I'm kind of surprised that I was over 40 minutes for this, especially since I was nice and buoyant in the salty water in a wetsuit. Maybe its because of the time it took to haul myself out of the bay and get to the mat? Except for some neck and underarm chafing, this was a really nice swim. I kept everything calm and relaxed. There wasn't a lot to look at as far as landmarks, so you really did have to use the buoys for siting. They were kind of small, but I think my lines were pretty straight.

Practice in a wetsuit more. It felt strange.

Oh wow, this was awful. I've actually never gotten out of a wet wetsuit before, and it was embarrassing how difficult I found it. There was a long walk/run from the water into transition, so it would have been a long T1 time regardless. But wow. So bad.

Practice in a wetsuit more!!

My plan was to get faster with each 5 mile chunk, and I was successful! The course was really pretty, although a bit lonely since the Aqua Bike athletes were the last wave. Since I'm a slow/average swimmer and a slow cyclist, I didn't see a lot of people. I did manage to pass a few, which is encouraging.
Right at the beginning I heard a terrible noise when I pedaled. Figured out within the first five minutes that it was my frame pump that had fallen down and was getting smacked by my pedal with every stroke. Hopped off, stuffed it in my hydration pack, and got going again.
The last few miles were really starting to get tough. I had to bargain with myself a bit to keep on pushing and not let off the gas. So proud of myself!

For the first time every, I'm really pleased with my bike. Yes, I wish I were faster, but that will come with work and some weight loss. But I really gave it everything I had.

Some confusion about where Aqua Bike athletes went, then some picking my way through the mud pit that was transition to gather my things. I was a little bit goofy, which usually means I need some water and salt. Gathering my things and walking was my warm down.


Fitness and weight. I wasn't very consistent with my workouts, so even though I had a lot of improvement in confidence, it didn't translate into speed since my overall fitness didn't improve. I'm also much heavier than I was last season.


This was my first time doing a Kinetic race. I've heard really good things, and overall, this was a nice race. If I had a complaint, it would be about the volunteers. So many of them seemed lackluster, or just plain weren't doing their jobs. I would suspect the volunteer coordinator did not provide adequate directions. It is not helpful to stand at an intersection with your flag, not moving. Am I supposed to turn, go straight ahead? Good thing I had studied the map and knew where I was going.
It wouldn't stop me from doing another Kinetic race. I'm sure the others are great. In fact, I'm really looking forward to doing another race on this course, hopefully a triathlon if my run is up to it.