I bought a road bike about one year ago. I hadn't been on a bike in years. I was quickly hooked. A friend I made through cycling told me about a race he was doing. He described what was an Ironman, I was left amazed, thought for a minute and told him that I wanted in. In hindsight I realize how crazy it was for me to think that I could do an Ironman with 0 experience in open water swimming, little cycling experience, and the only prior running experience being Varsity sports a few years back in High School.
Vineman Iron Distance Race Day-. I arrived at Johnson's beach a bit nervous as hundreds of people were being body marked and getting ready for the 2.4 mile swim. It dawned on me there that I had never swam in open water....this could go horribly wrong. When that gun went off one of the greatest experiences in my life started. 14:03:56 later I would sprint across the finish line with a feeling I didn't know existed. My swim time was 1:34, bike 7:03, Run 5:13 (age-22) . It is amazing what the human body can endure. I stayed hydrated and fed which kept me fresh for the run. Looking back I could have pushed it harder on the bike but I didn't know what it was going to be like to run 26.2 miles, the most I had ever run was 12. The only glitches in the day were that my profile design saddle mounted bottle cages decided to fall off barely 10 minutes into the bike (I guess I didn't secure those very well) and my feet hurt really really bad 3/4 through the bike. Specifically the area around where the pedal meets the shoe. I have good Sidi Shoes and Look Pedals. Is this a common ailment during the bike or could this be specific to my mechanics or equipment. I would appreciate any help with a possible diagnosis. For those of you who contribute to this great site thank you, for the help and inspiration. For those of you who like me are new to this just remember that everyone starts somewhere, and 99.9% of the triathletes I have met are the nicest people I have met. It takes someone special to enjoy this.