We started right in front since Tom had gotten there super early to save us a spot. It felt nice and smooth. My lower back started to ache at about the 2/3 mark due to my suit being too tight...funny since the lady told me it was way too big for me when I bought it.

Not wear my fastskin

Lisa was my "helper" in T1 and another lady was helping simultaneously. That kind of threw me since multiple things were going on at the same time so I couldn't really grasp everything mentally. I ran off without my Garmin and had to run back and dig up my bag again (it was already being put away)

Not forget my Garmin....

Things started off good. People were flying by me but that was fine. Then somewhere around mile 20 my lower back started killing me. It was constant pain from that point out. I was resorting to lamaze at a couple of points. Becky passed me towards the end of the LaGrange loop and a couple of miles later I saw her on the side of the road with a flat. I hopped off and tried to help her. We had been talking about what would happen if we got a flat and her determination had been that she'd be screwed. I got the tire off, we put a new tube in, and we had gotten one side of the tire on (with a serious struggle on the last section), and most of the second side before we just couldn't get any further. Stupid new tires on the rented race wheels. Finally, a scooter stopped, and I left Becky in their able hands while they finished up the last bit. The bike serious was the only part of the race where I questioned whether I'd be able to finish.

Do more core work during training and NOT WEAR A FASTSKIN on the swim.

I changed into running shorts.

Meh...after being out on the bike for over 8 hrs...there is no way I was going to be flying through transition.

My back was so happy to be off the bike and since it didn't bother me on the run, the run wasn't bad at all. I did run/walk intervals of about .45/.05 miles up until the last 3 miles where the walk intervals got longer and the run intervals got shorter. It was nice to see everyone on the course and running past the finish line at the halfway point wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I picked it up around mile 20 and was pushing the run intervals...problem was I started getting dizzy which is why I ended up walking so much more of the last 3 miles. I'm proud of my first marathon overall.

Run a little faster on the run intervals and not try running so fast at miles 20 to 23 to try to make 15 hrs.

Becky waited for me and we got our pictures and then hung out until Steph crossed the finish line.


LOWER BACK PAIN!