For Those Keeping Score, it's Now Kona 2, D.M. 0

My racing season didn't end in Kona on the high I was hoping for. Instead of executing my best race ever, I fell victim to my never ending bugaboo, nutrition. I also fell hugely short of expectations and now find myself confused and grasping at straws to find some answers.

I'll give the play by play in an upcoming blog, but in a nutshell, here's what happened.

The first 3/4 of my swim was the stuff of legends - fast and, surprisingly, without being clobbered by other swimmers. The final 1/4 was a nightmare as I got pummeled to near-smithereens by the time we reached the pier. (Time: 1:02.)

The bike leg went very well but my legs felt a little more fatigued than expected for my perceived exertion. I thought my fueling was good until mile 90 when I was hit by mild nausea that I treated with some cola. (Time: 5:49)

My marathon started bad, recovered, then went to hell at mile 9 with GI distress and my first bathroom break. I was doing everything I practiced that has worked in the past - Gu, electrolytes, water - but something went wrong and I was almost collapsed at mile 15 with what appeared to be hyponatremia. I asked for medical consult and based on my blood pressure, dizziness and uncontrollable shaking, the paramedic's recommendation was to pull myself from the race. I begged and argued for them to let me finish - and even help me determine what to do. I sat down for what seemed like forever to recover and ingest some coke, oranges, and Perform. When I felt better, I decided to walk the final 11 miles, but I started running and felt OK, so I slowly made my way to the finish. (Time 4:39)

My final time was 11:28:48, about an hour slower than I hoped for. Believe it or not, I still smiled at the finish line and soaked it all in, despite the disappointment.

And as they say... Third time's a charm, right?

- Posted from my iPhone