What an amazing swim!!! The best part of the race... I was 31/127 which was phenomenal to me :)

Deep water start seeded myself in the second row just out to the side of my wave. The other two girls I was racing with were next to me and I checked they were good... in the hands of the starter... and GO!!!

I went straight into a comfortable pace and held it. Found some feet to follow which helped with my terrible navigation too! Until someone else swam into me and kicked me a few times... OW!!!

Oh well changed my line and kept going... found some more feet later on - actually did some spotting - woo hoo! The swim was over much sooner than I expected too!

Came up to the buoy - spotted and realised I had come in narrow, thankfully the life guards were gesturing where I was heading when I put my head up to spot and pointed me in the right direction...still thumped my arm on the buoy (a metal barrel) on the way round and headed to the exit where I went up a little rise and came across the timing mat to head to transition.

Not a thing! This was my best triathlon swim ever... no panics, no nerves, no breathlessness and I pretty much stayed on course!

NB: Transition times are included in the bike so I have NO idea how long I took.

Jogged towards transition and saw a couple of the support crew heading over - yelled out 'hello'! They didnt expect to see me so soon! So no photos of me coming out of the water... how lucky am I?? :)

Headed to transition - Team shirt on, sunnies on, shoes on, helmet, grab bike...walk tenatively in cleats to the mount line and off I go!

Not much... I have 3 strap cycle shoes that I LOVE and are pretty easy to get on... I am terrible walking in cleats but a flying mount is not high on my list of things to learn right now!!!

Mounted my bike, clipped in first time (woo hoo! first time for that in a race) and let out a MASSIVE yell as I took off... I knew doing this ride in 40 mins should be a cinch.. ummm... well thats what I was thinking...

Headed over the bridge and on to the course and something didnt feel right... my legs didnt have it... switched into the BCR as planned and they said NO! hmmm...back to the SCR and spun my legs over... ok that feelsa bit better.. lets play here for a bit.. I was panting heavily and couldnt work out what was going there either - very unusual for me on a bike!

Hmmm ok Im holding my spot mostly in the line so just keep moving...the back of our shirts said '...My story is about commitment' and I got many comments on how great they were as later in the ride my legs just died...

Instead of racing around the course in the BCR as planned with about 7-8k to go I was riding slower than I have in a LONG time... and struggling BIG TIME. I was desparate for a drink too... I really need to master the drink and ride thing...

I finished the ride a bit confused as to WHY my legs had given up on me... and my legs all toasted too... hmmm ....

Not sure... more time in the BCR? Learn to drink and ride? Practice swim to bike transitions? Less running around pre race?

I had trained the bike HARD and knew 40 minutes should have been a really easy goal to hit based on all my training but no luck...

NB: Transition times are included in the bike

One of the girls came into transition as I was changing shoes and i started chatting to her...as she left I realised I was supposed to be running too... ooops...

Couldnt get socks on easily so I just left them... then stumbled out of transition

Find a way to get socks on sweaty feet... not get distracted by others in transition. But honestly this was pretty efficient.

Well as I stumbled out of transition the nausea I had been fighting on the run hit me... mmm this is gonna be fun... went past the aid station and drak some water while someone else poured it on me... nice...and off I headed...

Jogged stumbled for the first little bit then started alternating my slow stumble jog style with walking... wasnt happy and my tummy wasnt either. Made the first turn around and managed to jog almost all the way back to the aid station with onlyone walk break... hmmm...

But I was miserable and wanted to stop... oh well... hit the little grassy hill up to the aid station and my legs YELLED at me... LOUDLY... forced my way up realising at this point I was starting to drop back towards the back of the field... made the aid station where I paused and let them drench me in water... didnt think of the fact that my shoes were getting SOAKED until I started moving again and I was squelching... hmmm.this isnt good...

My feet started to blister and rip in the moisture with no socks... oops! And I passed the second girl in our group who was out racing coming the other direction heading for the aid station... making an executive decision I said to her something along the lines of 'Im walking mostly.. catch me up and we will finish together'...

She is a better runner than me and lookeda bit fresher (and a lot less nauseous) so I continued my stumble walk and spent my time telling the others on their way back from the turnaround to the finish line to smile, and keep going and how great they were doing!

I got a lot out of encouraging the others and engaging in the banter that I stopped caring I was near he back of the field... and it took my mind off the tummy...

My friend caught me just before the turnaround for home together we jogged a few cones, walked a few, chatted and encouraged each other! I wouldnt trade that last quarter of the run for anything... it was just great to be out there sharing the experience with her... as we came towards the finish they were playing 'Let Me Entertain You' which I sung aong to for a bit before we grabbed each others hand and raised them above our heads to finish!

Ive been relearning how to run... because of all my injuries and I finished the race with my knees happy and no shin splints so mission accomplished as far as Im concerned.

Yes I lost MANY positions on the run BUT... I didnt get heat stroke, I didnt get hurt, I didnt break down and although I was having negative thoughts about pulling out at times it was no way as bad as I have been in the past.

It wasnt my heart rate or my lungs forcing me to walk but my legs which just arent used to this kind of thing yet... and I can take that as a good thing.

But being able to finish with a good friend of mine and share the experience of finishing her first race with her is something I wouldnt change for all the world! I feel so lucky to share that with her and am SO lucky to have someone like that to keep my own spirits up while I was out there :)

So while I could do a lot of things to loose less time... I wouldnt change that finish for anything in the world!

Drunk lots of water, the three of us took photos together for having finished the 'big race' of the day. Said good bye to the last of the people who has stayed to offer suport and sat through the presentations.

My friend I finished with won a spot prize too!!!

We then cleared our stuff out of transition and walked back around the lake to the cars... packed up the car, sat in the drivers seat and my car wouldnt start.... and it wouldnt start... we both tried it.

Hopped in her car and went back to transition where one of the guys offered to come around and have a look at it for me so we both headed back to my car, put down my blanket and ate party mix under a tree until he came...

It took the three of us and some brute strength to get the car going!!!

Said good bye to my friend an hour after we had packed up the cars and drove home. My phone rang a few times and beeped as girls rang to find out how I had finishes up and to say thanks for a great day...

I got home and contacted everyone single one to congratulate them...as well as our support crew to say thank you. Was asleep a few hours later...sunburnt, tired and very very happy!


The heat, my tummy, the conservative run training I have been doing to accomodate the learning to run process. My mental state in psyching myself out and my 4 hours in the heat pre-race.

But right now Im so happy I wouldnt change a thing! This race wasnt about me... it wasabout introducing all of my friends to a fantastic sport and the sense of achievement that comes with it! They were all AWESOME :)