Well to start off, maybe I should introduce myself. I've mainly been a lurker on here, but check in pretty often. The forum has been especially helpful since I started IM training.

My name is Jamie and I'm a student in my third year at UW-Madison. This was my first attempt at the ironman distance. If anyone was at the awards banquet on Friday night - you probably saw me. Apparently I was the youngest competitor in IMOO (20 years old) so I got called on stage. Definitely wasn't expecting that!

So, onto the race! The week building up to IM was pretty exciting. Since I live right in the heart of campus I get to experience all of the Ironman excitement. Race morning I woke up at 4:30, ate breakfast, and was to the terrace by 5:30. The weather was looking perfect for the day. Before I knew it I was in the water and we were off. I was in the middle of the pack toward the inside. The first lap was pretty crowded and I got kicked several times. The second lap was much better and I finished the swim earlier than I had expected.

T1 took about 10 minutes. I completely changed before the bike. All the volunteers were extremely helpful and got me back on the course quickly.

I knew going into the race that the bike would be the toughest part for me. I'd ridden the course several times and knew what to expect with the hills. The first loop felt great and I was thinking that maybe 112 miles wasn't going to be so bad. The second loop brought me back to reality! I'm not sure what my splits were but I know I slowed down quite a bit on the second half of the ride. I couldn't wait to get off my bike, so when I rode up the helix I was ready to run.

T2 went pretty quickly as well. I changed shorts and shoes and was off. I met wipaddler there too - thanks for helping!

The run is my best sport of the three. I managed to run the entire 26, expect for aid stations and a couple of hills. The run felt much better than I had expected! Running down state street was great - the support was awesome. I never really hit a low point on the run, and I was really greatful for that.

Finally, I crossed the finish line and met up with my whole support crew. Overall it was a wonderful day. It went better than I had even hoped for, but I couldn't have done without all the support I got along the way! Thanks everyone!

Total Time --- 13:09:55
Overall Place --- 1178
Division Place --- 6/21

Swim --- 1:17:01
T1 --- 9:59
Bike --- 7:15:16 Pace --- 15.4
T2 --- 6:33
Run --- 4:21:08 Pace --- 9:58