Short version -- DNF Long version: Unseasonably cold temps in Oregon produced the first April snowstorm, like, ever. 750y pool swim went OK -- 19:08 (yeah, I know I'm slow). This is my worst event, but I was up and out of that water like a shot. It's always a rush to get out of the pool and start mowing people down. T1 fine and fast. Due to the weather, most people changed inside, in the locker room or whatever. I had no time for these social bunnies and sprinted to the bike. Over my trisuit I put on a zipper jersey, and also added thick cycling gloves and a headband. Yeah, it was cold, like 35 degrees. I passed 7 or 8 people on the bike and one woman passed me (grrr). It sleeted, rained, sunshined, and hailed. I could barely see one of the many turns due to the hail in my face, but once I rounded the turn (swearing), the hail was behind me and all was fine. The hail soon stopped, thank goodness. I placed at the 50th percentile in the bike portion (last year, bottom 20th!). My fingers, despite the gloves, grew numb and my toes as well. Ouch! Coming into T2 I was vexed due to all 4 extremities being numb. I tugged at my shoe buckles in vain...couldn't get them off! Kept trying and trying, all bent over, and my abdomen cramped up horribly (hard to explain -- it's from a surgery a long time ago). Each time I tried to take another stab at my shoes, the cramp intensified. Cripes. I stood up, I sat down, nothing worked. So I walked off the course and called it a day. In retrospect...I could have stopped, maybe gone inside to sit down and get uncramped, then come back out for the run. What would I have lost -- 5 minutes? Big deal. The lesson to myself is...transitions and races in general sometimes involve delays. Maybe it's a portapotty stop, a side stitch or a flat tire. It's OK! Be calm, Econo, deal with it and don't panic. Then keep going! Edited to add: I looked at my race results and woulda gotten 2nd/4 in my AG and possibly 1st if I had completed the run portion. Time to HTFU.