Hello -

This isn't the blog update I wanted to give - I am afraid my South African Ironman dreams will have to be put on hold for a while as I have had to make the difficult decision to not start the race tomorrow.

This comes as a big disappointment, as I was so looking forward to a competitive race on a challenging course. I am really sorry that I won't be able to set out with what I intended to do.

I have never had this happen before a race, so it's safe to say it hasn't been my favorite week. I picked up an infection in my lungs early in the week and spent all week in bed (I'll spare you the details). We went back to see the doctor on Friday and he did another round of blood work which is showing I still have an active infection. He recommended I didn't start the race on the premise that there would be more to lose than to gain by racing. The good news is, I am actually starting to feel human again, it's just not enough for me to justify racing.

This decision didn't come easy but I know it's the right one.

I want to give a special mention to Dr. Kilian here in Port Elizabeth. If you are ever in this corner of the world, there's a reason it's called the "Friendly City." Dr. Kilian went above and beyond to fit me in without an appointment, make sure I had the chance to get healthy enough to race, and followed up with me all week to make sure I was doing okay. So, thank you, Dr. Kilian! Chris did an excellent job of putting up with a sick wife on race week = no easy feat. Lastly, Jesse, congrats on surviving an emotional race-week roller coaster. You deserve a cold beer, or three.

Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to wish me a great race. I know it's only a matter of time before I am back to my healthy ways and ready to give it a go at another event. I will be back to the drawing board with Jesse, my coach, and Chris as we make a plan moving forward.

Have some fun this weekend & if you are racing, make sure and go for it!

Best,

Linsey Corbin