Swim is in a small lake with 1 loop out and back. The water was actually cooler than what I expected. Swim seemed a bit long, but doesn't it always? Not much to report here, I swam a 27:25. Not sure what to think about that, wanted to go sub 26, but maybe that was a stretch. I feel like I navigated well and swam through earlier heats well, so maybe I am a 27:XX swimmer and I need to live with that.

The run to T1 from the swim exit is about 300 yards (Tim/Chris can confirm), you basically have to run around the lake to the other side to get to your bike/T1. This was mostly grass and by the time I got there was wet and starting to get muddy (I imagine this was just pure mud by the time Timmy got to it). The run took forever, but oh well. Got the bike and then had to run up this very steep (semi-longish) hill to mount bike and take off. If you look at T1 times they are long and that is because we have to run about a 1/4 mile all in all

Nutrition: 2.5 bottles of water/powerade/GU Roctane Mix every hour. 6 Gu/GU Roctane on bike. 900 Calories total.

My strategy on the bike was to go VERY EASY out of the lake (about 3 miles) and then to the far turnaround (mile 24ish). This is mostly uphill all the way (there are down-hills too, but the grade is basically uphill). I wanted to hold 80% FTP to the turnaround and then open it up. I got passed by a TON of people that is for sure and found myself in the middle of age-group women who would fly by me on uphill and then I would fly by them on downhill/flats, but I knew I was suppose to ride this way and pace it this way (hard thing to do mentally). I saw Fugate close to the turn-around and he was looking good, I think I saw Lynsey (his sister) a little before that (she started before us). At the turn around I wanted to dial it up to 85% on the way back to T2/Finish. I got after it a little bit here and the return trip till about mile 44ish is mostly a downhill grade overall. I started to pass a lot of people then. I saw Malfer after about 13 minutes from the turnaround and I knew at that point that I had 6 minutes on him (he left 20 minutes after me). I saw Timmy a while after that (remember he started 35 minutes after me) and then it was lonely. The landscape is pure dessert or desert (whichever you prefer). I caught Lynsey Fugate a little after that and then Chris on an uphill climb. I asked him his swim time because I knew we would be close to each other and I wanted to see if it was long or not based on what he went. I figure it was a little long or about right on after hearing his split. Rest of bike was basically just passing people and getting passed by some fast younger guys but with about 14 miles to go, I passed a lot of people! It was flat with a slight upgrade to T2 and people were going really slow! I think they overcooked the first portion of the bike. . . Coming into T2 I could see the run party started and I wanted to join in!

They had volunteers to take our bikes and then you ran to your T2 bag and called out your number and they handed the bag off to you. I was in the middle of a long line of bags and decided that I wanted to cut through by jumping over them. MISTAKE! I jumped and my left hamstring cramped up. . so I hobbled to the change tent and just went really slow to get my run shoes on. Shoes on, hat on and then I was off

Nutrition: No solids or GU. Only water/coke/Ironman Perform. Ice in hands. Water on head.

Once I started the run, my left foot killed me where I stepped on the rock (right before the swim). It was my heel to side of my foot and it hurt with every step. I thought, great, I have worked this hard for 11 months and now a rock is going to destroy my race. I decided to just deal with the pain and push on (as Hugh would do). This run course is 3 loops, the first mile is downhill and then you turn around and run uphill for 2 mile (this all approximate) and then back down hill for 2 miles, and repeat this 3 times (basically 2 miles is up and 2 miles is down and you start/finish in the middle). Wanted the first mile to be 7:10-7:30 ish while holding back. Did this no problem. I wanted to get through each aid station with a purpose and get what I needed/wanted and get out. My goal was to go 1:40. I knew after about 3 miles that this wasn't going to happen in this heat. Of course I also knew that everyone else would be slower too (I figured about 10-15 minutes slower than normal). Long story short it was hot hot hot. The new asphalt made it even hotter. I even heard of spectators leaving after watching 2 loops of the run because it got too hot for them (DAVID SEAY!!!!!!). The way they designed the course they had aid stations at the middle of the run, at the "bottom" and half way up to the "top of the run. So essentially they had aid stations every "mile" of the run BUT, they changed the run course right before the race and they took out the middle or access to it for those coming back down the long hill (through Transition/expo/etc) so we didn't have access to water/ice/aid/etc for 2+ miles. Not sure why they did this, but it was not the best scenario in the world. Actually on staring my final lap, I convinced myself there really was an aid station where you thought they would have had one for us, but no, it wasn't there after all. I knew my pace would slow the last 2 of 3 miles since it was 2miles of up, but I tried to just keep going while walking the aid stations. This was the darkest moment, that is for sure! On the final mile it is all basically downhill to the finish, I was clipping low 7min miles on this and knew I only had 5-6 minutes of suffering left, when my hamstring cramped up again and I had to walk/shuffle for a bit. I stopped to stretch it out and about 30 seconds later it stopped cramping. Ran the rest of the way a little slower, but still under 8 min pace. Came around and through the chute. . .felt like I was going to collapse but didn't, felt like I was going to pee myself and I did a little. . .got some chocolate milk, and a sprite and sat down in the food tent. After about 5-10 minutes I got up and walked out. PAIN!!!!!!!!!!



not much. More runs in heat.

Sprite, 2 chocolate milks. Sat down and relaxed for a bit, to get my strength back. Rode bike back to hotel.


HEAT