No Sweat Aquathon - Short Course - Biathlon (swim/run)

Time is not exact: no chip timing.
I started out front/mid of the pack. Didn't get hit or anything and pulled away from enough people. The fast girls (high school swimmers) were in front. I think I settled in somewhere in the middle. Uneventful swim for the most part. I got off track a couple times, my goggles were fogging and the sun came out. I had trouble on the stretch in and couldn't see anything. I drafted off a guy from the group behind me to find my way in. (I passed him on the way to transition)

I wore my clear goggles because there were dark clouds in the sky that looked like they would break any minute. They passed and I couldn't see.

Times are estimated. I looked at my watch a while after I got out of the pond, and looked again as I left transition. About a minute I think.

Passed 3 boys up a big long hill to transition and beat them out of transition. I could hear their parents yelling "Don't let a girl pass you!" I never saw them again.

Didn't feel like that great of a transition. It should have been faster but my head wasn't with the start of the race since I was so rushed.

Ugh. Sigh. Where do I begin. *trying not to let my emotions take over as I'm writing this*

Started out fine, mostly downhill. I got to the tunnel, about 1/2 a mile in and there was a volunteer saying to go under the tunnel, even though there were arrows for the 5k to go a different way. This was confusing, it cost me a second or two. (mental note) I went under, through, and came up to a water stop about a minute later. A little under an 8 min mile, humm...I don't think I'm going that fast, I think to myself. I grab a cup of water and run more, then hit the turnaround (this was just a little out and back part of the course) I come back to the water stop and look at my watch...this is probably the 1 mile mark, the sign must be backwards I thought. (poor event management mental note #2)

I am approaching the tunnel again. The path splits three ways. Right, straight, and left. There are arrows for the 5k pointing left. Several girls in front of me go left. I go left too. There isn't a sign saying to go back under the tunnel and since the RD made such a big deal about only going under the tunnel once I followed them. We went over the tunnel, about a couple blocks and didn't see anyone. They turned around and went back to the tunnel. This was the way we were supposed to go originally. Great. There should have been a sign saying to go back under the tunnel.

After the tunnel the volunteer that was there the first time was gone. I went right, I was pretty sure this was the way to go, there were lots of people to follow now. (I lost time and many people passed me). We ran a while along a sidewalk. The course was a little hilly and my knee was trying to talk to me. Ugh. "I have another race this afternoon, this isn't a good sign," I talked to myself. We went down a steep hill then right back up and turned left. I was waiting for Aaron to pass me any minute since I had lost time and he was probably running faster than I was. We ran along a tree lined sidewalk and came to a street to go into a neighborhood. There were 3 colors of 5k "turn left" arrows. We turned left. Lots of us. We saw people coming out of the subdivision so thats the way we went too. I had a feeling in the neighborhood this wasn't the way to go. I got out of the neighborhood and approached mile 2. I knew at that point Aaron had passed me and would finish before me.

Mile 1-2 took me over 15 minutes. Over 1.5 miles, maybe 2 total, as I felt I was running pretty well despite my knee. It wasn't hurting, but was a little twitchy and I think it was the hills.

I knew I had gone the wrong way. I picked it up and passed a lot of the younger girls that beat me on the swim and 2 other women (one in my AG)They all had the ages 14-16 on their legs and were obviously swimmers. I can run much longer than three miles! I will eat you for lunch for making me go the wrong way! I did and it felt great. I was really pissed at this point.

I passed one other person right before the mile 3 point. I picked it up, and was running on emotion at this point.


I can say pay attention more at the meeting but I was rushing to get ready. She was not clear about the tunnel, I know I heard that. She should have said "go through one tunnel, then come back through the same one." She was not clear.

I did not know the course, I was at a disadvantage here. People that had done races there before (Aaron) knew to go straight and not into the intersection.

Tried to calm the f*ck down. I was (and still am) so pissed. This was unacceptable. Rant below.

B*tched to Aaron about the course for a while, then went and got Shadow. I love my puppy at races! Its so fun.
Sat around while Aaron became a time keeper since there weren't enough volunteers and waited for the BTers to come in.


Stupid f*cking run course.

I was 5th in my AG. Had I not gone the wrong way I would have been 4th for sure, and maybe even 3rd. I was feeling good before the extra mile so I probably would have picked it up at mile 2 to finish strong.


I should have known the course but there wasn't time to look at a map (even if there was one, I don't think there was). I only saw 4 volunteers on the run course: 1 guy at the first water stop; 1 guy at the tunnel (for only one pass though!); and 2 guys at the mile 2 water stop. No volunteers or signs at the intersections. WTF?!?

I will not do this race again. I will probably not do another event my this company, No Sweat Racing, again.