So the house deal is still good.  Set to close 5/8.  Our house payment is going up a bit so that will take some getting used to.

From what I can tell you need to work on your bike fitness and race tactics.  The swim of a half or a full should really be a non event for you.  If you go out the first 300-400 hard and then settle into a comfortable pace you'll be set.  So set a hr or power cap on the bike and STICK to it.  The bike fitness will help you get off the bike fresher and keeping your effort in check will do the same.  Honestly it's time and experience.

Some good posts while I have been absent from the boards. Houses selling, half ironmans being raced, swimming, biking outside.

Well, I had a fabulous 12 hour Adventure Race this past Saturday.  My partners and I won the regional race which means we get a $400 scholarship to pay for USARA nationals in the fall and winners jackets.  Super excited about that.  My team was me and 2 guys.  They drafted off me for 90% of the bike legs.  I was amazed at how strong my biking was.  This was the first year I did any type of cycling training over the winter and it has obviously paid off.  It is one of my stronger disciplines to begin with.  I'm just tickled over it all.  90° heat and 25 mph headwinds with gusts to 45 was rather crazy. We all ran out of water twice during the course.  Racing without fluids just stinks.  When we came upon a house and could refill our packs, we just laid in the shade and sucked down the fluids for 10 solid minutes before carrying on with the race.  The very next day we get snow.  Crazy weather.

I have another 12 hour race end of this month. I'll be racing as a 2 person co-ed team, and my oaring skills stink, so I'm going to hope for a short canoe section this race.  Or at least no wind to canoe into.

That's all I have for updates at this time.  Tomorrow is a dark, early morning trainer ride on the agenda.  Still trying to determine which triathlons to do this summer.  They are all bunched up on top of each other in July.

Nope, not East coast; smack dab in the middle of the US. Kansas/Nebraska area.

Originally posted by kathleenkp I got two second places and one fifth for my AG. I missed first place in my 200IM by less than one second - and if I work on backstroke, I can probably drop at least 3 seconds. I am very slow at backstroke. And I don't like it. Also, I had just finished racing the 100 fly less than 10 minutes before I went off the starting block for the 200 IM. I have no idea why the meet director put those two events back to back. I did the 500 free (one of my 2nd places), which I had never swam before in a meet. I'll definitely be doing that one again, and might move up to the 1000 and 1650 at some point as I think it works well with long-distance tri training. I wasn't swimming as fast in the weeks prior to the meet and I should have been able to drop at least 15 seconds off my 500 based on my recent swim times. I was surprised how well I did, and mostly think it was luck on who showed up. For Master's meets, I'm actually very slow. I am almost always the best swimmer in the pool and one of the best at whatever gym I swim at. At my current gym, there is only one female faster than me, and that's my swim coach. I can outswim most tri swim times through 70.3 distance. But when you get to a meet - around here at least - only the fastest Master's really go to those in masses. I think it can be intimidating for newer swimmers or those who only swam in high school (like me). But the meets are fun, and the people are, too. Just like tri people. It's good that you found a pool you can swim in. A 40 minute swim wouldn't work for me, either. At least not on a regular basis. BWAQ is so big - it would be nice if they had at least a couple workouts that would fit your schedule. I love having someone my pace to swim with because it helps challenge me, but I usually swim alone, too.

That is really good. Great job!  I'm so jealous of you freaky fast swimmers.  Apparently splashing around in the local pool as a kid does not translate well into triathlon.

OMG.  So how long does it take the average person to finish an IronMan? Is this your first IM. I can not remember.  I say I'd NEVER do one, but I race for 12 hours cross country without even knowing where the heck I am going.  Can't be much different right?  heck I might as well sign up.  The run is optional on those things right?  jk

Seriously though, I can't work the nerve up to even sign up for an olympic distance tri.  Sticking with sprints again this year. :-)

1.  Congrats AJ.  Big step, BIG STEP

2.  Average person takes probably 13-16 hours for an IM.  AJ has a huge advantage in that the swim won't take a huge toll on him.

3.  Olys aren't that different from sprints.  Pull the trigger and have fun.  

Perfect timing, looks like I have an article to read...

Ironman Versus the 12-Hour Adventure Race

http://www.active.com/running/articles/ironman-versus-the-12-hour-adventure-race?page=2&stop_mobi=yes