I started at the far left of everyone and pretty much stayed there the whole race. I never once had to dodge or go around anybody. I knew from all the past races that the farther left you started, the more straight shot you had at going at the first buoy.

I started off VERY slow to keep from moving myself into the hyperventilation/panic mode I got myself into last year. This worked well for me. The one problem I had during this race was that I was swimming left as much as I was swimming forward. I must be crossing my right arm over way too far. Since I was so far to the left of everyone already, I didn't have anyone to sight off of when I breathed to the left.

About half way through the swim, I got VERY hungry. All I could think of was when Jude offered to make me a fruit smoothie for breakfast and that I didn't want it. I couldn't WAIT to down some GU when I got to the bike.

Swim forward and not left, and eat a better breakfast.

I've been cycling and running w/out socks to help make my transistions faster, but I can't seem to stop talking and having a good time with everyone during this transition. Watching Astrid blow by me while I was doing whatever it is I do during transition lit a fire under my butt.

Act like I was in a race and get ready faster.

I'd been practicing this course for a month, so I felt I was going to have a great race. It didn't start off that way though. When I started getting up to speed, there was a loud scraping sound which made me think I had a rock in a brake pad or something. After stopping and messing around with my brakes, I saw that they were fine. I FINALLY remembered that I had trimmed my front derailer cable the night before, and saw that it was scraping against my back wheel. UGH!! If I'd of known that was all it was, I wouldn't have stopped!

Once I got going again, I had a GREAT time! This was pretty much the bike ride that I try to imagine myself having. After a while I felt like I was doing a Yoga chant of "To your left" over and over again. Of course, with my climbing ability the way it is, when the 2nd step came, all kinds of people got to say it back at me. This is where I saw Sally for the first time. She was easily going TWICE as fast as I was!!

After the "Steps of Death", I got to get back into my dream ride and go fast again (for me). I was really hoping to catch Astrid. We've been riding out on the course together this summer, and I knew if I could at least keep up with her speed, I would have a good ride.


Practice hills more or lose another 15,000 pounds. Having Josh adjust my derailleurs the night before made shifting a breeze and helped with my time.

I guess changing shoes and taking off a helmet is a difficult thing for me.

Here's where all the people I passed on the bike got to BLOW back by me. With my old bike, I wouldn't have been able to attempt to run for a good 2 miles after the bike, but with this new tri frame, I couldn't believe how much easier running was from the get-go. Actually, I don't RUN. I kind of jog very slowly.

After the bike, Astrid and I were back together again, and as usual, she got out of transition before me so I could use her as my rabbit. When I started the run portion, I was walking a little bit when I heard someone in a loud Bostonian accent yell: "This is running? I didn't get up at 3:30 in the morning to watch you walk"! I didn't even have to look to know it was Jude. We laughed and she ran with me for 1/4 a mile until she sent me off on my own. This lifted me up and got me moving as best I could.

Going to the hill was pretty difficult and I had to run/walk on the way there. The ball of my left foot had a hot spot and I was thinking I'd have to walk the whole thing. Luckily, the big hill came up and I was able to walk/jog it off and get up the hill. I saw Sally and then Fitz coming down and their encouragement really got me going. I got to see Tanya going in the opposite direction on the dirt before the turn-around and tried to give her the Bootay-Slap" she's so famous for, but she was moving too fast. (dammit)

The hill down was FAST for me (probably only 10 min pace) but I felt like I was flying. It was here that my stomach started turning and it never let up the rest of the way. On the way back during the flats, as soon as I started picking up the pace, my stomach would churn and cramp which limited my ability to go faster.

The last mile was the worst. It was harder than the big hill or the whole swim. I was ready to stop. With 1/2 a mile to go, I did stop to walk. A man with 65 age group on his calf ran past me and said in a gruff voice: "You have 1/2 a mile to go. If I can finish this thing with my run on, you can too. Get moving"! I wish I got his name, because it got me off my butt and back into my best run.

Run a little bit in training!! I'm putting this as an "average" run because it's a difficult course and I didn't get to train for it.

Got to relax in the ESCKTC tent that Harry and Cora brought and gave a good time with everyone while the HIM members came in.


Not being able to run in training.


I'm giving this race a 3 out of 5 because they took down the course before 7 hours for the HIM racers and didn't have enough medals for the participants.