How To Win Kona Before The End Of The World

LA 13.1 - 1:20:39 — 24th Overall

Maybe I screwed this up because the race start was right down the street, but I showed up to the finish line at 6:20 looking for a cab to the 4 mile away start line in Venice before trying to hitchhike before getting in my car and speeding back to the start line, parking, getting there at 6:52 before I found out we were starting 15 minutes late.

I went out looking to hold a 6:15 pace. Started around there before trickling into the 6:08’s and 6:09’s. There was a point where I knew I had a shot to break 1:20, obviously more a mental victory than anything, before I saw the hill coming between 9 and 10 and started reciting the end of every Scooby Doo episode where the henchmen would have gotten away with everything if it weren’t for those damn kids. My head was the henchmen, its aim was the hill - I would have gotten away with a sub 1:20 if it weren’t for that damn thing. That was my dialogue those last 3.5 or so. Still, the last mile was in the 5:40’s and I am pleased. To say this isn’t a massive jump would be dishonest. Also dishonest would be to say I’m not capable of a 1:15…after the first two legs of a 70.3. It would.

I crossed the finish line and started yelling for a cab. Somehow, after running down the middle of the street for 3 blocks, one appeared. He FLEW me back to my car in about 11 minutes. I drove another 8 and made it to teach my 9AM spin class 3 minutes late. Good thing because oh baby, did they bring it.