Half Ironman goals/results?

[woowoo]

My official HIM group training starts next week and because I'm an obsessed numbers-driven person I'm already trying to set my goals for the race in August.

Would you mind sharing what your goals were (you can break them down if you want to each segment, or just the overall) and whether you achieved them?  I know this will vary GREATLY based on the race, but I just want to see some goals/actuals.  And stories if you want to share them?

I'm nervous as hell to start training, I feel like such a newbie. 

[joenali]

First half: finish
Second: drop time in my bike and swim
3rd and 4th: drop time in my bike and run! Lol!

[Susie]

Obviously it's a good idea to have something like a goal, but at least for me, it was SUCH an unknown going into my first HIM that the goals I had for myself were only a small step above chucking some darts at a dartboard.  Until you do it, how do you know how you'll do in a 13.1 after 1.2 swim + 56 bike?  How do you know your nutrition plan will work?  How many times will you have to make a bathroom pit stop, at how many minutes per?  Et cetera.

The season before my first HIM, I had a stress fracture and did aquabikes as a result - including a half iron aquabike.  My training was only so-so that year.  So, since I was actually following a training plan for my HIM, I figured it was fair to take my previous 4:08 half iron aquabike as my best estimate for the first two legs.  So then I just had to add T2 + run, which made my estimations way simpler than for most peoples' first HIM.

I finished my first ever 13.1 two months before the HIM in 2:07, but I had no idea how that would translate when tired.  I thought ok, 4:08 + :02 for T2 means I have 2:50 for the run to break 7:00 for the HIM.  That was my baseline "C" goal.  From there I took it in 15 minute increments because... eh why not?  I figured a 2:35 run would mean a 6:45, and a 2:20 run would mean a 6:30.  I did not dare to dream any faster than that, and I had no idea whether 2:50 or 2:20 was more likely.  I would have been disappointed with a 7:xx finish; I was hoping and semi-anticipating coming in around the 6:45 goal.

On race day I went 6:24.  I was thrilled with the surprise.  My estimates were not bad -- my swim was close, and my bike leg was faster than it had been at the aquabike (by 11 mins if my math is right?).  That was where a good chunk of the gain came from relative to my estimates.  My run was also on the better end of what I hoped for; around 2:25.

In the absence of having the aquabike to base estimates off of, I really don't know how I'd come up with any kind of credible estimate before training even starts.  Even WITH that I didn't have a great idea where I'd end up.  Once training gets underway you can use bike and run paces on similar terrain to race day, and maybe figure adrenaline is a wash with tiredness of putting it all together?  Other than that, you've just gotta do it the first time to know for sure.

I still haven't decided on my goal for my June HIM.  I'm waiting to see how training rides and runs go.  I would love to break :30 in my swim, but that's a vanity goal and probably not the best way to get the best overall HIM time.  I'm working harder on bike + run this cycle.  I'll decide on a goal bike pace in mph and run pace in m/m and calculate from there, with an assumed T1 + T2 + potty stops to determine goals this time.  Hopefully the margins will be a lot smaller!