My water shoe came untied right around the bouy. I couldn't kick hard with it loose and it slowed me down significantly. I stopped and swam off course to hand my shoe to a lifeguard. It probably cost me about 1 min 30 sec.

I will double knot my shoes, even though they will take longer to take off. It is not worth the time I lost in the swim. Other than that I was having a great swim, and I think that next week I will have my best swim!

It took me a long time to get my feet into the cages. I tightened them before the race and it made it harder for me to get in.

I may try to practice tightening my cages while I am moving, so that I don't waste a lot of time trying to get my feet in them. Eventually I would like some clipless pedals and shoes. I need to finish my waterbottle on the bicycle portion or I will bonk on the run.

This was a very good transition.

I have to stop wearing too many outfits on the course. I have a bicycle jersey that I really like, but I don't want to pin my number to it. So I change after the bike into a tank top. I need to get a racing belt, so that I can just wear my bicycle jersey through the whole race, so I don't waste time changing.

I bonked at the beginning of the run. I didn't push hard enough for the last mile and a half. I don't like running on sand or loose dirt. It really makes my legs heavy.

Push myself harder for the 2nd half. I don't want to have gas in the tank at the end of the race. At the pace I was running I could have continued to run another 5K.

Walking, and swimming.


Experience, and mental fatigue. My shoe falling off. Getting a slow start on the bike. Changing clothes too much.


If I do it again next year, I will be ready.