Totally worth it...

The trek to Vegas was fraught with peril -- my pedals and skewers fell out of my bike case at the KC airport and then the hotel didn't have my reservation. Yikes! But I was lucky that the Ravella (which is a fabulous hotel, by the way) still had rooms available. And JT's Bicycles in Henderson carries Speedplay Zeroes. Crises averted.

Here's my bike setup, complete with the necessary replacement parts:

But getting to the start line healthy and then surviving 70.3 miles on a brutally hot course has it's rewards.

Sure, the giant finisher's medal was cool. (Look at that thing -- it's like a boxing title belt!) 

But I have to admit that my picture with Faris has to be the highlight.

Anything that cools you down is also a big plus. The people manning the hoses and aid stations deserve sainthood.

(They were polite enough to check that people wanted to be sprayed down. My response was usually "bring it!")

What a great experience -- incredible competitors, a challenging course, and a great result.  Can't really ask for more.

Next stop: Oklahoma City for my last race of the season, Redman Half!