Chula Vista Half Ironman is in the books!  That makes two 70.3’s and one 140.6 in my first year of triathlon racing!

This race was definitely the epitome of “you never know what will happen in a race.”

The swim was not wetsuit legal for placing in age group finals.  Fortunately, I was not going to win so on went the wetsuit.  The water was 81 degrees in the bay.  Never have I experienced 81 degrees in the Pacific Ocean.  The good news is that it was my fastest swim ever.  A PR swim day at 47 minutes for 1.2 miles.

The bike, on the other hand, was nothing special and I had two mechanical issues.  The route was exceptionally rough as well.  Lots of participants with flats.  I think I was behind on hydration from the beginning and just couldn’t seem to catch up.  I likely lost a lot during the hot swim in my wetsuit and never really got it back.  Plus, it just kept getting hotter and hotter throughout the day.

It was topping out at 86 degrees once I hit the run and once again I could tell I was behind on hydration which triggered cramps on the back half of the half marathon.

That all being said, I punched my ticket and crossed the line to a waiting wife and daughter who nicely purchased a cold one for me at the beer garden tent next to the finish.  I barely made it to the tent because of the cramps, but cold beer has a way of motivating me.