Finished

But not the coveted "Finisher."
DNF is not a title I could record, but that's the truth.

I had suspicions already at mile 40 when I stopped for water and a bathroom break and couldn't weight bear normally. The stop on the next side was worse. Had to ask the volunteers to hold the bike so I could even get off and then give me a shoulder.

They ended up carrying me. Right past my run gear bag handoff to the medic tent. Mr bedside manner wasn't much for problem solving with me about how to get an x-ray that he suggested I get without a ride other than ambulance or my insurance card- or get a taxi when I didn't have a credit card- also in the room with the insurance card.

Long story short I don't recommend traveling to an Ironman alone.

Suspect a stress fracture from the symptoms but haven't had any problems whatsoever. Can't say my running mileage has been high- even for an Ironman training plan- it was enough to get me to the start injury free.
I'm trying to avoid an emergency room x-ray here if I can stand the pain. Icing, ibuprofen and elevating. If you're reading and know better advice- like better pain killers, or I'll get something more to help this heal fast by going tomorrow- I'd like to know!

Two nice firemen brought me back in a gator - right to the hotel- and then got a wheelchair from front desk because they didn't think hopping would be a good idea. Tom Dodge I think was the name on the driver's shirt. If I remember to find out I'll thank him.

The rest of the day? Amazing. The swim went great- at least after my wet suit zipper came undone before swim start as we were in the water treading waiting for start. So I laid myself across one of they kayaks and he got me back in the game. I lost my nose plugs- even my spares- but by that point it was like- oh, well.

The bike highs and lows included the volunteers, the out and back so we got to constantly see other riders, and the wind with us going out/uphill most of the time. Coming back downhill the winds must have been? 20-30 at least. It was work all the way on every lap - so on the last of course, getting pretty old!

Rainbow appeared in the last lap - hard not to think it wasn't meant to be there for the chasing!

Laughingly last night I said to myself - hey, the Bucket List is on at 8pm Sun night. If I were done I could see it. Ironically I am. Hoping that I didn't somehow send that message out to the universe.