Mixed feelings about swimming out to start. It was a good warmup (about 200-300 yards) but it was energy I didn't want to expend.
I started out on the "shore" (right) side to avoid getting hit. and just stuck to that side. There were a couple of times where I had to make navigation adjustments because I was too close to things on the shore. I sighted on the cranes until the last marker.

We had a good outflow and I wasn't really aware of anyone in my wave. I passed some waves in front of me. I ended up swimming 1139 yards with a pace of 1:27 according to my watch. I really need to learn to swim/bike/run in straight lines.

One more important thing. Since there was a swim out, a lot of the people in the first wave missed their start time.

Not much. This is my third year (out of 4 years of the race) doing it and this was the first year I was happy with the swim. Getting a tri wet suit definitely helped. I was positively buoyant around my hips and I really had to remember to kick.

From the exit of the swim to getting on my bike, I "ran" 0.55 miles. The route takes you south to a pedestrian bridge over a train track. The reason for this is because the tracks are live. In fact, there was a train on the tracks as I was running to the bridge.

The steps of the bridge can be slippery. Almost everyone left running shoes at the swim exit for the run.

I had a good ride. My bike computer wasn't working so I was just focusing on maintaining a steady speed which I did until the very end where I slowed down due to turns and poor quality the street.
This course was much better than the one they had in the first and second years in that it was straighter. There are 2 small "hills" still. but they aren't long or hard.

I didn't see the number of blowouts I saw in past years. This might mean that the street was cleaned before the race.


I took my feet out of my shoes way too early.

When I dismounted at the mount line, some guy managed to clip me. I'm not sure how someone gets so close to someone with so much open space.

Take feet out of shoes for only the last block.

The run around the lake is nicer which is part of the Olympic course. I liked that we didn't have to loop back out to the aquatic center.

I aggravates my left leg doing a speed workout 7 days before the race. So my run time was slower than I would have liked. (8 min/mile instead of 7:30)

Got a good massage on my leg. Drank water. Ate food. Waited for friends.


I'd say my self inflicted leg aggravation for the run.


The start seemed a bit disorganized in getting us to the swim start. In years past there was a boat. The clarity of the water was the best its been in the 3 times I have done this race. I liked the new bike course. It's a nice race.