I wanted to, but I never really got around to it. I should really do it now that the sour taste is gone and I'm a little happier in reflection. In short, the swim was rough (as you know)..I swam 3 minutes slower than my previous two attempts there. I wanted to swim about 1:05 and ended up 1:11 and since someone kicked my watch (stopping it) on the first loop I didn't know my swim time until I actually hit the run. I just kept thinking I was somewhere in that 1:10 range.
I knew I had a decent T1 and my plan on the bike was to ride very conservatively (about 150-155 watts / 68% of FTP) with an expectation of doing something between 5:25-5:30. Well, once we hit the top portion of the bike and I knew we had a tailwind all the way back to the beach I was in great shape so I really backed off to save my legs. I ended up riding 21.1 mph (5:18) which is well below what I was expecting on significantly less watts and kept a low HR throughout.
Once I started the run and saw my family I learned I swam 1:11 (which kinda made me mad) so I knew then I hit the run about 6:40 in race time so I knew all I had to do was run a little under 10 minute miles and I had sub 11.
I was completely locked in the first half running what I thought was relaxed, calm, cool and collected. I even told a friend "It's not a matter of going under 11 hours now, only a matter of how much under 11 I'm going to go" about mile 8 of the run....the miles 9-11 happened. I was clicking the miles off, one by one, walking every other aid station and on cruise control. My HR never elevated. When I walked, it dropped back down to normal but as soon as I started running for more than about 1 minute I started to get dizzy. I wasn't hot anymore, hands were clammy and I couldn't even think straight.
Mile after mile passed and I tried one Galloway method after another all the while skipping gels and gatorade and opting for only cola and water. I tried a 4 minute run and a 4 minute walk..nope. Then a 3 minute run and a 2 minute walk...nope. Then a 2:2....no chance. Then a 1:4....not even close. For about 30 minutes all I could manage was a 1 minute jog and a 9 minute walk all the way till the back of the state park. All I could say to the people that cheered me on was "I'm sorry, the wheels came off"...I. Felt.Terrible.
I saw a photographer in the park just at the turnaround and I told him if he took a picture of me walking I would throw his camera in the sand dunes and he'd never find it again (joking of course....maybe) so he promised that he would wait until I got to the turnaround if I promised I would run all the way back to him and I did. Wouldn't you know it, I felt a little better. So, with each passing mile just as I deteriorated from Alvins Island to the State Park I started to feel better and better with each mile heading to the finish.
I knew sub 11 was gone. I knew a PR was gone and now my goal became simple. I needed to finish under 12 and get to my room, showered and in my NormaTec boots by 7pm because thats when the LSU vs Bama game started and in that regard, I succeeded. I know the fitness was there and for most of the day I feel I executed flawlessly so whether it was purely blood sugar and nutrition or whether I pushed the front half of the run too much or how much of a combo of both I'll never know.
No IMs for me in 2017 but I'll give three 70.3's a whirl then try again in 2018 (Boulder) to get that sub 11 monkey off my back.
