This was the US Masters National Championship. Some very speedy folks out there, including OA 1 and 2, who raced side by side for the entire distance and finished in 41 minutes. I was there to see how I stacked up, and whether I could still swim 2 miles straight with no breaststroke mixed in to make things easier (mission accomplished). Secretly was coveting a sub-50 minute finish, but I could see from my watch at the 1-mile mark (26:20) that wasn't going to happen. The good news is that I hit pretty much the same time for mile 2 (26:32).

Sighting and navigation were harder than they should have been. You just follow the cable to the end and back and repeat four times, right? But foggy goggles, bright sun, and general hypoxia had me swerving around a bit, especially in mile 2 when fatigue was a factor. I was absolutely lousy at the turnaround buoys, but that's not a skill I've practiced before, so no wonder. Gave away big time there, unfortunately.

Considering I haven't swum that far in almost 20 years, I'm pleased with my splits and overall time, but finishing last in my AG (4/4) was humbling. The previous weekend I was first out of the water for my AG (1/14) at a local sprint tri. Bigger pond this time around, and bigger (speedier) fish, too.

Very pleasant event in a beautiful setting (same lake where IMLP is held). Perfect weather for the weekend and a bunch of nice folks, too.

This concludes my race season. There are a couple more local events I had my eye on, but we're getting ready to have a baby next month, so there are other things to do right now.

To quote Waterdog: "Train well, peeps."

Should have practiced the 180 degree maneuver at the turnaround buoys.