Eight Austin area triathletes made the trip to Clermont, Florida for this year's Great Floridian Triathlon. For those that don't know, this is an "iron-distance event." We were treated to near perfect weather and a well run event with great support.

There was talk on the event forum that this would be a no wetsuit swim since the water temperature had been hovering at 81-82 degrees in the weeks prior to the race. On Thursday the unofficial temperature was 79 degrees and on Friday it was 76. When we arrived the morning of the race, much to everyone's approval, we were informed that it would be a wetsuit swim.

It was a two lap swim, as in previous years, and my time coming out of the first lap confirmed my suspicions that the course was a little short. Not to worry, the bike course turned out to be a little long. On the second lap I settled into a comfortable rhythm and before I knew it I was having my wetsuit peeled off. Swim time: 1:02:52. I repeat, the swim course was short. No way can I swim 2.4 miles that fast.

The bike course was two loops, different loops. The first loop was moderately hilly with a lot of tight turns. In the first 20 miles, I downed a bottle that contained 800 calories and from there to the end of the bike I was fighting abdominal cramps that resembled a side stitch. I started to reduce my calorie intake in an effort to clear my stomach. I tried deep breathing, holding my breath, nothing worked. During the second half of the bike, I couldn't stay in my areobars for long because of the abdominal discomfort. My energy level was good and I finished the bike in 6:36:05. According to the people I talked to after the race the course was closer to 117 miles. My overall time at that point was pretty much in line with my goal.

When I got of the bike, I had trouble standing up straight because of the cramping, but running out of transition I was doing much better and for the first six miles of the run I was on pace. Then, the wheels fell off, my hamstrings started tightening up and my pace slowed considerably. Running, even at a 12 minute pace, was painful. Maybe you've heard the expression, "when it hurts, speed up", well I tried that and it didn't last very long. The rest of the way was a painful run/walk. Somehow, I managed to run a little faster in the last mile and managed a "sprint" the last 200 yards to the finish. I felt good at the finish and my energy and spirits were high.

My finishing time of 13:20:28 was not what I had hoped for, but I was pleased with the way I faced the challenges the day brought. I gave it my best effort, never wished it were over and most of all, I had fun. I am looking forward to my next ironman, so I can put into practice what I learned at this year's GFT.