Started off perhaps a bit faster than I should have, but it felt easy enough so I stayed with it. Ended up hitting the port-o-potty shortly after Mile 3. After mile 6, I started to hurt and slow down. Either I went out too hard, or I'm still feeling it from last week's HIM, or both, but the glutes & hamstrings were hurting, and the humidity was catching up to me. I ended up taking the long downhill at mile 9 really slowly, walked a little on the flat after it (mostly at the water stop) and then walked half the uphill. Got it going again after that and held it together over the last hill, which was the Carnegie Bridge, and even managed to pick up the pace over the last mile, finishing as strong as I could.
I was so soaked with sweat at the finish that you could have dumped a bucket of water over me and it wouldn't have mattered.

Maybe start out easier.

Grabbed some food to replenish and talked to some Cleveland Tri Club folks, then headed to the car to drive home.


Fitness levels, fatigue, heat/humidity.


The course wasn't particularly scenic, with parts of the route going down roads that were barely above being an alley, and others going through industrial areas, but the music from live bands every mile was cool - especially the Polka because who doesn't want to hear "Who Stole the Kishka" when they run? The volunteers were all very friendly, and they even had cheerleaders out there from the local schools. So, not a scenic run at all, but a fun environment to race.