If I were to rank my performance by segment of the race this was where I am most pleased. Steady pace, took it easy, low stress. Again, I waited until everyone in my wave was on their way before I waded out and got started. It definitely costs me time, but it makes for a better experience. Ironically, it was on the second loop where I got tangled up with two other guys and we beat each other up for about a hundred yards. Took a decent jab or kick to the left jaw, but it didn't really throw me off. Had a couple of moments of motion sickness when the chop kicked up on the second lap, but that was just enough to make me feel like I was experiencing a true OWS.

T-1 not bad, but slow compared to everyone else. I ended up leaving with everything I wanted for the ride, so I'm happy with what I did.

To the extent I'm disappointed at all, it is with this segment. Coming out of T-1 I wanted to pee and about 4 miles out there was a pull off along the road that looked like a good spot. I was a bit self concious about doing that and hesitated after I had started to pull off into the gravel and in that moment of hestitation my front wheel came out from under me and I took a header. Banged up my left hand a little, but no other injury at all. Just embarrassing. Since I was clearly stopped I went ahead and relieved myself. When I went to get back on the bike I realized I had dropped my chain in the fall and that took a couple of minutes to get untangled and back on.

The wind really picked up as the time wore on and I let it get to me more than I should have. I let the wind make me angry-no other way to say it. A couple of rain showers with gusty winds came through and compounded the situation.

About 2/3 of the way through I wanted to stop and take some Endurolytes but I couldn't unclip my left shoe from the pedal because I messed up the cleat when I crashed earlier. Since I always dismount that way I didn't want to try to dismount by taking my right leg off first and fall again so I just kept going. I spent the next few miles wobbling my left foot back and forth trying to get it off the pedal and thinking "what am I going to do when I eventually have to get off this thing?" More energy wasted.

The last straw on this ride was that the last 5-7 miles were mostly straight into a 20 mph headwind. That was the price for being out there so long. The winds just got stronger as the day went on.

By the time I got to T-2 I had figured that I'd have to pull my left foot out of my bike shoe (a road shoe with three straps, so not an easy feat) in order to dismount. Brooke and Shelly were there to cheer, but I was so disappointed with how things were going at that point that I was pretty crabby. 13.1 miles of running was not appealling. Brooke said "You can do this" and even though I would never have quit anyway, that got my head back in the game.

I was sulking in T-2 which probably cost me a minute or more.

I ran the entire course, walking only through the aid stations. I learned a huge, huge lesson during the first loop. A fellow from St. Louis (Gary) fell in with me and we chatted each other up for 4 miles. It was amazing how easy it felt to be jogging along and having a conversation. To the extent I picked up any time it is attributable to that. When we came back to transition Shelly said "Wow, you look great!" Since her last look at me had been after the bike I'm sure it was surprising to see me smiling and enjoying myself. I hated to see him head off to the finish line. My second loop was much harder because there were not many of us out there and no one to run with. I caught up with Dianna from our local tri club with about two miles to go, but she was pacing it a little slower than me and since I knew I had 7 hours in the bag at that point I didn't want to risk slowing down and cramping up or something, so we parted ways with a mile or so to go. Brooke ran through the finish line with me which was very cool.

I just walked around, stretched, took a few endurolytes, drank some water.


I'm just not sure what happened on the bike. I labored and did not get the results I expected. I really thought I'd average over 17 mph, so not even holding 16 mph is a bummer. My road bike (Trek 1200) is four years old and was entry level at the time I bought it. Maybe a new bike would help, I don't know.


A big part of the run loop was on a state highway which was monitered by a sherrif. About the time I got out there for my second loop (5 1/2 hours into the race) the sherrifs left and the traffic was unfettered. That was not good and could have led to a disaster. Next year they need to either get a commitment to have the highway monitored until they pull people off the course, or change the course. Either would be fine, but it was not good to have a bunch of people running on a state highway that was hilly enough that cars could not see us as the came over the crest of a hill and no sherrif to keep the traffic all in one lane.

It was terrific to meet Chris K., Brandon J. and John U.'s family. Just super to have friends at the event. They all waited and were there to cheer as I finished, Brandon was 3rd in his age group.