I'm quite satisfied with my finish in this race. Obviously, I still have work to do in the water, but there isn't a whole lot I can do about that for the rest of this season. Once I was out of the water, I put a solid effort into the bike - nothing spectacular, because I wasn't sure how a half-marathon would feel after riding hard, much less all-out, and I knew that the run course was going to be hot and sunny and would require a lot of energy. I still ended up with the 20th fastest bike split, averaging over 20 mph for the 56-mile course.

The energy I saved on the bike was put to good use, as I raced hard on the run leg, picking off runners one by one and increasing speed as the miles went by. I finished the race with a couple fast miles and a charge up the finishing hill, which was a monster: at least 1/2-mile, and not a gradual slope, either! The temperature near the end of the race was up around 80 degrees, and there was no shade on the course, so it seemed I was one of a small minority doing well on the run. This race gives me more confidence for my Ironman bid in less than six weeks, where I will be hoping to just finish!