Tri the Parks - Fort Yargo State Park - TriathlonSprint

I like the clockwise turns becausee I breath on my right and have a tendency to pull right when I swim. I should have started to the left of the pack, but started to the right. I really think I did well on the swim. I just plodded it out and kept going. I turned at the big bouy and the sun was in my eyes. I couldn't see a thing except splashing from the other swimmers. I just kept following the crowd and finally the shore came into focus. I felt great about the swim...when I got out of the water and a little ways up the hill, I looked down at my watch and it said 13 minutes and some change. This is a pretty good time for me. I usually am a slow swimmer. The swim today was the best thing out of the whole race for me. Last year, it was the worst.

I wouldn't be looking at the other competitors. I started looking around to see who I was competing against. I compete in the Athena category and I swear, some of the Athenas don't look like they weigh enough. It is very disheartening to see a size 8 athena in front of you.

The transition time is skewed because this number reflects two transitions. My first transition time really was 1:57. I ran up the hill from the swim and got tuckered out and just walked. I think that is what took my time.

I am not sure.

I was doing pretty well on the bike, it wasn't easy, but still was holding my own when at the bottom of dry heave hill, my chain came off. Not just a lousy thing to happen, but in a lousy location. I got it back on but had to push the bike up the hill...well the first half, then I got on the bike and got myself up the second half of the hill on the bike. I was already in a fairly poor frame of mind, but this sent me into a tailspin. I let it get to me. This was the WRONG thing to do. I was already having negative thoughts, but this made me think that I wasn't going to make it to the end of the race.

The second bike was better than the first, but just a little. I think I averaged 14 mph on the second while I did less on the first. Either way, it was a terrible bike.

On a good note, I guess having a huge butt helps when going down dry heave hill, because I probably would have had an average of 10 mph if I had not have been going so fast. I was whizzing by people without even trying on the down hills. That was fun. I love my new bike. It is really extremely nice.

I am not sure. I do know that I need to work on the bike a lot. I am weak on the bike. Work on hills hills hills.

Actually the next transion time I had was 1:18. This is ok for me since I really wasn't pushing it this race.

The next transition I did was 1:24 and the last transition was 1:12.

not much

Well. I was in such a tizzy, I had given up after the bike. I was about 300 yards into the run and thought, I can't do it. I quit. I stopped right there at the little putt putt park and leaned on that fence for about 30 seconds and turned my watch off. It read 47:46 when I turned it off. I turned around and started walking back and I was going to quit right then. I walked about half way back to the transition area a quitter. On of the bystanders who had just cheered me on yelled at me and asked me what I was doing and told her quitting. She said..don't do that! I thought...no, I am not gonna do it. I am not a quitter. Yes this race is going to be ugly but by golly, I am going to finish this race. So I turned around and started jogging the course. I didn't turn my watch back on because it just depressed me when I looked at it. I just walked up the hills and jogged as much of it as I could. I had absolutey NO energy today.

I probably wouldn't have almost quit, and wasted a few minutes deciding to and then changing my mind. I am glad that I didn't quit, but I am feeling pretty low about my performance.

The second run I basically did the same. There was this guy that was with me throughout the race so we encouraged each other at the end. This totally helped me.

I didn't get to warm down. I basically ran to the tables, grabbed two bananas and 1/4 of a bagel and jogged back to the truck. I cried for about the first 25 minutes of the drive home. I was really disappointed in my race.

It was great to see some other BTers out there...they were great and very encouraging along the run route...was it swimmmergirl? I really can't remember at this point. Thanks!


Well being sick for the last two weeks didn't help. Not working out for the last two weeks was a hinderance. Not getting a good nights rest the night before was bad. And then later when I was getting undressed, I realized that I had unknowingly started my monthly cycle during the race. It all makes sense now, maybe I shouldn't have raced, but I am glad that I didn't quit.


This is a difficult race. The course is really tough.