Although my time was slow, I felt this is one of my best swims due to the fact aI did not panic at anytime during this swim. In the past, I have had issues at the start of the swim. I did not this time.

I need swimming lessons to develop a better stroke.

It was very cold out of the water. I stopped for a min and washed all of the salt water off of my body. I also went into the tent to change and had to come out to pee. Lost a couple of minutes there. It was hard putting on all of the bike clothing with a cold body.

Pee in the water before I exit the swim.

Came out of the water got on the bike felt great took off and was in good shape going about 18.5 MPH to mile 25 right where you turn off of Hwy 421 on the way out. I had a flat. No problem with that it happens. My problem was the spring from my skewer got lodged in the hub and I couldn’t get the wheel off. Lost 45 minutes. Tech car came by and fixed it for me. I was upset but got back on the bike and got over it. Kept telling myself to suck it up. Get 12 miles down the road and guess what second flat. Now I am in trouble because I don’t have a second spare. I sit on the side the road and beg someone for a spare and a guy gives me his(remember this because I meet this guy again). He leaves and I have 46 mm rim depth wheels and he has a regular stem valve that won't protrude through the whole in my rim because it is not long enough. So it wont work and I can’t pump the tire up. I am now stranded on the side of the road. A person in a bus (a bus it was weird) pulls over and ask if I need help. She gives me a phone number of a bike support tech car and I call them. They show up with a valve extender that makes the valve longer and put it on the bike and I am up and running again after 45 more minutes. I am now averaging 12 MPH on the bike! My Plan was 20.0 MPH I am really down and thinking I am packing it in. Again I tell my self I have lost 1 hour and 30 minutes or so suck it up and go. I think to myself and don’t know that it is true, but I now focus and say would most people quit at this point. So I use this as my motivation. I get going again and running about 18-19.5 MPH and start passing the same people I have passed three times now. I think to myself and again don’t know it is true but I tell myself these people are wondering how many times is this guy go to break down and keep on going. So I finish the bike from the 12 MPH avg to a whopping 15.5 or so. About3 MPH slower than whatI wanted to average. My Garmin showed 18.0 MPH moving speed. I did a great job on nutrition on the bike.

Carry two spares at all time. Spend more time perfecting changing a rear tire.

No issues in T2. Gave my bike away. Went in changing tent. Changed into running shorts and shirt and went on my way.

Nothing

I ran the first 11 miles of the run and due to my knee issue I ended up walkging the rest of the marathon. My knee is swollen up still two days afte the event. I am hoping I have not done something that is going to sideline me.

My whole 20 weeks of training this issue has hurt me. I was coming into the IM training with a good base of fitness from training for HIM. On the second week of my 20 weeks I did a 13 mile run and my knee was never the same after this. I nursed it and dropped down on time and mileage for 3 weeks before I went to the doctor and he told me it was a IT band issue. I got a shot and it got instantly better for the Augusta 70.3 race. I started stretching and foam rolling but it never was 100% and I started this way to late. I did a 10 mile run and that was the extent of my long run training. I was in pain the last 8 miles of the marathon and questioned whether or not I could finsih but I did.

Went into the warming tent and laid on a cot! Heaven!


Swim Mechanics have to get better
Bike Mechanical Issues
left knee IT band issue


I loved completing my first IM. I am most proud that despite my issues on this day I did not quit and kept going. I will take that with me to future IM which I will do!