White Lake Half Ironman Report
March 10, 2003
by Jim Green
The temperatures were brutally hot this past weekend at White
Lake. The heat was so bad that wet suits were not allowed. Think of
that. An actual swim that counts instead of everyone wearing a air mattress to
float the swim. It was nice to drop everyone that usually follows my
butt.
Sorry fellows you actually have to swim this one.
On the bike the wind and heat just kept coming. Flat tires all
over the place. I flatted at 42 miles and Janet flatted at 37. When I
got into the transition area at least 100 athletes were just sitting there.
As I was switching into my running shoes all I heard was " I am not
going back out there again"..
Anyway, our 4 year old brought strep throat home and gave us a
present this week.You can ride with strep but you cannot run with it. Janet
sat down in the transition area and didn't come back out. I finished the
run, barely, for 3rd in my AG. I spent a good deal of time in the aid tent
at the end. The heat on the run was like a blast furnance.It didn't help
that that the aid station at 3 miles ran out of fluids.
The bottom line is that you will never DNF if you don't line
up at the start. If you do tri's every now and then you will run into
one like White Lake. The bears and the gremlins were sure out and active at
that race.
- Jim Green