The Bike

I had hoped for a pretty decent bike split based on the three 100+ milers done in training. Unfortunately I just could not seem to get my legs moving well. The ride started out okay, I settled into a comfortable pace and worked at getting some solids in. This proved to be a problem though. My nose was really congested from the salt water and wind and just kept dripping. Because my nose was so stuffed up when I tried to eat I was gasping for air.

Once we turned on to Route 20 the supposedly "pancake flat" course turned into what I would call undulating. By no means hills, but enough to challenge me especially as this stretch was directly into a headwind. A bit later into the ride I was surprised to hear someone calling my name but wasn't sure who it was which is why I am squinting in this picture. I found out later it was TG Heidi. I did see KR Maggie a few times and TG Kate and I stayed close to each other for most of the ride. By the time we got to the 30 miles to go point I stopped to pee and that's when I lost Kate.
On the final stretch everyone tells me there was a tailwind but I really didn't feel it. I did manage to pick-up the pace and pass a few people though. I did not enjoy the bike course. The road surface was awful for about 30% of the ride and the wind though not terrible just sapped my energy. My nose dripped the whole time and I just could not get comfortable on my saddle. I was disappointed with my time but hoped the slower than expected pace would leave my legs in good shape for the run. Finally, off the bike and into T2.