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Vineman 2011 - Surrender to win

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Vineman Full Race Recap from Greg Bailey - Congratulations Greg ! I quit.   At the mile 18 aide station I looked at the assorted drinks and foods, the encouraging volunteers, the other racers, and couldn’t rally.  The people and the race nutrition were a blur and neither of them I could imagine ingesting.   I signed up for the 140.6 mile Vineman because I thought it would be an “easy” flat course and the half ironman was already sold out.  Not a problem, with a great tri coach and 9 months to prepare I should be able to knock it out without a problem.  I learned that  no ironman race is easy (especially the first one) and the Vineman was anything but flat.  This Vineman was their biggest ever with 1100 entered in the event.   The Vineman swim was in the Russian river composed  two crowded laps of athletes from the full, the aquabike, and the woman’s only half called Barb’s race.  It was the first time I couldn’t get clear and just swim but at least the water was a perfect temperature,