Race day, Cancun Ironman 70.3

Our race day started at 3:55 AM with a knock on the door from room service with our coffee (yea!!). We downed that and a breakfast of bars etc quickly and headed down for our 4:40 AM scheduled taxi to the start. We arrived and it was the expected bedlam. We pumped up Nick's, Jill's and Sara's tires and got bodymarked. It lasted about 2 minutes after the sunscreen application. I lathered up the upper body with SPF 45 and that cut right through the marks-a-lot. I was hoping that they would have the stamps but they didn't. Legs I left clean as I have a pretty good tan there. Just prior to heading out I lathered up with SPF50.

Before we knew it the swimmers were off! Lauren did an awesome job on the swim and came in in 53 minutes, and Nick is off on the bike. Lauren and I looked around and tried to find scraps of shade to hide under in the 96 degree heat with 80+ % humidity.

Nick rolled in off a solid 2:28 bike at 22.7 average MPH. We transferred chip and race number and I'm off!! I felt really good on the first 5K and came across the mat at 27:19 I passed Sara at the opposite direction at the turnaround and we high fived. The course was hot and there were only 2 spots of shade going by 2 buildings on bulevard Kuklukan. Jill and I high fived as I got into my second 5K. I grabbed water to drink, gatorade, and ice at every aid station (every KM). The second 5K, which completed the first of 2 loops was complete in 1:04. At this point I know that I would not be able to beat my personal best 1/2 marathon time to date which is 2:08:40 but I was hoping that I would come close. At the 10K point I was feeling pretty bad, and really wanted to pack it in. I was suffering pretty good at that point.

At the turnaround I saw Nick and Lauren cheering for me which was a great help, I had a gel and the last of my endurolytes and could really feel them kicking in, I actually came out of my funk for a bit and was able to run. The second loop of the course was hotter, and there was not a shred of shade to be found. It really felt like running acros a frying pan. Jill passed me at mile 8 looking really strong, and did all I could to complete the last 5K. As I got closer to the finish my left calf started to cramp up, and my fingers were swelling which told me that in had blown through all of my electrolytes. I ate a banana but it may have been too late. At the last aid station I picked up the pace (couldn't have been much slower) and when I hit wet & wild I opened it up as hard as I could go. Nick and Lauren said that I was grunting as I ran by which I honestly don't remember and that I was as white as a sheet. I could hear the announcer saying my name as I crossed the line which is one of the most awesome things that I can remember hearing. I grabbed a 2 liter bottle of cold water and imedieatly dumped it over my head and staggered to the medical tent where I was packed in ice for 45 minutes, most of which by Jill, Nick, and Sara. Had some pizza and gatorade, and was ready to race another day.

I'm really bummed with my 2:31:05 performance, but towards the end I was just trying to survive. Now there's this thing hanging over me, I need to find another 1/2 marathon fairly quickly to perform better in.