Rolling start based off of your expected finish time. In Coeur D'Alene I finished right at an hour so I seeded my self in the 1 hour group. For the first 20 minutes I expended a tremendous amount of energy trying to get on to someone's ankles. Finally I decided to just swim a straight line and if someone came in front I would latch on. Never happened.

I expected right around an hour swim, so I was a little disappointed but it is what it is.

With 4300 feet of elevation based off of similar training rides I had hoped to come in under 5:30 and thought maybe a 5:15 was possible. Spent the first hour just getting comfortable and keeping it relaxed. Coming up and out of the first aid station I felt extremely good. I was flying out toward what I think is Longmont or Hygiene.
Continuing to the North part of the course I was ahead of schedule and excited because I still felt great. I saw my HR pushing into the 140's (that's burning precious matches for me) but I felt so strong I kept pushing.
Heading to the East and back South I actually felt like I was getting stronger. From mile 75 to 100 is generally uphill but my average speed was still going up.
The 3 sister hills at mile 100 was kinda ignorant to throw at us but I was up and over in a second and on my way to the finish. I cruised into T2 a little emotional because I felt that if I could put in a 3:30-3:40 marathon, KONA was right there.

In retrospect, I just went TOO hot on the bike. I had a great bike, but it was a terrible bike as it relates to the overall picture of the day.

Dismount line was about two blocks from where you handed off your bike. I thought that was a bit crazy but we all had to do it, so no big deal.
However, one HUGE oversight on the RD's part was they had us running down a blistering HOT track to the change tent.
Those of us that ride on top of our shoes and run barefoot to the change tent, felt like we were running on the sun.
I made mention to a volunteer and he said they were working on something. BJ told me later they had put down cardboard boxes to run on, but it was still terribly hot.

This is where my great/terrible bike would come back and remind me I still have a little more learning patience and pacing before I'm deserving of Kona spot. I zipped out of T2 alright.
I was clipping along at around an 8MM. Just as I passed mile 1 my left quad started to stretch and pull, and yell and scream. In my two previous ironman this was something I usually felt after the race, so it caught me a bit off guard.
What happened? Could I walk it off or stretch it out and still finish the run strong or were my Kona dreams squashed?
I sucked down some salt tabs and grabbed whatever I could at the first aid station, but I had a feeling it was too late.
I left the aid station running a little differently, but I was running and doing ok. My plan as always, is to run through the aid stations, grab what I can on the fly, and try not to walk the stations until around mile 18.
So just as I flew threw the mile 2 aid station a bolt of lightening hit my right inner quad and as it repeatedly stiffened and tightened, I realized for the first time that while I would finish, my 10hr day and KQ was shot.
The frustration of 12 months of preparation hit a little hard, and it hurt... much more than the cramps.
So from mile 2 to 26 it was survival mode from one aid station to the next. A lot of it's a blur, but I remember out on the wings of the 'flux capacitor' like run-course, feeling like I was baking in an oven.
At one moment coming up out of the Aid station at the far east end for the second time, my eyes kinda glazed over and my brain just started checking out. I was stabbed with another fierce round of cramps that yanked me from my delirium and sent me stumbling off the trail. Some guy (bless him) stopped and asked if I was ok. I needed salt. He offered me two tablets and I ate them on the spot without water. I just wasn't thinking clearly. I think that would've been about mile 18.
Around mile 20 you start getting back into the shady area. I remember hearing all the supporters along the path yelling my name and offering many kind words, but I don't remember seeing anyone. I had tunnel vision. I learned later that I passed within a few feet of some of my screaming family members and I didn't even see them.
Once I pushed through 25&3/4 miles of the Boulder Creek trail I was finally out on the home stretch down 13 street, toward Pearl St. Mall and the finish.

As I sit here typing I'm still scratching my head a bit as to what went wrong. Was that little bit of extra power on the bike the difference? Nutrition? Under-trained? Over-trained? Maybe all of the above? My first two races were great start to finish, so maybe I needed a little humbling?

????

I tried to stay on my feet and just walk around to keep the rigor mortis from setting in. Stayed at the finish line until BJ came across (12:32).


Because the cramp was on the inner quad of both legs (however, by the time I was done I seemed to be cramping everywhere), I'm thinking that may have been from pushing too hard on the bike and too long in the aero position.
This course has no significant climbs that get you up out of that aero position so it's easy to stay low all day. I tried to sit up and stand up on the pedals occasionally but maybe I didn't do it enough. I never felt like my nutrition was off, but then, I haven't nailed that down either.


2015 will have to be the year of the KQ. Of course, I've said that every year now.