enough but no words would be)



hills


great race can not wait to do it again. well may be not but will be telling over people about it a great race and great set up