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Sep 9, 2012 · Santa Cruz, CA · Bib 213 · M30-34

Big Kahuna
Half Ironman

1.2 mi swim · 56 mi bike · 13.1 mi run · 70.3 miles total. The dress rehearsal eleven weeks before Ironman Cozumel — and the day I finished a half Ironman with one arm.

5:45:29
Official Finish · Half Iron Distance

The Story

With about six miles to go on the bike, I wrecked. Hard. I got up with an elbow full of rocks, and the medical crew was clear: don't finish — you need to go to the hospital. Instead, I straightened out my handlebars, they wrapped my elbow and put me in a sling, and I rode the last six miles with one arm.

Then I ran the half marathon. In the sling. 9:23 a mile.

After I crossed the line, I went to the hospital, where they pulled a bunch of rocks out of my elbow and stitched it up. Every number below happened with one working arm.

The Numbers

197
Overall
of 522 finishers — top 38%
36
Division M30-34
of 58 in the age group
183
Run Rank
My best discipline of the day
433
T2 Rank
4:46 — they were bandaging my elbow and fitting the sling

The Splits

31:00
Swim · 1.2 mi
Rank 143 · Monterey Bay, wetsuit, cold
2:59:29
Bike · 56 mi
Rank 249 · 18.7 mph — including a crash at mile 50 and the last six miles one-armed
2:02:55
Run · 13.1 mi
Rank 183 · 9:23/mi · in a sling
7:17
T1 · Swim to Bike
4:46
T2 · Bike to Run
12:03
Total Transitions
Includes on-course medical care. Fair trade.

Me vs. The Average Half Ironman

National averages for male 70.3 finishers: 38:51 swim, 2:54:38 bike, 2:04:16 run, 5:51:25 overall.

Swim
Nearly 8 minutes FASTER than average
Me
31:00
Avg Male
38:51
Bike
5 minutes over average — with a crash and one working arm
Me
2:59:29
Avg Male
2:54:38
Run
Faster than average — in a sling
Me
2:02:55
Avg Male
2:04:16
Overall
6 minutes FASTER than the average male 70.3 finisher
Me
5:45:29
Avg Male
5:51:25
Beat the average male 70.3 finisher in the water, on the run, and overall — after a crash, against medical advice, with one arm. The average guy had both of his.

The Field

4:11:31
Winner
Yoni Doron-Peters · Age 27
Out of the water in 22:06, off the bike at 24.7 mph. I gave him a 1:33:58 head start on the rest of his day.
5:45:29
Me
Rob Gaedtke · Age 30 · M30-34
197th of 522 — with a wrecked bike, an elbow full of rocks, and a sling. Faster than the average half Ironman finisher anyway. Hospital after the finish line, Cozumel eleven weeks later.
9:41:59
Final Finisher
Chris Moss · Age 31
522nd of 522. Nearly ten hours out there and still crossed the line. Respect.
Race data: 2012 Big Kahuna Water Festival official results (Buzzword Productions / It's About Time Timing), saved in this project at data/big-kahuna-2012-results.pdf and data/big-kahuna-2012-age-group.pdf. National averages: Marathon Handbook — Average Half Ironman Times · TRI247