A quick note about Ironman Cabo
On Sunday March 17th, Brigit and I did Ironman Los Cabos. It was hard. Of about 1400 starters, I finished 748th in 15:21. I assume there were a lot of DNF's.
Here's a bit about my race for those who care, and a little advice for those seeking to do it in the future.
5 minutes before the race I got stepped on and cut open my heel/achilles on my left foot. It's pretty gross looking right now, considering I had napkins and electrical tape holding it all together for a couple of days.
Once the gun went off, the swim was crazy immediately. We got hit hard with two very large swells in the first minute, so that made a cluster ever more clustery. A good bit of chop made the last 1700 seem like 2500, and my 1:05 reflected that. I'm sure yacking 3 times didn't help my swim time either.
On the bike ride, things got interesting from the start. It's a lot of rollers on the way down to Cabo San Lucas, and a bit of wind the first time around. Coming back and then heading out to the airport is when the fun really starts. Prepare for a brutally hot 3-4 mile climb followed by a descent that will make your organs rattle. The second loop is when the sun, heat and wind really become a factor. Certain points felt like a broiler, some felt like a wind tunnel. That second loop was the first time that it was easier to ride up a hill going out than to ride down it coming back. Good stuff.
The run course was awesome. It was incredibly well supported with Aid Stations everywhere, tons of locals screaming "Vamonos Vamonos!", and nicely laid out. Had I personally had the energy and stomach to run, it could have been a really good run split for me. The first 9.5 were a slow run, but then my busted up heel was just too much to deal with so I started walking. And then I kept walking. Finally, after 21 miles, I sat down with Brigit's mom and waited there for a while for Brigit to catch up. She was in the same pain I was, so we walked the last 5.2 together and finished hand in hand. That was the best part of the day for me.
Advice. Figure out how to train in really hot conditions, even if that means jacking up the thermostat in your house to 80. Go for a swim in the local indoor wave pool. And lastly, don't ride a single flat section on your trainer.
If you are looking for a late winter race that will knock your socks off, this is it. It's beautiful and challenging. The best part is the margarita afterwards. Salud!