Timing was a little weird because they weren't using the Championchip. For the swim, we had these velcro braceletts with our number on them. When we exited the water, we handed them to someone about 30 yards from shore. The bike splits included T1 and the run split included T2. They had to re-route the bike course. Each of three laps added .6k, so instead of a true 90k 1/2IM bike it was actually 91.8k, according to Norm the RD.

Time
Swim: 32:26
Bike: 2:50:39
Run: 1:30:22

Watch time
Swim: 32:00 (1.2mi)
Bike: 2:48:39(91.8K)
Bike Computer: 21.9mph ave., 61.6 miles (Bike computer wasn't calibrated for race wheels - probably closer to 57ish), 47.1 mph highest speed
Run: 1:30:55 [I hit "lap" as I stopped my bike and forgot to hit it again as I started the run so this includes T2 time, which is STILL a 1/2 mary PR for me. I'm guessing probably 1:00 to 1:45 in T2, so probably about a 1:29 run time](13.1mi)

Diet Breakdown
4am: white bagel w/ pb&j, nanner, bottle of Gatorade, sip 48 oz of water up to one hour before swim start
6:00am (before 7:10am swim start): Clif bar

Bike: water first 30 minutes, Clif bar every 45 minutes (only made it through 2), gel every half hour (4 total), 1 bottle strong Gatorade w/ 1 endurolyte cap, 1 bottle strong Gatorade w/ 2 endurolytes, 1 70oz Camelbak (this was a HUGE advantage because the bike aid station was on a long straight slight downhill where I hit 31 mph on all three laps and did not have to slow at all…winged past a TON of people on that…including AG "C's"…my AG.

Run: didn't miss a single aid station. That's a GOOD thing because I was running on fumes. Took at least 1 water and 1 gatorade cup at each. I took cola at the one aid station offering it. Some of the aid stations were 2 water, 1 gatorade: 1 g-ade in me, 1 water on me, 1 water in me. This left me completely on fumes at the end, so this nutrition strategy worked well for me. I raced this 1/2IM at no less than 10 beats below my anaerobic threshold on the bike (after letting it my HR settle for the first 20 minutes) and about 5 beats below on the run. For me that is right on edge of the blow-up zone.

Pre-Race:

Nothin' major prior to the race. We spoke briefly with some Salem athletes (Jim and Dan) that we met on the Ferry over from Port Angeles. REALLY nice guys. Suited up and warmed up for a few minutes before the enormous men's wave started.

Swim (clockwise rectangular course):

My goal was to start slow and easy with a smooth stroke and then kick it up a little after the first turn. I, however, have had Colin's words ringing in my ears since Blue Lake, "Dude, the first place in your AG put 9 minutes on you in the water. If you had swam that fast you would have been on the podium." Ok, you're right, the swim DOES matter. So I was balancing that with wanting to stay totally in control through the swim and bike. Everything went as planned except for getting mashed at the first turn. I caught a few decent drafts for a while until a couple of different spazzes swam into me. Nothing major just kind of made for a bit of a rough swim at times. I just kept heading left for clear water. A few hundred yards from shore, some of the red cap relay swimmers came blowing past so I latched onto the first pair of feet I could grab (not literally… good grief) and hung on for as long as I could…didn't last long. Woa, here comes the next set of red capped feet…..hung on for dear life…dangit, gone again. Swam up the ramp until my hands hit bottom, pulled my feet up under me and looked down to hit the lap button on my watch…..31:00!!! YYYYYYEEEEEHHHHAAAAWWWWWW!!! Not smokin' fast but I'll take that ANYDAY. Ran to my T area, hat and glasses on, Camelbak on, shoes on, and off we go.

Bike:

