Half IronMan - so glad it's done!

I did my first Half IM on Sunday and probably my only one. I would rank this much harder then any marathon I have ever done. It progressively got more difficult as the day went on. The swim (1.2 miles) was great and I finished faster then I thought I would. I was in Wave 8 and they went off two minutes apart. I seated myself towards the back and outside on the right hand. I was able to relax and swim. I worked on my stroke, sighting, trying to balance my weak arm with my strong arm. I felt great after wards.

Onto the bike (56 miles) - My legs were feeling a little weird in the beginning. My right hip didn't feel very powerful at all. On Wed just four days prior I had a really aggressive chiropractic appointment working on my right him from the top of my stomach down. I think that it inflamed it more then anything. I kept my speed at 18 MPH and if I went over that I coasted. The course didn't allow much coasting at all. It was a slight incline going north and a slight decline going south. At about mile 20 I biked the rest of the race with a nice 20 something year old from Rice Lake. This was also her first half IM. That made the time go by quickly. We finished the bike leg in 3 hours 30 minutes.

The run (13.1) - dun dun dunn! I was suprised how good my legs felt and I was able to actually stride out right away. I ran the first 6 miles in 1 hour and the final 7 miles in 1 hour 30 minutes. I was dragging at the end. The sun was so hot and in the warmest part of the day. Every water stop I poured two cups over my head. I was so glad to finish after the run.

It took me 6 hours and 37 minutes. You can see the agony in my face in the photo with my parents. I thought I was smiling.