So, for giggles, I did a little looking into the Race Results.

More than 16% (or 239 athletes) didn't even bother starting the race!  239 ... that's crazy.  I know there was a lot of talk on the forums that some were cancelling because of the bad weather, but that's a pretty high number that decided not to even make the trip.

2012 IMNOLA Finisher's Medal

Of those that did start, only 2% (33 athletes) didn't finish.  Which, I'm going to assume several of them were from bike crashes due to the extremely high wind.  Glad to see a report that they were all minor and everyone was ok.

And, so while I may be not-so-happy about my performance,  at least I finished and received this awesome medal to add to my collection! :)

Keeping my DNF count to:  0


Although, I can definitely relate to some of the quotes below:

Former world champ Terenzo Bozzone unable to finish Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans

One name conspicuously absent from the results board after Sunday’s Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans was former world champion Terenzo Bozzone. After finishing the bike ride portion just outside the top 10, Bozzone said that he felt his “body was dead.” It was only the second “Did Not Finish” of Bozzone’s career, with the other being last September when an injury to his Achilles forced him out of the European 70.3 championships in Germany.

He said once he dismounted the bike he felt his legs start to cramp, and he made the decision at Mile 4 of the run to end his day early.

“I’m really disappointed to pull out,” Bozzone said. “It was real hard to make that decision. Putting one foot in front of the other was hard work. I kept pushing through to Mile 4 on the run, but I just had nothing in the tank today.”

Sunday’s event was Bozzone’s second race since having surgery on his Achilles last fall. He finished seventh in his first race back last month at the Ironman 70.3 New Zealand. He said his Achilles was feeling pretty good overall, but that it could have been other issues from training that led to the problem Sunday.

“Maybe there could have been a lack of high-end conditioning since coming back, but that will come back in the next couple of races,” Bozzone said.

It was another setback for an athlete that has had much success at a relatively young age in the sport of triathlon. In Sunday’s race, 18 of the top 20 finishers in the men’s and women’s competition were 30 or older. Bozzone, who turned 27 last month, already has 11 victories at the 70.3 distance and won the 2008 70.3 World Championships.

“My girlfriend is telling me to keep strong and stay tough, and mentally that’s what this game is,” Bozzone said. “I just have to keep tough mentally and know that I do have what it takes to get back on top. These hard times are what builds character and makes you stick in the sport for the right reasons, which for me is the love of it.”

Source:  http://www.nola.com/running/index.ssf/2012/04/former_world_champ_terenzo_boz.html#incart_mce