At the beginning of this course it was incredibly difficult to bring my heart rate under control, and I knew this from riding it in May. There are short steep climbs and short fast descents. By about 20 minutes in, my heart rate was beginning to relax and it was time to get to work. The race used a strange wave start due to the time cut offs. The first swim wave was 45+ men, 35+ women, and anyone that estimated their swim time at more than 50 minutes. Second wave was a WEDDING party of 10 swimmers, third was women, fourth was men and last was relay teams. So at 20 minutes into the bike I had already passed I would guess 50 people. At 35 minutes I got really hungry, so I was pleased that my stomach was working….HUGE relief. By 1 hour in I was passing people so often that I had to hug the center line. I kept thinking that at any point I might ride up on Gina. It took me forever to catch her. When I did catch her in the first quarter of the second loop, I knew she was having a good day. Chick was hammerin'! As I passed, she said, "dude, you are WAY up there!!" That gave me an enormous boost. I thought I had dropped her when I flew down one long steep descent (at around 40 mph) and started the next climb when I heard a chick's voice yell, "HEY, DRINK YOUR GATORADE!!!" HOLY CRAP! IT WAS GG!! Later she said when I passed her and she saw that I had barely started my first bottle of g-ade, she hammered to hang with me (w/o drafting I might add..more on that subject a litle later) so she could yell that at me.

Anyhoooo, I kept going back and forth with a guy one AG up from me that was riding a sweet litespeed with Zipp 404 up front and a Zipp disk in the back. We kept riding up on these packs. At one point when I was ahead of him, I pulled out to pass and when it was too late realized he was coming up on me. He slowed to let me pass someone and then came up on me at a sharp downhill right turn. As he rode passed I said, "dude, sorry about that. I hope I'm not blocking you as we pass these packs. Plus, I'm scared to death of getting nailed for drafting with all of these crowds out here." It was honestly getting a little ridiculous, no matter how crowded parts of the course were. He said, "no problem, mate. We aren't drafting. Everytime you pass someone, I'm watching them suck your wheel for as long as they can hang on and then they suck my wheel."

In the middle of the last lap, I passed a guy that was in my AG. A few minutes later I realized the ass was sucking my wheel. I passed someone wide left and he hung there. I pulled WAY right and he pulled directly in behind me, and then pulled inside right of me. I turned around, made eye contact and yelled, "DUDE, QUIT SUCKING MY F---ING WHEEL!!!!" He got the point. He only said,"I'm trying to stay off your wheel." Hmmmm, nice try jackass.

Well, it wasn't a few minutes later that I came up on a pack of 5 (2 chicks, 3 guys) acting like they are riding in the freaking TDF. Uh, folks that's NEXT month. I had to yell three times that I was on their left before they would get over. When I pulled up along side (I was on my last lap about 6 miles from and they had to have been on their second with about 20 miles to go) I looked at all five and yelled, "NICE F---ING PELETON!!!" No replies, just put their heads down. I hate using language like that and felt (still feel) really guilty about it, but come on folks, the rules are there for a freaking reason. Don't like 'em? Go race ITU. There was an ITU race the weekend before. Go there and stay there for all I care. I thought I might have a chance at qualifying for IMC but I sure as heck didn't want to get there by breaking the freaking rules. ARGH!!

Ok, sorry about that. Rolled on home and into an enormous crowd on the street leading to the T area. Now the fun and hard work really begins.

Run:

Headed out on the run and my quads and hammies were screaming bloody murder. Uh oh, this is NOT good. I shortened my stride, quickened my cadence, focused on flexible ankles and high heels and prayed and prayed and prayed…..First aid station - g-ade and water; same at the next one. Then, things started to come around. I would guess the first two miles were at about an 8 minute pace. At that point, I knew I could kiss IMC goodbye for this year. In the second 5K things totally turned around for me, and I picked up two guys several AG's older and pulled in behind for a very good pace. Exchanged a few words of encouragement and we were off. Between the middle of the second 5k and for all of the third, we clipped off a nice string of 6 minute miles. I was totally loving life and alternating cola/water and g-ade/water at each station. We were kickin' butt and pickin' off "C" AG'ers left and right. When I hit the last 5k, the three of us got split up at an aid station and I began to fall apart. The worst pain I've ever felt in my life. Summer football 2-a-days in South Texas August heat has nothing on 1/2IM.

With about 2 miles left, a guy one AG down from me came up on me and we started talking about something. At the time, I had NO idea what we were talking about and still have no idea. Anyway, at one point it came out that this was my first 1/2. He said, "wow, you are doing incredibly well." That was the boost that freaking got me to the finish line. I looked over and he had the Canada M-dot tatoo on his shoulder. Ran into the line and had the rush of the voice of IMLive.com bringing us in and calling my name, with people yelling their heads off. What a rush.

What a day. And for Eric H in PDX, yes, I do now consider myself an endurance athlete. Now it's back to the books.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

Have fun, go fast and stay safe,

Jeff