So the start was really Weedy and I was SHOCKED that the water was FRESH water. (I tasted and spat - I always do to avoid the shock if I swallow any)

I did Okay. My pace was Okay. I was enjoying my swim. I wasn't coming last (HOORAY!) It wasn't until after I finished that I realised there were TWO age groups in my wave. It was a VERY small wave.

Anyway. Rounded the buoys okay. Navigation went okay. Got mixed up next to a Blue cap from the heat behind coming into home.

I stayed relaxed and rounded the last buoy (ALL IN FREESTYLE by the way. NO doggie today!) This has got to be one of my best swims - EVER... 12 months ago I would have been on my back after 50m and struggling. I mean sure I came last in my age group but I was leading the BOPers coming out of the water and there were a lot of us.

Nothing.

I'm really proud I made the distance and it was a great time (for me anyway! :))

Still need to learn the flying leap... Out of the water and the cap and goggles came off straight away. Carrying them into transition I ripped open my powerbar and ate half of it in one bite. Okay maybe a third...

Shoes on, helmet on, Race number on (I forgot I could LEAVE IT OFF at this stage)

Women's transition was on top of a traffic island so I had to "jump and manouver my bike over the gutter as I ran to the mount

Mount went okay. Girls from the enticer race were in AWE of my SUB...

"Isn't it Pretty!"
"It's so Pink! It's PERFECT! I want it!"
"GO PINKY!!!"

NOT laugh at the girls cheering me on as "Pinky!" They're distracting

Lap one: Got up to speed and into aero fairly quickly. Drank some Endura and powered along. Overtook people left right and centre but the problem was the clydes and the teams were overtaking me!

Lap Two: Have hardly changed gears at all. It had started spitting. I was wondering "Who farted?" Then realised there was a sewage treatment plant to my left... And that there were waterways IN there that lead into the lake we just swam in... Really had a strong gag reflux reaction at that point... Even if the water does have to be treated... Oh well there were Mullet in the water. I saw them jump! Halfway through I opened a Gu - My first one! Vanilla bean. It was DEVINE! I was able to hold it and stay in aero and eat at the same time. Too easy.

Lap 3: Rain's starting to come down a bit harder... I can hear it on my helmet! And I'm getting more wet! I posed for a photo with the photograper up near the school (When it pops up I'm BUYING it. It should look awesome!) I did the V symbol like all those japanese toursits do in their photos... (I'd been teaching kids to draw manga this week so it was only fitting)

Lap 4: Course is a little more empty now... Passed a few more clydes and team entrants... The rain HURT. Like hundreds of tiny sandflies attacking you at once. I kept in Aero and my arms and legs and helmet got pelted. Luckily my glasses didn't get too wet I could still see out of them. I am REALLY glad I rode to work in the rain over the last few weeks because it set me up to finish strong in the wet.

Maybe go a bit faster... 32kph is pretty fast for me but I didn't reach that magic 40 on any one sprint

Not be afraid of the Clydes and the Teams on those really awesome Colnagos!

It was PISSING DOWN RAIN! I thanked God for dumping on me... I'm sure I heard "you're welcome" in my sarcastic head. (We've been praying for rain for a few years now)

Anyway. My towel was satched, my half eaten powerbar really did look like poo when it was wet, my cap was WET (and cool! Very refreshing) and my shoes were damp... Oh well here we go!

Not leave a half eaten power bar exposed on my towel! It looked DISGUSTING! LOL Put me off eating it that's for sure!

It was STILL pissing down. Lost vision quite early. My feet were now WET and already I could feel blisters starting to form (or the ones from swim class were about to explode)
Squelch Squelch- Squish squish, Splash splash. At least I had no problems keeping cool! LOL
Downed a lot of gu before downing some water. Just keep running...
Saw H2B getting wet... Just keep running...
Saw little kids cheering on random people - They held their hands out so I gave them 5!

Lap 2! Rain gets heavier. I'm approaching an old man at the drink station "Is the second lap as hard as the first?" He says
"It's not too bad - Just watch the bridge it's got an incline" I said as he powered past. I kept my pace consistant and just ate more gu.

After the bridge I cought up to him again. His shoes were making Squelching noises louder than mine were. "Are your shoes as squishy as mine are?"

I was having a GREAT time. Jumping in puddles (My feet by this stage were wrinkly prunes in their waterlogged environment anyway) Yelling out to the volunteers who were soaking wet too. :)

With 600m to go the rain REALLY came down. Little kids had stolen some water from the drinks station and threw it on a clyde in front of me who got really pissed off. As soaked as I was I told them to "LAY IT ON ME BOYS!" and they bloody well missed didn't they! They tossed the water straight over my shoulder! LOL

Noticed BIKES... Oh shit transition's open. Have I really been out here that long?

Saw H2B - Soaked to the BONE! (I do shout out his support in the spouse support thread in the blog - But today it was ABOVE AND BEYOND the call of duty!) He was hiding under his waterproof camelback cover for his bag! LOL

Jumped in the puddle at the finish line... Wondered where everyone was?

All the officials were HIDING under the recovery tent. :)

Pack an umbrella and some wellingtons??? Sing??? LOL No nothing. I REALLY enjoyed playing in the rain. I couldn't care less what run time I did today! It was just the BEST fun I'd had on a run - Well - EVER!

Laughing my head off.

Got some gatorade. Gave H2B a HUGE WET HUG and wet kiss...

Still pissing down!

Got the bike out of transition and went to put my number in the presentation barrell since it would be on in a few minutes.

Duncan Armstrong was the Compare today. He rides with H2B a LOT. For all those Unfamiliar with Duncan - Here's his WIKIPEDIA entry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Armstrong

Anyway, H2B introduced me to him, they chatted about my bike (He was very pleased with it) then his bike and a mate of theirs who just had an accident.

Anyway a little kid knocked his bike over and knocked me and my bike flying. I dropped my juice to save my bike....

Only then did I realise I dropped my juice all over Duncan Armstrong! OMG!!! I'm an IDIOT!!! H2B was pissing himself laughing!

From now on I will be forever known as "the girl who spilt juice on an Olympic Gold medalist!"

WAAA!

In any case I did it. Wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.


I think really I had a FANTASTIC pace. Compared to Raby this entire course was almost DOUBLE the distance and I did it in almost DOUBLE the time. It's just a shame that my pace and my fellow competitors pace were NOT the same! LOL


The course was SO flat so it allowed for the sprinters to have a great time. The rain didn't dampen my spirits and I really did have a great time being a BOPer... YAY!