A quick post

(for once in my life I might leave it till tomorrow to write the COPIOUS AND EXTRAVAGANT POST that I was mulling over as I ran...)

I had a wonderful day. I finished in 6:40 (watch splits are all a bit messed up, so I think I will wait for official results to be posted to ponder details) - I walked through the water stations, but I really did 'run' (jog!) the whole of the run (my main goal, other than the time goal alluded to below and the desire to enjoy myself on the bike), and felt very strong on the swim and the bike also. It was a beautiful course, hardly any traffic on the roads, and also the most GLORIOUS day out there - mid-60s, sunny, no humidity...

(It will sound like a very slow time to the fast among you, but my goal was to finish in a time beginning with a 6 rather than an 8 or a 7! I have done the Florida 70.3 twice, can't remember exact details but they were both very slow, something like 8:15 and 7:50; the first time was my first ever triathlon and I was an absolute bundle of nerves re: cycling, the second time was better but I was still undertrained, and in any case that course just doesn't play to my strengths, as the run is UNBELIEVABLY HOT in a way that makes me have to WALK rather than RUN! It was important to me to do a half this year where I really was at least mostly running, and I have now successfully executed that part of the plan.)

(And I am now confident that if I choose to commit the training hours, there can definitely be a sub-6:00 half-ironman in my future...)

(p.s. This WAS the short version! More TK...)