Back from Mex & CUN 70.3 RR

Can't believe I'm back... Mexico was so cool. Came back this past Sunday night and Mon had to go back to work... don't you hate that?

So we left STL on Fri the 19th, arrived in Cancun at around 3pm, there were quite a few other athletes arriving with their bike boxes, wheel bags and that. Then we went to the hotel (Fiesta Americana - the race host hotel). As soon as we got out of the airport we felt it... toasty weather!

Checked-in, got to the room, changed and after while the familia went to the pool to chill and I went to check out the Expo. Got my goodie bag and joined the fam at the pool. Later we had dinner, went back to the room and I put the bike together. Sat woke up at 7am, grabbed a shuttle bus the hotel/race had available for the racers that took us to the swim practice. Swam for about 25min and went back. Had breakfast and went for a ride to make sure the bike was ok, especially since tat was the first time I put the whole thing together by myself (wheels, handle bar, pedals, seat and derailleur). Bike felt great, went back, went to the pool for a while, ate, went to the race update meeting, took the bike to race site to leave it in TA, came back, ate and went to bed.

Woke up at 4:15am, got changed and left. Got to race site, set up TA and waited. We started right on time. My wave was at 7:07am. We started right on time. Saw the pros go first (Chris Legh , Oscar Galindez, LukeMcKenzie, Pip Taylor, Michellie Jones, etc)

1.2 mile swim: 37min 29sec 51:35/100meters - The swim went fine, started a little too conservative I think, but since it was my first time racing in the ocean I just wanted to take my time. It was crowded and rough too. Weather-wise great!

T1: s..l..o..w... 6min 22sec it was a long 300 - 350 meter run from the beach to TA plus, I had to stop to pee... hee hee. Oh well!

56 mile bike: 2hrs 52min 49sec 19.2mph avg - The bike went really good. Totally flat, a bit windy at times but in general really good. Agua, Perpetuem and Hammer gel worked great. This time I added 1 salt pill (Endurolytes) each hour and Nuun caps to the water. No problems there, all good! Weather-wise it felt pretty good... it even rained for a bit, nice breeze too.

T2: 2min 39sec BAU

(here comes the 'fun' part)
13.1 mile run: 2hrs 10min 17sec - The run simply SUCKED. Started pretty ok but by mile 5 the sun came out, and OMG I could feel it and badly. It was unbelievably hot and humid. I had to walk a ton. Later I learned it was in the 100s (around 112 and 100% humidity) ouch... very ouch! I walked during several water stations, and they had them every km (0.62 miles) and it almost felt not enough! But it was, it was just crazy, nasty and stupid hot. The volunteers were really nice. They had small bags of agua which you'd grab, bit a corner and drink it and/our pour it all over. They also had ice cubes, Gatorade, Power gels, oranges, bananas and Coke.

Crossed the line at 5hrs 51min 16sec. It was such a great feeling finishing and seeing the familia cheering... Finally I did a 70.3 (Kansas doesn't count!)
They had food, drinks, cold towels, the medal and finisher t-shirts. There was also a medical tent packed with athletes laying with a horrible and painful look in their faces with IVs hooked in their arms... thank God I wasn't one of them.

Had a couple of Gatorades and went to hang out with the fam. Later I went to get my stuff and we went back to the hotel to celebrate the mexican way... TEQUILA BABY! :) Ate a ton and drank some too..... that night I slept like a baby... like a drunk baby... lol

In other news... I am doing my last tri (sprint: 500yS/21MB/5MR) of the season this Sunday and sadly, like Sam, a fellow blogger said for us Midwesterners tri season is over now.
And on 10/11 I'm travelling to Chicago to run the Bank of America Marathon (formerly known as La Salle Marathon)

Andrea - I promise I am posting at least 5 pics soon! :)

EL FIN!

PC