Wings to Fly

The run course of Ironman 70.3 Worlds in Vegas is designed to physically and mentally break even the toughest athletes down, not to mention running it during the middle of the day when the air temperature is reporting 110 makes it practically ridiculous.  There is no telling how hot it is actually on the black asphalt on a course that has a total of about 10 feet of shade along it.  1/3 of the professional athletes racing ended up dropping out of the race by the time they encountered the run that day. The course is 3 loops.  Racers come out of transition and run downhill for a little over a mile, around a cone, then uphill for over 2 miles, around a cone and back down.  To make it more fun, you get to pass, literally, about 10 feet from the finish line, see the croud, hear the announcer calling out finishers, vere to the left and climb a little nasty extra hill around a pavillion and start the trek over again. I came out of transition flying, perhaps it...

I quickly made my way to my bike, passing a handful of people in transition (I am a firm believer that transition seconds are freebies.  Races are truly won and lost in transition).  I opted to run my bike out of transition, up a carpeted zig-zag hill and out on to the road where we were allowed to mount and begin riding with my bike shoes on my feet rather than strapping them to the pedals and running barefoot to the mounting line.  Before my start, I had watched a handful of pros attempt the bike run up that zig zag hill and because of the steepness of the grade, ended up kicking off a bike shoe that was attached to their pedal, causing them to have to stop and run after it.  It was not worth the risk to me, plus, at that distance event, I wanted to wear socks for the bike and run. As I hopped on my bike and headed up the first half mile incline out of the resort, something was not sounding right on my bike.  It was like a metal rubbing sound ...

I woke up race morning and headed down to transition to pump up my tires and make sure everything was good to go.  Borrowing a friend's pump, I attempted to add air to my tires unsuccessfully.  I don't know if it was his pump or the tubular tires, but I could not get more than 100psi in the tire before the connection piece flew off.  The girl whose bike was next to mine even tried to help with no luck.  I borrowed a second pump from a non-English speaking Swiss guy in the next row over, but still struggled unsuccessfully at getting any more air in the tires.  The announcer gave the call to close transition so I shrugged my shoulders and headed for the exit.  Dave spotted me on the other side of the transition barrior and concern was written all over his face.  When I told him what I was struggling with, he and the guy standing next to him told me to run and get my bike and bring it over to them.  I am sure this is 100% illegal, bu...