i felt good right from the start. i was not getting beaten up either. it was pretty crowded though, so i had a tough time finding a rhythm. i'll take strong and out of rhythm over tired and alone any day though.

i made the first turn buoy in 30:22 and was feeling great. i thought to myself that i could pick it up a bit on the return and in addition to being under my 1:05 goal, i might actually break an hour. about 5 minutes into the return trip however, i remembered that the swim back is much longer than the swim out. crap. oh well, nothing i can do now. i was not going to make or ruin my day on the swim at this point, so i just held steady and pushed on to the exit.

not much. i could have swam better or harder or straighter or drafted more, but i think 1:07 is about where i was at that day.

i got out of the water and ran into t1. i wasn't completely freezing, but i wasn't all there either. since i wasn't changing clothes, i decided to use the chairs outside the tent, but i spent ~10 seconds just staring at the stuff i spilled out of my bag. finally i snapped out of it and started getting myself together.

5:01 isn't amazing, but it's solid since it includes suntan lotion, arm warmers, aero helmet, etc. i'll take it.

nothing.

the bike is where i was going to make or break my race. my stretch goal was to break 10 hours and if i was going to hit that i needed to do it on the bike. my goal was to get off the bike between 6:30 and 6:40 (including swim, t1, and t2).

it was a little cold, but i was ready to ride hard and felt fine. i didn't use any computer and just rode as hard as i thought i could sustain for 112 miles. i didn't know where any of our friends were out of the water, but with the out and back course, i was looking forward to seeing everyone. my eating plan was most of a gu from a flask every :20 minutes except for each of the 3 mid-lap turn around points where i would eat a mini cliff bar instead. the plan worked perfectly with the gu providing me most of my energy and the clif bars keeping me from feeling too hungry. (i actually would have upped the clif bars to every 3rd feeding if i had them and will definitely make that change next time).

the profile for the course was slightly up on the way out and a slight downhill grade on the way back, so at the first turn, i was a bit off my overall goal pace, but that was to be expected. i also wasn't going all out yet, so there was still room to push. i knew it was a problem though when i actually made the turn and felt the wind. it smacked me right in the face and was forecasted to get worse as the day went on.

i was still fresh and still had a few gears left, so i pushed on without too much concern. i made it back to town ready to take on lap two. i saw my family and sis told me i was 11 minutes down on tim, but i didn't know what his swim was and he is a great cyclist, so i wasn't too concerned. i realized i was going to make up time on the way out rather than on the way back, so i made sure to keep pushing through the tail wind sections as well.

i made it to the turn of the second loop and was happy to see i was actually faster than lap 1 and got some time back. the wind was even worse now though and it took a lot to push through it back to town. it was starting to take a bit physically, but mentally i was still ok. my time when i hit town was almost identical to lap 1. i was a bit slower than what i hoped for and i was informed tim now had 22 minutes on me, but it was still decent considering the wind. i was happy ti was having such a great ride and i was able to see k, craig, and nate all out there. i still hadn't seen laura, but i assumed she couldn't be too far with her riding ability.

i started the 3rd loop and again enjoyed the tailwind. i finally saw laura who was hot on my tail. i was hoping she would eventually bridge the gap and give me some motivation. making the 3rd turn, i was happy knowing i was on my last ever stretch of that road, but it wasn't going to be an easy ride.

the winds had gotten ridiculous. it was a sustained head/cross wind that felt like you were being held in place. it was enough to sap all my strength trying to hold a decent pace. then when i would finally settle in a bit, a bad gust would throw me around enough to really piss me off and sap my motivation. at one point i was literally screaming out loud at the wind dropping numerous f-bombs. then the rain came and i got pretty down on that stretch. i felt the time just slipping away. it was the least enjoyable ride i have ever been on (taking the honor away from another super windy ride i did in p'ville with tim and ernie). i must have had a pretty good ride out, because my time doesn't show it, but i basically limped into town. i can appreciate it now, but when my sister called out that i was 33 minutes down to tim, i wondered what the point of even telling me was!

note - i realize this sounds pretty down. looking at the ride as a whole, i'll take it. i am fine with the way it turned out. i just mentally would have liked to have held it together for more than 5/6th of the ride. i'll never stop wondering what that ride could have been on 11/20/2010 or 11/22/2010

not sure. i just mentally can't stand riding in the wind.

i was so ready to be off the bike. there are 2 finish lines in an ironman (3 if you are a nervous swimmer). when you hand off your bike, you know that making it to the line is now 100% under your control. it's a great feeling and opens up a whole new tank of energy.

i grabbed my bag, and got everything together quickly. i decided to change socks and re-apply sunscreen from the volunteers, but it was still a good transition.

nothing.

i started the run needing a 3:02 marathon to break 10 hours. i knew it wasn't possible, but i didn't come to arizona to jog, so i was going to race until i couldn't race any more.

fortunately, the lead pros were just starting their 3rd loop as i started my 1st, so all of the sudden a motorcycle and road bike cam riding past me on the sidewalk. i jumped behind them and took my turn at the front of the race. that slight mix of drafting/pacing/excitement is a definite advantage. i was able to hold timo bracht off for over 4 miles as i played with the motorcycle and chatted with his lead rider. after that hellish ride, i was having some of the most fun i've ever had in a race.

eventually i got passed by the top 3 and they went on to finish. unfortunately i still had 2 loops to go at that point. i slowed a bit and had to cut back on the amount of gu i took in at each feeding, but i kept the eat every :20 plan in place. there was plenty of stuff to look forward to and keep me pushing. just make it back to see your family... just make it to the next feeding... just make it back to that fun aid station set up like a jail with fake police and girls in skimpy outfits... you know. the usual thoughts.

i ticked off the miles and was able to actually reel in tim and anthony on the last loop. i didn't care about passing them at that point, but it was nice to get a chance to chat for a minute or two. i was also able to find a few pacers late in the run to keep me going. i traded pulls with a final pacer for the last 3-5 miles. we came around to the finish turn and i thanked him and shook his hand. he had done a majority of the work on the windiest sections, so i let him go ahead. he immediately pulled up lame with a hamstring issue, but was able to work it out and cruise into the finish.

i came down the chute and saw my family and friends screaming. i decided to enjoy it this time and walked the last 10 feet. it was a nice stroll down that magical carpet of the im finish. the winds took away my shot at sub-10, but it couldn't stop me from a solid pr and an incredible run.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/photos/get-photo.asp?p...

nothing. fairy tale run.

had a good cry on the massage table. my entire body was 100% spent. i had nothing left and everything hurt. after the massage and some food, i recovered fairly well and enjoyed the rest of the evening. i talked to my family, cheered all our friends on, and we grabbed a few beers at the finish line party. seeing kristin have a stellar race and be able to enjoy the finish line festivities was amazing.
everyone made it in and put our group at 34 for 34 at the im distance. it's amazing to see how far we have come.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/photos/get-photo.asp?p...


great race as always. good course, organization, etc. volunteers were just amazing. there was a little bit of a debacle with the lake and the practice swims, but overall, it was a great race. you get what you pay for i guess.