Crowded start, needed to reroute many times. Someone kept stroking into my head and I had to swim over someones legs to get into a open hole. Thing started to thin out after making it through the first bouy markers. Overall good swim, not a quick as I would like but I did think I should be pushing too hard. Took a good coughing mouthful of water on the back leg.

Start farther to the side or right up in front and push it a bit more off the line.

Used the wetsuit stripper which helped a lot but should have tried less to help, would have been faster. But no stuck wet suit on my feet this time! Transition went smooth, got down some gatarade. My start on the bike is alway pathetic so it was an average get you feet in the pedal start for me.

Let the strippers do their job.

Bike was fun. Lots of fast and some slow towards the end. About 10 miles in had my first gel and ate 2 bags of sport beans spread out on the trip. I remember at about mile 5 that I never drank my Prime before the race - oops, down 350 some calories and a ton of carbs. Besides that, did pretty well with my nutrician. Dropped my first bottle of gatarate out of the bottle exchange at 15 miles. Swapped between water adn gatarade through the bottle exchanges, had 4 gels evenly through the ride and choked down a Cliff bar around 30 miles. I love Cliff bars, but it wasn't very appitizing that day - oh well, I ate if for my own good. The last 15 miles the heat was setting in and I got a feel of what was to come. Not a cloud in the sky.

Could have pushed a little harder, especially the last half - bagged it on the hill and didn't utalize some of the down hills all that well

Fancy dismount sort of worked, second foot stuck a bit. My pinky toes were really curled up and the sides of my feet were numb when I got off my bike but by the time I was to my spot the feeling was back. Grabbed a ice cold bottle of water from the volenteers at the dismount and got to my location. Had to put on socks, took a bit. Got situated with my new stock of gels, asthma inhaler, tampon (yeah, really) hat, nike+ watch, number belt and was off. Legs felt very good going out and pace was decent

HOT! I drank the 20 oz bottle of water by mile one and had a full glass of water and gatarade at the 1.5 mile station. I continued on but started walking around mile 2. I was afraid I might never go again but the heat was there and my body said I should walk. I walk/run to mile 4.5 and walked through the big hill. Along the way I took full advantage of every water station and friendly resident with a garden hose. I was soaked as I left but then was looking for the next station shortly after. I kept ice pieces stocked in my hat and saw people being treated for dehydration by the medical team. I started calculating if I could walk the rest of the way from mile 5 on - I think I could make it within the cut off but decided if I felt I could run I'd better since my exercise math is usally incorrect.
The second half of the run I felt much better and ran miles 6, 7, 8 and 9. Then the next giant hill - I walked that and then ran for about anothe mile. The last could of miles were intense. The heat was strong and I could tell I was getting a monster sun burn. The run was without much shade but the end was near. Running down the hill to the finish my sister was there yelling to my family that I was coming and that it was 102�F Heat index - I said, at least I'm under 7 hours (I was aiming for that 6 hr) I never cramped but needed my inhaler early in the run. Without the dunk tanks and garden hoses, I would have been a goner.

I think I handled the heat well and managed my fluids correctly. My time sucked but I was smiling and lucid at the finish. Maybe attempted a new coat of sunscreen but with all the water sprays, not sure it would have made much of an impact.

Got my finishers metal and sat down in the ice baths at the finish. After a good 5 minutes or so met my family and hung out on the beach. Had a pork sandwich then cleaned up my stuff. My bike computer said 101.2F
Enjoyed burgers with my family back home and fresh beer from a local brewery. I felt great and thankful for making it through. Sunburn on my back was bad - slept on my stomach only for 2 days and it peeled like crazy the Friday after the race - Yuck!


The heat took it's toll. I did what I could in the area's where it wasn't going to hurt me too bad.


The staff was excellent and the volenteers were great. They pulled off a great race in difficult conditions. The bike course was a lot of fun and I think the run was hard without being too over the top
The extra effort made with ice baths and extra fluids paid off and made this event into a great day.