Well gang, I did it. Completed my first 70.3 Tri. This was the Timberman in Gilford NH. I had had some doubts leading up to it, and debated dropping down to the sprint distance but after riding the bike course the week before felt I could at least finish the race even if it wasn't pretty. Besides, this is my one year anniversary of quitting smoking and starting "Tri-ing". So. Let's start at approx: 12:00pm Saturday. The day before the race. My wife and I had just got home from the Timberman sprint where she had done the swim leg of a relay team and I had volunteered. We were both pretty tired so she layed down for a nap, and I began the arduous task of packing my tri bag, going over our bikes and getting my nutrition plans together. Then I went for a two mile run, to relax. When DW awoke she came out to find me still tinkering on her bike. It wasn't quite shifting right but I thought I had it dialed in. Then as she re-reading the race info, she comes across the sentence..."for the 70.3 you've already racked your bike at the race site on saturday so you won't have it with you on race morning". TOTAL panic. It's 5:00pm, and bike racking was only open til 7:00. I throw both of our bikes on the carrier and we drive 45 minutes to the race site to rack em. DW takes hers for a quick spin in the parking lot and it wouldn't shift out of the small ring!! Thank God our local bike guru was working the race and happened to be right next to us. 10 minutes and a minor cable adjustment later we were racking our bikes. We got home about 8:00pm after running up to "the mountain" to see the vendors and catch some of the carbo load dinner, both of which were all but gone. By now, I"m ready for bed but DW still has to pack her bag, take a shower and get her nutrition plans together. Needless to say it was about 9:30pm when I finally got to sleep. (after 10 for her ) 3:15. AM. No human should be awake at this hour. But alas, the alarm is going off and it is time to start the day. Feed the cats. Feed the dog. Make sure the dog gets to go "hurry ups". Coffee. Light snack and pack the car. Parking at the race site opens at 4:00am. If we don't get there before the lot fills than we are to take a shuttle bus in from about 4 miles away. We can't let this happen. 3:50am we are loaded up and on the road. Not much traffic until we close in on the race site then it's a steady line of taillights ahead of us. 4:30am we are in the parking lot parked right at the swim start. Guess who parks about 5 cars over and in back of us. Dick and Rick Hoyt! Yes, THE HOYTS. Wow. Well, anyhow, we get our stuff together and head over for body marking and such. Last check of the gear, perpetuem mixed and ready to go, enduralytes in place, gel packs, a bannana, bike shoes, running shoes check check and check. Let's get ready to swim. I open my body glide only to find it's empty. Dang! Run through transition to find DW and borrow hers. Ruun back to my bike and get suited up. 1500+ athletes standing on the beach, a sea of multi colored caps. Last chance for a pee. Line too long at the blue house but plenty of trees! Back on the beach we are treated to skydivers that came right down and landed on the beach. DW started in wave 3, I started in wave 7. I started off in a nice relaxed stroke and pace, and for a fleeting moment thought to myself " this isn't so bad. You're doing it. only 1.2 miles to go." Then the feet started kicking me and the hands starting grabbing me and the sides were closing in and I thought what the hell am I doing out here!!?? I struggled from here to the first turn, and then kind of fell into a rythym. Except I had this urge to pee again. Out of the water in 40:33. T1 of 3:23. It took a couple of miles to settle down from the swim and really engage in the bike and then I realized I still have to pee. I start my nutrition by taking a swg of perpetuem every 20 minutes or so and take an enduralyte cap every 30. Mile ten is where the never ending hill comes into play. This is what sperates the men from the boys, and right about now I'm questioning that very statement. Once over that the next 16 miles or so are fairly flat and I average roughly 2o mph. Only problem I notice is that my back is killingme when I get into aero position. ( remember I was tinkering on the bikes? ) Yeah, I had played with my saddle. Bad move. At mile 28 I can't take it any more and stop to pee. A true BMX style stop here. Rear wheel locked up, kicked out sideways and slide to a stop. ( purely unintentional and surprised I didn't crash ) SO glad I made this stop. when I got out, a volunteer had my bike turned and pointed in the right direction and off I went. Once I got going I had the bannana. The 16 or so miles back towards "big hill" are kind of at a slight upward pitch, and headed in to the wind. Then you get to "big hill" and once crested you are rewarded with a nice 43mph downhill and only ten to go. As I make the final turn into the chute I see my Mother and sister have come up from southern NH. what a boost! I finish the 56 mile bike in 3:19:12 and pull off a 2:43 T2. Only 13.1 left. The run was rough folks. I've done the mileage before, but not after a 40 minute swim and 3+hr. bike and not at 12:00 noon in 85 degree weather. I walked, I ran I took alot of water, gatoraid, wet sponges, gel packs, salt tabs, orange slices and even a few potato chips. I held on and ran the last 2.5 miles pretty well and tried to pour it on for the finish. I crossed the line in 2:33:46 with tunnel vision and a little dizziness but finished nonetheless. total race time 6:39:35. 182/225 ag. All in all, a very good day. Feel great today other than tired, and can't wait for the next one wherever that may be. Thanks for the support. Andy

Andy: I haven't been on this forum for a while (I quit about 8 months ago), but I thought I would check in today and I am so happy I did. Your race report is amazing! Congratulations, you are amazing! I did a couple of sprints this summer and was always in awe of the half iron competitors. Great job. Kat

Oh Andy, look at you go! I've thought about you a lot, especially since we had the same quit date, but just never made the time to come to this forum and chek things out. I'm so glad and happy for you! What a rock star! And you've been a non-smoker for over a year now. How does that feel? STUD!