1. Woke up at 4:10. Here's a hint, make sure when you set your alarm with more than one time, make sure that you set the second time at 4:15 am/NOT PM!
2. Drove to Buffalo Springs Lake and got into the place at 5:05. Finally parked at 5:35. Yes, there were that many people.
3. Swim start at 6:37. The race director moved the swim times forward and combined swim groups. We went off with 150+ swimmers. That is the size of a Sunrise Triathlon.
4. Swimming through Buffalo Springs Lake is always better with a wet suit. Swallowed about a gallon of water.
5. Went into the water at 6:37, got out of the water at 7:14 for a swim time of 37 minutes over the course of 1.2 miles.
6. Transition area reminding me why I will never walk around barefoot on concrete that is made of rather large rocks. NOT FUN.
7. Off to the bike and immediately am welcomed by a 7.6 degree hill that goes up and up and up for half a mile.
8. Then it's back down another hill. Hit 34 miles an hour. That is fun and nerve racking at the same time.
9. Going over the bridge and passed by the first of many people that weigh about 120 pounds. Never seems to amaze.
10. Hill #2! Average around 9 miles an hour going up.
11. Miles 1.75-3 are straight into the wind. That is not fun.
12. Miles 1.76-34 are pretty much with the wind. 20-25 at your back provides for a fun bike split. Split #2, which was 21 miles finished in 1:00:12 at 20.93 mph.
13. Time Split #3, which was 20 miles from Split #2, almost all straight into the wind, plus the worst winding hill of them all. Manage only 17.16 mph.
14. Pass a kid wearing a Hotter than Hell 100 bike jersey. Here is the transcription:
Me: "I have a feeling that we are going to be doing this (passing each other) a couple more times.
HHH100: "Yeah, it's been fun!"
Me: "You are just killing everyone on the hills!"
HHH100: "That is what we train on mostly."
Me: "Are you doing the entire race or just the bike?"
HHH100: "I'm only doing the bike. I'm on a team because they won't let me race. I wish they would."
Me: "Why won't they?"
HHH100: "Because I'm only 15!"
***Side note: It might be a teenager, a very large person on a mountain bike, or someone riding a $12,000 bike. Moral of the story - you will get passed by someone!***
15. Heading the remaining 14 miles back with only 2.5 miles of that NOT directly into a 20 mile an hour wind!
16. The final hill on the bike - 8.9 degrees for .33 miles. I hit 5 mph. Not proud of it, but it was hard.
17. T2 - I really don't want to run 13.1 miles, but that is the only way to stop the race.
18. Mile 1 - 8:17
19. Mile 2 - 8:37
20. Mile 2.7 - the first hill. It is a beast! I walk. There is no shame. Better to be alive than proud.
21. Mile 3.3 - first downhill run. "I wanna go fast!"
22. Mile 4.5 - second hill. "Walk like a man, walk like a man, walk like a sweaty, tired, tired man."
23. Mile 5-6.55 - walk, run, sweat, run, walk, sweat.
24. Mile 6.66-8.1 - repeat
25. Mile 8.1 - second downhill. "I wanna go fast! But, my hamstrings won't let me."
26. I now realize that not only will I not reach my goal of eclipsing 6 hours, I probably won't beat last year's time of 6:16.
27. Mile 9.7 - third hill. Very, very slow, saddening walk.
28. Mile 10.2 - time to run down the beast hill. I hit 7:30 mile pace just because I can't stop.
29. Mile 10.5-12.5 - sweat, sweat and walk then run.
30. Mile 12.5-13.1 - running at an 8;45 pace. It really, really hurts and my right calf and left hamstring are seizing.
31. Finish line - Thank you Lord!!!!!!
32. Race medal and a very nice girl says: "Would you like to go to the medical tent?" "Why yes, yes I would!"
IF YOU DON'T LIKE MEDICAL STUFF, ADVANCE TO FINAL RESULTS
33. In the medical tent and met by Nurse Nick.
34. I am not lying, I have a nurse's gift to veins. They are huge, they are prevalent. They are easy to poke.
35. Poke #1 - left arm with an IV bag. This hurts like you would not believe and there are not nice things running through my mind! Finally done poking me, we start the IV.
36."Excuse me, but my arm really hurts"
37. Terrorized look by Crista, already graduated and she has a name tag, not just a sticker written in sharpie.
38. "Uh, we need to take this out of you." I look down and there is a very large bump.
39. Crista removes the IV and then starts an IV on my right arm. She is successful and we are now friends.
40. I finished two IV bags and then get up out of the 1985 plastic folding reclining chair.
FINAL RESULTS
Total time: 6:20:37
1.2 mile swim - 37:01 (70.3 PR)
56 mile bike - 3:07:04 at 17.96 mph (70.3 PR)
13.1 mile run/half-marathon - 2:31:09 (WORST RUNNING RESULTS EVER)
6671 calories burned
70.3 miles covered
About 2 gallons of water/gatorade consumed
Two bananas
One of the worst sunburns ever
-Worth it