Eagleman 2010 - My first HIM!

Don't have the time or energy to put together my usual long-winded race report. Below is a quick email I sent a friend. As time goes by I am happier with some parts of the race, and more disappointed in other parts. But it was a tremendous learning experience, and now, three days out, as my body starts to feel normal again, I am excited to take the lessons learned and turn them into a great day in Syracuse in September.


Dear JJ, Happier and happier with my performance as time passes (and
I read more about just how tough the conditions were!)

34ish swim, it was way long and no wetsuits were not allowed (expected to
go a least sub 30). Swam on Julia's feet for like 2/3 then beat her out of the
water by like 30secs- she wanted to kill me but I was trying so hard
not to touch her feet! Def could have swam a bit faster but wasn't
sure about pacing for such a long day. Think I was 10 in my ag out of
the water - not ok or satisfied with this at all!

2 53 bike - goal was sub3, but I really wanted to hold 20mph, so like 2:47.
Really happy with this, wind was awful. For a lot of the ride I just
couldn't find a gear that was 'comfortably hard' with the right
cadence- think this had to do with being scared about pushing too
hard, but also with the wind being so variable and constant. Feel
like I could have gone a bit harder but again wasn't sure about pacing
over the distance plus then of course having to run 13.1 miles. Took
almost an hour or about 20 miles for my legs to come around, think I
need to eat more calories pre-race and more water- felt crampy out of
the water almost immediately. At the last bike aid station (mile 45)
they had NO water and I had finished all my liquids anticipating
grabbing two water bottles to finish out the ride, so I had no
hydration or nutrition the last 30 mins of the bike. Got really upset and feel like
it definitely affected the first half of my run with being dehydrated
and needing calories. Lesson- have a back up plan. There were SO many
full bottles on the ground and I was debating just stopping and
grabbing one but didn't want to lose my momentum, def worth the 30secs
in retrospect I should have stopped for sure.

T2 totally out of it and lost about 30secs not being able to find my
rack and stuff, when I finally found it, I had been standing in front
of it the entire time. Dehydrated much??

Run- 2 05 HARDEST thing ever - mentally and physically. First two
miles were right at goal pace of 8 30, but the heat was unbearable and
to work hard made my head feel like it was going to explode. For
the rest, when I was running I was running like 9 20-40ish pace, but
walked all the aid stations. SO many people walked so much of half
marathon, it was insane! It was like the twilight zone, I must have
run past 300+people. Just crazy and weird to be running by so many
people while I felt like I was running such a relatively 'slow' pace.
Wish I hadn't walked quite so much at the aid stations

5 37 42 overall, 14th in my age group out of like 70 something I think.
My worst case scenario goal was 5 30 but considering the conditions
I'm pretty happy. I think in better/fair weather I could def run 15+ minutes
faster and be right around 5 15-5 20 which was my best case scenario goal.

Over and out