Not sure where we put race reports now, but here we go.
TL:DR - shit day from start to finish and I really miss my Mum
Prep has been ok and made sure I followed the carb loading protocol for the last 48 hours - 800+ grams !!
Felt a bit weird this morning, but dizzy, but off to the lake to hear the news it’s 29 degrees. Ok. So swim is gonna be much slower due to my super sinky legs. Did 1:11 in 2024.
Off we go and straight away my body temp is up. Not too much biff, but feeling very rough very quickly.
Out the Aussie exit in 30:00 and took my time on the beach.
Properly slowed down the big lap and thought maybe around 1:12…out in 1:17 
Race over.
Into T1 feeling like a bag of Uncle Bens rice and then off to my bike to get a penalty from the ref and my helmet wasn’t on as I left the changing area
He wasn’t having it that it needs to be on before I touch my bike, but was only 60s
Onto the bike to find one of the extra elbow pads was gone. The Drag 2 Zero ones are lacking, but off we go.
The Cadex is very fast in a straight line which was lucky as I was already too hot to push any sort of power, but was still getting 25mph / 40km/h at 70%
First hill and it becomes apparent how hot it is. Without the (hot) breeze, I’m burning, so again had to meter out the power.
Downhills though. Was flying past people pedalling full beans whilst freewheeling, so took advantage of every decline.
Other than that it was just focusing on trying to hydrate, fuel and cool down. So much fluid was going in and then 5 minutes later my mouth was arrid.
Got overtaken by the lead men just at the last big hill.
Second lap was uneventful, just trying not to overheat, until my old nemesis of cramp appeared on the final climb 5km from the end.
Overall I averaged 22.2 for 172w average / 195W NP which is crazy to me.
3:30 and into T2
Just as I got off the bike, my left quad went into cramp and I couldn’t move for about 3 minutes.
Once that went, we pootled to the change tent and off onto the “run” By this point it was just going to be get round without incident…
Every aid station was a full stop to get ice as it was steaming out there.
Miles 5 and 6 were ok as I could “run” but the aid station stops slowed them.
Mum always had the same supporting spots every time we’d go to Frankfurt, so of course my mind went to that on the bike and then on the run.
I’d put a photo of her on the bench on the run course where she’d normally be, about 6km on the loop, so when I got there I stopped for a very ugly cry.
Rest of lap 1 was just trying to stay cool and failing miserably. My legs didn’t feel too bad, but any time I thought bout picking up the pace, body temp went up and back to walking for a bit.
About 11km in my left foot felt weird and a bit of foam looked liked it had come off.
Carried on for a bit and then the realisation that the whole midsole was detaching, hit.
I then had to walk about 500m with one shoe on to the next aid station and asked if there was any tape. Someone found some gaffer tape and we bodged it.
Running then was even slower and I didn’t want to test it, but about another 1km in it was coming off.
I stopped and by a miracle a guy had some proper sticky duck tape. Basically covered the whole shoe and off we went again.
From there it was just “get to the end” Run, overheat, walk, repeat.
Was able to at least run across the line and then another ugly cry.
Every race I do seems to have a curse where something goes wrong. I need to find the gypsy woman / witch that I wronged.