My swim was not as good as I hoped it would have been...2 things that I believe contributed to this...lack of expierence in OWS..this was my 1st one in a race...and my confidence dropped the further I swam. My goggles fogged up on me about 100 meters out...even though I really should not let that bother me..I wanted to pop my head up every once in a while to get my bearings...and I could not see sh!t! It was very frustrating...and this contributed to me loosing my cool and my swim became less then stellar at this point. I could see the "pack" pullin away from me...which..I did not care to much about..I was not racin them..I was racin the clock.. I tried to regain my composure...went into the drills I practiced over and over again in the pool...but...it's different when you're out there on race day...heart is racin, you mind in hyper-drive... so..I rolled on my back tried to calm down and regroup...well.. that worked some of the time..most of the time I was suckin water in ...turnin back over and breast strokin for a bit...then free style again for as long as I could stand it...repeat...repeat..I never stopped though....so...I pressed on..finally made it to the turn around buoy and I realized I was off course by about 25 feet..CRAP..now I gotta swim 90 degrees to get back to the buoy and start back...hence I wished I could have been able to see!! By now..other swimmers from the waves behind started passin me...I was jealous..some of these folks looked so strong...they just kept swimming like it was a walk in the park...I started to get pissed now..." get your a$$ in gear" I told myself....and so I pressed on. I finally got to the last buoy before the end of the swim and I was soooo glad to be almost done...I swam the last part of the race better then the 1st...but time I hit the shoreline I was done...I could not wait to get out of the water...but I made it and I knew the rest of the race would be good..it had to be better then this swim...so as I put the swim behind me I ran out..pulled my goggles and swim cap off and started the run up to T1 ..I ran past cheering crowd and I saw GyGy..all I could say was " that SUCKED"...and I ran past her and continued to the TA....

Remain calm, wear some anti-fog goggles and stay focused on my swimming and not so much on the swimming going on around me. Also - not worry about my watch!! For some reason my timer was messed up on my watch so the whole race I never had an idea of what my time was...and that really bugged me as well..that is what my timing chip if for!!! SO..if my watch acts up again...forgetta bout it!!

My T1 was ok - not so much worried about this one...I know this one would be the longer of the 2. I was in the 2nd wave of the start of the race so there was not alot of traffic in TA to negotiate...so..I stayed focused..took my shot blocks and a swig of sports drink, shoes, helmet, ya know...the socks were a lil challengin...forget the baby powder!!! ARGHH

Baby powder in socks...and prob speed up a just a bit..

I had such a good ride..I have nothing bad to really say. I did everything I remember from my training rides..which gave me an advantage I know over the others who just rode it today for the 1st time. I knew where to spin fast..and where to crank out to gain speed and chip off time...my hr was in good shape...I actually saw it go down so I knew I was in the zone!! There was this one girl who was ridin about the same pace as me..she would shout encouraging words at me " lookin good 325!!" ..we paced each other for about half the race..her and another girl would trade off on our lil pack here and there during the ride..they would lead for a bit..then I would..depending on traffic ahead of us. I passed more people then I can remember honestly...it was such as confidence booster! I do not think I got passed more then once...maybe one or 2 at the most...but this part I will remember 4ever. We came up on the course where it's a nice flat and fairly open part of the course...and car traffic was really low this day...added bonus!! All I knew was it was time to crank up a notch and see what I had in me...so..that is what I did..I yelled at my 2 buddies ahead of me .." passin on yer left"...and I went aero and cranked on my my hi gear and took off!! The one girl that was chattin the whole time got so amped when she saw me blow by her she yelled" GO BOY GO GET IT!! LOL...I smiled the biggest smile all day and I felt like I was in a freakin race car....I was gone!!! I looked back at one point and the pack I passed was almost a good quarter mile behind me...I knew then..I was gonna rock this bike course. I did the same thing several other times on the course..I took every advantage of knowing where and when to blast off..and it paid off. Passin folks it seems every mile on the course...I dunno..I was on point...I was gettin looks from some folks like " what the hell..how is this guy passin me???!!"...LOL. Then..this was really funny..I was climbin the last hill on my way toward the long down hill just before you get to the Latta entrance and some dude rolls up beside me a begins coachin me!! He was like " dude..your form is great and you are a strong rider...but if you would learn how to use your hamstrings more efficently on your pull when you pedal you would be an even better rider"...I was like..."WHO THE HECK IS THIS DUDE???"..I was climbin a hill focsed on keepin my pace and gettin to the top of it and along comes "Coach Some Dude Just Ridin for the Heck OF It"..lol. He did mention that he raced on Saturday and he was just out for ride today and just happenned to be ridin on the course we were ridding on...how ironic! LOL..anyway...I said thanks for the advice and encouraging words...but I gotta go now...so..we hit the down slope and I cranked it up once again and took off for the final speed streak ...again..no one behind me and some folks just ahead that I was gaining on quickly. Got to the road that leads to the plantation and I just kept on going...I did come off the hi chain and started to spin my legs a bit so I could be ready for the run...learned that from my 1st tri!!! I blasted down the 2 mile road that leads to Latta...pulled into the dismount strong and herd lots of cheers and "lookin good and strong 325..way to go!!"...pulled up popped my left foot out easy...then..the right foot would not play nice!! ARGGHHH..c'mon darn it ..let go of my shoe you stupid clip!! I could here some of the crowd going "oh nooo!!!"...and I could not believe after the incredible ride I just had I was gonna end it like this..hoppin on one foot and tryin to get out of the other...LOL..finally..some one yelled " roll your ankle"..and then off it came...Whew!!! I got to work on unclippin more before a race....Oh well...I ran down to the T2 and was very happy about my ride...nothing could stop me now!! That ride made my day...and I soon forgot about the swim that shook my confidence...I was back in this race!!!!

