This was a 400 meter pool swim. - Yeah, yeah...a drop in the bucket to many of you...but to me this was an ironman swim! hehe The water was very warm...too warm in fact. Just as I got in the pool...she started counting down from 10 seconds. I must admit the rookie in me...had me take off like a mad lady the first two laps. I was a baad girl and went an-aerobic - just as I had been told not to do by my brother and many of you! For such a short swim, I was not doing what I had practiced, nice slow steady strokes! and paid for it dearly in the last few laps...my DH was there every time I came to the end of the pool (both sides)...he is sooo cute and such a keeper! he did nothing but encourage me...told me to slow down..just finish! and thank goodness that happened..and not a moment too soon for me! :)

Time to get back to the pool and do some re-thinking of this swim stuff!

SWIM MORE...and then SWIM MUCH MORE! I will be spending much more time in the pool...THIS IS MY WEAKEST LINK!

Had a fabulous Transition....swam in a tri suit and all I had to do was to throw on a pair of bike shorts over them...so that I would not get too sore from the saddle. Plopped down and thru on sox with my bike shoes, grabbed the glasses and my bib number and belt...put them on, helmet in hand with glasses and began to run to the exit of T1....got helmet on and strapped as I was running and glasses just as I got to the line...jumped on bike and was out chasing the few people in front of me - had eyed a few of them to see who I needed to catch when I did get on my bike.

Nothing...good transition time

Just out of the transition was able to pass my first lady who was half a year from being in my class...saw 49.9 mark on her leg. I looked down and saw that I was keeping my average speed at close to 20mph for the flats...hit the canyon area and noticed that my time was not as fast...durn hills! I still was able to pick of a good 12 riders before I got to the turn around at the school....these are probably some of those durn fast swimmers who blew past me in the pool...was glad to be able to get them back...MUWAHAHA! PLUS, I was expecting to be constantly passed in all parts of the race...but I only got passed by 4 male riders in ther first ten miles..and then only by two more just after rounding the corner back onto Moraga after the neighborhood climb... just as one was about to pass, he said good job Julie...I look over and see it is Brian (bhoover) he was seeded 50 back from me...he was flying on his bike! I began to shout for him to go and then thought...oh yeah...I need to go, too! I encouraged all I passed, as it is a spirited thing - and in all the years of racing, it has always meant a lot to me when anyone would say to me good job!.....I pulled in to T2 feeling fabulous...almost forgot to stop at the line...I KNOW THIS IS A ROOKIE MOVE...but HEY - this is my first race and I was fired up! ;) the crowd was great, too! they laughed as I almost wrecked trying to come to a stop! ;)


Need to drink more on the rides. I have always been bad about hydrating during rides - it is the competitiveness in me..I always feel I will lose time...that is why I love my camelback pouch, but did not think I would need it for such a short fast ride. I do hate to reach down and grab the water bottle...although I did on the ups!

Not much...felt really good on my bike...need to hydrate more!

Another great transition....took the helmet off as I was running back to my T2 area. Plopped down and pulled on my tennis shoes...had to tie them. I do not have the fancy laces. I grabbed my fuel belt and hat and took off...felt really fast, but since I do not have my split times yet...we will see!

not much. felt good!

Need to continue to work on my running. Longer distance with more hills will be good for me!

Train more in the hills...very glad that they took out the KILLER hill at the first of the run...I would have been done in if they would have left it in!

Ran to transition area to get my items, but DH had already retrieved most of it...grabbed my bike and remaining items and headed to car to load them
I was unsure as to my finish, but just heard from the City of Moraga that I did indeed place 3rd in my age group. Even happier now! not sure of the total amount of woman in my group, but was told with a month to go that there were 7 of us. I think we may have had around 15 signed up on race day. Again I am not sure how many I raced. My time compared to last years race would have gotten me a first place, so this made me very happy...those darn girls must have been training just as hard as me...their times improved! regardless, all I expected to do was get my finish...had no idea that I could place!!

I could not have gotten here without my great BT cheerleading squad! all those on my mentors team...AMY IND, Dee, Emerson, Eric...you all were always sending me inspires...then all the extended sisters and brothers that I have from the various Challenge teams...man oh man do I feel loved! and totally inspired! you are the bestest extended family around.....and I thank you all for your amazing encouragement! I told my husband that I found the best cartoon online...it was a picture of someone hugging their computer and it said below: I LOVE MY COMPUTER...BECAUSE ALL MY FRIENDS ARE IN THERE! and that is just how I feel about you guys! thanks for all the love you have shared with me!


My weight!! Although I have lost over 40 lbs, I still have another 25+ to go. Will then feel much better about running!


pictured above is Brian (bhoover), me (girl passing on left), Geof (wiezenski) and a coworker of Geofs' that pre-rode the course with us the weekend before the race...oh and Gwen's son.


Would have given it a five, but was disappointed that they would combine mens and womans classes for medals...then after speaking with one of the race coordinators, he stated this was a mistake and they would be mailing out the other medals to all the woman who placed...
Would have been nice to get mine there, but I am still very happy to have placed 3rd in the 50-59 age group. Was told there were over 10 woman in my class and they thought more like 15. I was so happy with a finishing medal...and just received a call from the City of Moraga and they informed me my medal will be coming to me in the mail! I am now ecstatic! THANKS DOROTHY! none of this would be possible if you did not inspire me to get off that couch...quit smoking and to lose all this weight!!