I chose the Gulf Coast Triathlon as my first half-Ironman event, mostly because several friends from my triathlon club were also doing it. The event is held in Panama City Beach, Florida near Pensacola. I’m from Florida, so I’m not sure why I didn’t think about the fact that this is a race in a Florida beach community in May. Maybe that wasn’t the smartest of ideas for someone who dislikes racing in the heat, but by...