Comment: Taupo Ironman proves a ripper of a race

I am uncomfortably achy from my hips to my toes, I have chafing wounds that wouldn't look out of place in a torture chamber, and when I walk down stairs I look like a marionette.
But I also have an Ironman New Zealand finisher's medal and that more than makes up for all this minor discomfort.
Saturday was the race of my life and I know I can retire on a high. While the wet was a source of despair for some, I relished the rainy conditions. I'm a natural-born Pom, that's for sure.
But it wasn't all plain sailing.
As I pulled on my wetsuit I felt my worst nightmare come true. A month ago I put a 3cm hole in my suit - just above my bottom. I had glued it up and it had survived a 4.2km swim across the lake last weekend. But on Saturday I felt the hole reappear. And this time it grew to twice the length of before.
Race commentator Mike Reilly had earlier said we cannot control the weather but we can control our attitude. I held on to that idea and wandered into the water with a good attitude, and a gaping hole.
It was to be the best decision of the day. I swam like never before. Normally I would shy away from big groups but I decided to swim in a bunch and get dragged along.
Swim 1:10 - previous best 1:14, expected this time due to shoulder injury 1:25. I was stoked and it set me up for a great day.
When you're riding 180km the best thing you can do is get comfortable. I was all that and happy to boot. Sure it was wet but the wind was light and I was flying along with puddles in my shoes. I didn't even notice the jet planes the second time around, although I managed to count how many cyclists were behind me (210, 15 aero helmets and one with a disc wheel).
It took me seven hours and six minutes, but I can't remember much of it. I was so focused on getting it done and achieving a new fast time (24 minutes faster than 2009). I heard my name so many times as I passed through Taupo it was uplifting.
The rain had clearly taken its toll. The wet roads had caused a few crashes and many suffered punctures, but I was unscathed.
There was flooding in the change tent and through transition - I had wet feet in my fresh new socks before the run started. But I was ready to take on the final challenge.
I couldn't run as much as I would have liked but I knew I was going to finish with a new best and that's all that mattered.
Finishing an Ironman is the most overwhelming feeling. You have strangers calling your name, cheering you on. Kids hold out their hands for high-fives and I had a smile from ear to ear.
It's hard to explain the overwhelming feeling of finishing an Ironman, but I feel satisfied.