The swim went fine. I kept my strokes slow and steady. There was minimal contact. I think I swam further than I needed to by drifting a bit south. No worries though. I felt good getting out of the water.

Stay a bit more on course.

Took my time. Realized I forgot my Garmin. OK - going to race this thing blind. Fair enough. Missed a spot with the sunscreen, so my nose was burned. First ever Ironman transition, so cool.

This was an OK right. Without knowing my HR, I didn't want to push it too much. I think I could have gone harder, but today was about finishing the distance. The hills were challenging at times, but weren't unmanagable. I really liked biking through La Grange.

There were a few wrecks out there, which was scary. Overall, most riders were cautious, but there were a few idiots out there. The aid stations were awesome. I also appreciated the devil, the grim reaper, the dude in the green suit, and all the funny signs out there. It made for a fun ride.

My knee started to ache around mile 70 and my toe went numb a few times.

Walked though the transition. Was not in a rush. Got to see my wife on the way out. Felt special handing my bike off to someone.

I knew I'd feel ok for the first few miles. And sure enough, I did. I made it to about mile 10 with a 9:30 pace including walks at the aid stations. Then I started walking a bunch. I first started walking because of stomach issues. But those went away with a little coke. Then my knee started to hurt, but that just became an excuse. Honestly, I could have pushed through, but I didn't. I knew I'd finish so I didn't have the motivation to keep it going. Oh well. Maybe next time.

HTFU

Evaded medical attention, saw my wife, grabbed some pizza and drank some beer. Then made the trek to get my bike. I rode back with all my gear from transition to the hotel.


Mental fortitude and motivation.


First ever Ironman. Was a blast. So impressed with WTC's logistics. Yes, M-Dots are expensive, but they sure put on a great show. Volunteers were super.