Half Ironman Venezuela 2010

One of the best day of my life:

Could not sleep all night, too much thinking as usual. Took the image Imodium pills twice to make sure to not have surprise and avoid dehydration ( this is why I am now constipated after 48 hrs ;( )

4.30am I am off the bed. I put the sunscreen on and head to the early breakfast setup for the Athletes at 5am.

5.30am I am back in the room and J volunteer to come and take pics while i will prepare he transition area.

6.30am I am on the beach warming up and understand how the heck should I start the swim.. Just got the news the we will all start together from the beach. Uff.

My wetsuit, great for the freezing water of SF Bay is way too thick and hot for this weather... And the starting is getting delayed... 8am ready to start... People shouting in spanish all around... I am nervois but somehow confident.

Boom... I am in the middle of the pack ... Shut I know what is going to happen... As soon as I am in the water I start swimming franticly ... It is a war, get kicked in my face googles off, I slow down, people from the back start swimming on me.. I try to swim on people and people try to swim on me... ( next time need to remember this... Need to start from the side!)... I cut on the right and get out of the pack... Finally free water... I ll swim a bit more but I ll be able to swimlike I want... As J taught me in these days "fast and smooth". First lap 950mts gone... Second lap ... Done too... I am off the water...I hear J screaming ... Running toward the tranisition area ... I am happy .. The swim was fast (23mins) ... J is running along the path... He wetsuit is hot need to get rid of it asap.

Time to change in biker mode. Wetsuit off, my right eye is swelling from the kick I got at the swim start, 2m41s and I am on my jewel ready to ride 90Km... 

J screams " push mate I ll see u when u are back!" .. That word push kept bouncing in my head for most of the ride.. Lol.

The bike makes a weird noise from the rear wheel..but disappears in few seconds... Good now push

3 laps of 30Km each... It is hot, a bit windy but feel strong. First lap and my friend Luis is 6minutes in front of me.. Almost where the elites Are. Push Push Push Drink Push Eat Push Push Drink.  2 lap Luis got 4 mins... I am going fast.. Push Push.. 3 lap and Luis is only 1 minute... Wow... Push push 10Km to go.. little hill, change gear in front .... Boom the chain goes off.. Fck... I stop put the chain back in.. Start pedaling... Weird noise is back and the rear wheel is scratching my frame... WTF... One guys passes me and says "frenado frenado.." ... Shut I stop again the bike barely moves .. I start pulling the wheel hard to detach it fro
 this bloody aereodynamic frame ... Let s try again .. The noise is terrible the wheel is no smooth.. WTF has changed from the past 80Km?? don't know I get back on my pedals desperate... Push standing up. 1-2-3 1-2-3... The noise is disappearing again... The wheel is not scratching anymore... Yes... Now fly ...... I feel exausted after all this... Keep drinking Gatorade and water... 90Km mark... I am back to the hotel... 2h36mins ... Holy c@ap.... I was fastttt.

Transition to the run... I have been racing for 3hrs now.. Feel the stress and heat but the time and the amount of people I passed are promising factors...

J is excited ... He is screaming how close Luis is ... And how fast I have been so far... I feel I can do it! 1 minute and I am ready to run.

Shoes are ok, legs are ok, I am just hot ...
3 laps of 7 Km each.. My rythm is ok... I keep thinking about the book... I repeat to myself ... "I am born to run"... Small steps ... Rythm.. Form... I pass one guy... Another ... I am passing one guy every 2-3 minutes... 1 lap and Luis is in front of me... People are cheering for me .. I am 35th at the end of the first lap... J runs with me fo fee hundred meters... Is enthusiast about the performance and gives me hope... I am hot... I poor water all over me... I grab 2 bottles at once ... I drink one and I pour th over on me...
Second lap, I pass Luis, I keep passing people... Locals on he road are cheering for me... I hear things like... " ale torido tremenda corrida"... I am running 5mins per km and still passing people... End of the second lap... I feel a bit feverish... My right leg is cramping, but J is there... He says " cmon man, u got this! " he is expressing emotions... It means a lot... J never does...

I feel motivated.... 7Km... I pass one more guy... It is an Elite... Holyyyy ... He guys says..."ale amigo se puede" .... Lol... Se puede se puede... I am running back to he hotel... 21km almost done... Here it comes the arrival... So Many people cheering... Time says 4h39mins.... I have the biggest smile on my face... "again".

Post race is yet another super positive experience but this post is alreay too long to des ribe everything.

Anyway... 5pm, results are out...  I am 10th overall!!!!!!!!!

2nd of my category.. I am on the podium!!! 
Pics, price, and that little glory that I have been missing in the past 4-5 years of ups and downs.

Soon pics and videos

Gosh!