Your DNF?

Another swimmer was in distress and was so far off course that the kayaks and lifeguards didn't see him.  I swam to him while waving and calling for assistance, finally getting the attention of one of the kayaks.  I hung around until they got the guy loaded on a jet ski.

We were in the last starting wave and by that time were so far behind the race that I just decided to swim in an call it a day.  

Mark 

Woke up at 3am before the race with terrible stomach cramps.  Every time I tried to drink or eat anything during breakfast the cramps came back.  I blamed nerves (my first long distance race - 3.8k/180k/21.1k) and started the race anyway.  Swim went fine but once out on the bike the cramps came back as soon as I tried to eat or drink and since biking 180k with no water or calories is generally a bad idea I bailed at the 35k mark and turned around.

What would have prevented it?  Not having dinner with the in-laws on the Friday night - they all had the same thing the night before my race!

I gave my rear wheel to my son in T1 so he didn't DNF.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=259360

RNR DC marathon 2012 ... got to the race late (Metro broke down), hectic start, went out too fast, called it a day at mile 18.

i love this thread because most of these stories are wonderful examples of people being good humans.

Got 300 yards into an OWS race last  year and decided it was too rough for me . Turned around and swam back to the shore and turned in my chip. It was the best decision for  that day. I've done multiple IM and HIM races so it isn't that I can't swim. I know my limits and it didn't feel safe for me to swim.

Probably should have DNFed IMTX11. I snuck out of a medical tent (on course) when they were double bagging a guy that came in after me. I hadn't turned in my chip yet or told them that I'd been vomiting. In hindsight I probably should have DNFed that race. I'm still not sure why I bothered to run train for that IM. Should have just walked around our town drunk and disoriented to duplicate what it felt like on race day. lol..

Yep, I was there too.. this was the metro scene about 15 min after that race started:

My DNF was Eagleman 2010 when the swim was ridiculous and a bunch of people - myself included - got back from the bike to find a notice that we were DQ'ed after the swim and not to run. 

First IM at Arizona 2008.   About 1/2 mile into the swim, every time I turned my head to breathe, the world kept spinning around.  Got worse and worse until I could barely keep my head out of the water.   Severe vertigo, had to be pulled from the water.

No hard data, but appears to have been a sodium imbalance affecting my inner ear.   Because it was going to be hot, pre loaded with some salt pills.  Spent the day in a dark hotel room instead of racing.   Dizziness lasted a few days.

No way to expect or prevent it, other than Nothing new on race day!

Bike crash. Kept going, had a flat. I finally looked at my arm and leg and decided the amount of blood would probably force the med team to look at me in T2 without favor. So, I called it a day.

First DNF was during my first bike road race.  Sidewall cut caused me two flats and a makeshift boot using a gel wrapper didn't work.

I tried to DNF my second marathon at mile 25.  I completely bonked, my legs turned to jelly and I couldn't even stand up without holding on to something.  I even pee'd myself for a few seconds with absolutely no control over it.  I originally thought it was a heat stroke or something and told the volunteers that I was done.  After 20ish minutes, and eating some chocolate, a tangerine, and a sprite that was given to me...my legs were at least able to hold me up and I walked the last mile to the finish with a cop on a mountain bike escorting me in.