DNF (Page 3)

I would tell you to just get back out there ASAP. Perhaps with a shorter event though. If it were me I'd sign up for sprint or oly race as soon as I could find one and kick the living daylights out of it. I think a lake swim would be a good idea.

Some things are just beyond our control. No matter how much your mind hears the words of your fellows here, the heart sometimes won't listen to the advice of friends. I think the best medicine for you is to love the process of becomming a triathlete. Someday you will tell this story to someone else and then give them the solution to a common problem. Your victory over yet another hurdle (isn't this already hard enough?) will make your ultimate victory all lthe sweeter. Good luck in your next race!

You guys will never know how much all of your words of encourage have meant to me. I'm gonna print this thread out and read it whenever I need some encouragement!

About 0300 this morning I woke up and was laying in bed thinking about the swim in the Gulf. I think the wetsuit played a big part in the motion sickness as it kept me on top of the water bobbing up and down like a darn cork! I wish so much that I had taken a practice swim in the Gulf the day before the race and then I would have known about the motion sickness and could have taken some Dramamine or something. Swimming has always come easy to me and the swim leg was the least of my concerns. Motion sickness never even crossed my mind!

Like many of you said, this was a learning experience and I am wiser because of it now. I've decided that next year I will attempt the GCT again! This time however I will:

1. Not wear a wetsuit
2. Take some Dramamine before the race
3. Get down there a few days early and practice swimming in the gulf

And like someone wrote, I'm gonna crush the swim!!!

Also, like many of you suggested, I plan on doing some other tris around here. There is an Olympic tri in Chattanooga that I will do this July and will probably do the Atomicman 1/2 iron in September. I will also do the Rocketman sprint right here in town in August. No sense in letting all my training go to waste!

Thanks again for the advice and also for the understanding. Some of my friends were like 'oh big deal, so what'. But you guys know the dedication and effort it takes to train and what a bummer it is when we don't achieve a goal we set for ourselves - regardless of the reason.

~Mike

by no means did you fail.  you may not have finished, and not because of shear determination, willpower, or lack of you dedication to training.  your DNF was beyond your control.  Be glad you finally had the sense to get help......could have been much worse, you could have drowned.  that would have been failure.  Hold your head high for even being in a condition to even compete.!

Mike,

It was a pleasure to meet you at the race. I feel horrible for you but I am confidant you will overcome it. Good luck and I hope to run into you again later this year!

I 2nd, 3rd, 4th? others. Sign up for another race. You have nothing to lose and after you complete it, you won't even be thinking about this race.

I've been seasick once and it was terrible and exactly like you described. It took me a whole day to get over it completely.

Good luck,
Jen