Arg, every muscle and fiber in my body hurts today. And as I heard many people on the run, it was swim, bike, hell. And it was.
I'll start out with the bad and get to the good. I started the run at noon with 95 degrees and ended at 100, all in the sun, no shade, and out on HOT black asphalt through fields, no breezes. I could feel the heat through my shoes. Needless to say, there were mostly walkers and a few crazy folks running by. I jogged at a slow trot, the first 15k and then walked the last 5k, my brain was fried and I couldn't keep my thoughts straight. I drank myself silly at every aid station plus ate the fruit and gels and cookies, the only thing NOT on hold was my stomach I guess. It took me 2 hours and 40 minutes to finish, slow. I would not do that again, and now know that I would not enter an Ironman, I just can't stand the hours of pounding and much much less in the hot hot hot heat of midday.
On the bike, well I had to borrow a bike, and it didn't fit so well and wasn't very good for this, on top of being old and unmaintained. I had not one, not two, but three flats. Only had ONE tube with me, so it was a slow process. I rode on them flat to the aid stations, where I was able to change and buy new tubes. Luckily after the first flat, everyone in my category passed me, so I wasn't too upset by number 2 and 3 and had decided to just enjoy the scenery, which was stunning. Green green grape vines contrasted to brown brown hills.
On the final tire change, in which the bike person, meaning it was a much better job than me, also cleaned out the glass that was flatting everything, I rode like a bat outta hell to recuperate my own time. I was pretty happy on that part, I passed a lot of people, the hills were nothing, even without a low gear since I was on a criterium bike, and so finished the bike in good spirits and not tired.
The swim, that was a piece of cake, wetsuit legal, and I float really well in my wetsuit, so well I don't even need to kick. I was always in the first group of my wave, so I got out with the top swimmers of my group. Which of course had me pumped for the bike.
But alas, that was not to be. I finished 99 out of 124 for my category, which in my mind is just not very good, but finished 439 out of 1141 in the race, which is ok! The slow bike and the dead slow run walk, well, I finished in 6:56 (My goal was to finish UNDER 6, so finishing barely under 7 was a readjustment in attitude). The race was beautiful and well organized. But I wouldn't do an HIM again and now know NO ironmans. I just can't deal with the run, so back to olympics, and maybe a century on the bike, when I get a chance!:cool:
