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 Swim
Comments: Swim was ok, but since I lost my goggles at the gym, I had to use my old pair with the straps that were in bad shape, so I couldn't tighten them enough. Water filled my right eyepiece close to the end of the race, so I ended up just ripping the goggles off and swimming head-up for a few hundred feet to the swim exit.  Transition 1
Comments: Meh. Could've been better, but I was just happy both tires were still inflated!  Bike
Comments: The first lap was pretty good because not too many people were on the bike course yet. There were a few waves before mine, but there weren't enough people to make the course crowded yet. I passed a couple of guys and got passed by a couple more. The turn into the second lap was like riding into a herd of cattle. There was just a mass of people, making two rows down the lane and making it impossible to pass. I managed to get around a couple of riders before the pack got really bad, then I was stuck riding behind a guy who just wouldn't move over! There was only one lane blocked off for us and the others were open to regular traffic, so I was blocked in. I shouted "on your left!" and the guy didn't move, so I looked around to make sure the lane was clear, shot through the cones into the traffic lane, and passed the group with a quick sprint. I got to the right as soon as there was an opening and the rest of the ride was relatively uneventful. What would you do differently?: 2 lap courses are tough, especially when they're not that long. I think I handled it as well as I could have in the circumstances. Transition 2
Comments: Oh man...can we say "clumsy?" I knocked over the ONLY bike on the rack behind me when I was running my bike to my spot. To make it even more interesting, the relay racks were right there and all of the runners waiting for their cyclists were watching me. I threw on my gear, grabbed my race belt, and ran over and racked the bike I knocked over. It cost a couple of seconds, but my conscience wouldn't let me just leave it there. What would you do differently?: Try not to run into things.  Run
Comments: My pace was pretty slow for the distance, but I was worn out. I stuck it out, thinking it was only 3 miles and I'd be done soon. When I looked at my garmin and it said 3.3 miles, I thought "something's up." It turns out I read the distance wrong and I still had a mile to go! I think my mental state at that point was waning and I just wanted to be done. I finished strongly and was happy to get a cold drink and some fruit at the finish line. What would you do differently?: I think my reading error actually helped me because my pace was for a 5K, so if I had known it was 4 miles I would've started out slower. I guess it worked out in the end. Post race
Warm down: Ate some fruit, drank some water, caught the bus back to the transition area to pick up my car, and got back to the race just as they were starting the awards. I ended up getting 3rd in my age group, but I was most proud of my bike split. Fastest in my age group and 3rd fastest female bike split! I think I'm going to take a picture of my award and send it, along with a check for the tube, to the bike shop that helped me. I would've been a DNS if it hadn't been that guy! What limited your ability to perform faster: Psyched myself out! I was convinced I wouldn't be able to finish due to mechanical problems, so I figured I'd do the swim and anything after that would be icing on the cake. Maybe that actually helped my race, though, since just in it for the fun that way. Event comments: Good for a downtown race. The awards were pretty cool, too. They had water bottles for the top 5 in each age group. Not bike water bottles, but the sturdy kind with a metal bottom. Nice volunteers, too! I didn't see one disgruntled volunteer during the whole race. Last updated: 2008-09-14 12:00 AM
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United States
Central Florida Sports Commission
Sunny
Overall Rank = 104/51
Age Group = F25-29
Age Group Rank = 3/33
Woke up, ate breakfast, had terrible hotel coffee, and headed out to the race site. This was my first tri since moving to FL in July, so I was really excited to be back in the race atmosphere. I set up my transition area, visited the port-o-potties, and had some time before the race so I hung around my bike and mentally prepared. It's a good thing I was near my bike, because one of my tubes blew out. Of course, I had left my tire change kit in my car, so I ran the 1/4 mile or so back to my car and found the kit, opened it up...empty. No tube! I knew I had a tube in the bucket I keep my bike stuff in, so I dug that one out...wrong size! My tri bike is 650c and that tube was for my road bike. I decided to ask around to see if anyone had a spare so I took the wheel and my pump back to the transition area. I checked the bike shop tent just in case, and didn't see any 650 tubes. As I was about to leave, one of the bike shop guys asked if I needed help, and I told him my situation. He dug a tube out from under the table and I told him I didn't have any money on me but I could pay him after the race. He told me not to worry about it, changed my tire, and noticed that the rim tape was worn off in one of the spoke holes, which was why the tube blew out. He put new tape on and I ran off to put the wheel back on the bike. I got finished just as they were closing transition to start the race!
Running back and forth to the car in a panic!