Practice unclippin/dismount more..other then that nadda!! I rocked this ride!!

I felt like a dork running into T2..after havin the pedal incident at dismount I was a lil shaken..so when I got into the TA..I had a slight miscalculation on where my rack was! I was over a whole rack and did not realize it!! ARGGh...GyGy has this on video of me lookin around tryin to find my spot!! LOL DUH!!! that cost me some time in T2...but I found my spot and started to get ready for the run...I was embaressed needless to say that I could not find my rack...and tha fact GyGy has it on video..well..its something to look back and laugh about now...but that was no laughin matter at the time...but...it happenned...and I learned from it I got all my hear switched out, running shoes on, swig of sports drink and poured some water over my head and then headed out...my legs felt fine and I was off to the run...

Not be a dork

My run was good - I felt better going into mile 2...and mile 3..well I was in the zone then...I do not have any real issues with this run..it was good and I was happy about my time....like I said..nothing compares to the bike ride for me and after coming from that...all I kept thinkin about was that ride on the run course...it kept me going on the run. :) I remember coming around the last corner before the final turn to the finish and I could see some of my tri club buddies yellin at me...I ran past them and one stuck her hand out and I gave her a hi-five!! ALICE!! :) GyGy was busy videoing me as I came into the end..but I saw her and smiled!! YEAH.I am about finished and I ran the whole time on the run...I did see alot of folks run/walkin...but for me...I just pressed on. My HR was ok and I felt fine..so..I just kept on chuggin along

Nadda..I was happy about my run

After I crossed the finish line I was greeted by fellow tri club members and congrats!! I grabbed a Poweraide and put that down pretty quick as I walked around lookin for my wife and tri club members. I saw My buddy Jeff that I started on the swim with finished about 7 min's before me....we smiled and laughed about the race and then GyGy came up and gave me a hug and congradulated me. I was happy to see her and my friends...Jeff and I talked about the swim a lot...I was like dude..that swim sucked!! LOL...then I was standin there and I started to wheeze..when I attempted to breathe in.!!! I was takin these huge gasps and everytime I would wheeze...GyGy started to get a lil freaked out so I decided to walk over to the Medic's station to get checked out...I felt fine...my hr was ok and started to get back to normal, I did not feel light headed at all...but this wheezin was weird..it would come in waves...it was like I was havin an asthma attack and I am not asthmatic..never have been. So - walked over chatted with one of the medics..she checked my heart out with the stetho..."you sound fine to me she said"...I was breathing normal then by now and no more wheezin at that point...she just advised me if they started up again to stay close and she would put me on breathing treatment if I needed it. May have just been a spasm since I went from a run to a dead stop and my body may have just been in shock for a minute tryin to adjust from needin all this oxygen to back to mormal breathin. I was fine the rest of the morning...plus my tri club had their tent set up right by the medics station so I was good if I needed medical attention. After that - it was BEER TIME..which was also close...Jeff had already got his beer and so had I had to get up to speed!!! Beer at 9 in the morning?? AHH..kinda reminded me of me and GyGy's college days!! LOL. There was also a bread vendor there with all kinds of good bread!! CARBS!!! I needed some of that..got a piece of whole wheat with homey on it!! Man that hit the spot! and a with the beer..I was feelin much better now. We hung out there at our club tent chattin with folks about the race and with folks interested in joinin our club...we had a good turnout!! GyGy was laughin about the beer factor, why, she was the PR person for the club that day...she had beer cups sitting on the table as people walked up...and she was like " I wonder what folks might be thinking...hmmm..this is a Tri club...and they are havin a beer at this time in the mornin??..COOL I WANNA JOIN!! LOL :)" SO - after the awards ceromony we packed up - said our goodbyes and made our way back to the parkin lot...by now most of the traffic was gone and it was nice just being able to pack up and pullout...last year we sat in traffic ..Blah!!


Again - a few minor things = expierence in OWS - me gettin unnerved about my watch not functioning correctly, and goggles foggin up...the rest of the race was good for me...the swim is what really bugged me, and of course..the Duh factor in T2...remember where you rack is next time ya dork!!


I had a great time!! and for my 1st race in open water...I am just happy I finished - some folks do not even finish their 1st OWS..so for me to get out of that lake was an accomplishment!!! I made it and the rest as they say ...is history :)