You are supposed to do 2 loops around a triangle in the lake but I ended up doing a pentagram or whatever the devil's symbol is. I kept wondering what happened to everyone and I was somewhere near another country (like Europe). Wore my new wetsuit for the swim and listened to my friend Oliver that I should wear my heart rate monitor under it - of course, the strap snapped (like a bra - not that I would know how that feels) while I was swimming - more to come on that piece of equipment. I felt very comfortable with the swim but my sighting was way off.

Stay with the pack and sight more often even if those guys kick you in the face. I shaved 2 minutes off my 1500 meter time even though I kept swimming in the wrong direction.

Okay, who's bright idea was it to have the tranisition area so fricking far away up with the steps from hell. I started getting leg cramps running up them. I was thinking - if they are cramping now, it will only get worse during the day. Sure enough, my deductive reasoning is right up there with Sherlock Holmes.


Aside from the distance and cramps, I was happy that I didn't fall down and die right there and then.

Got to the top of the 1st hill and decided to pull over and secure heart rate monitor in bike bag on handle bar since I forgot to throw it in tranistion bag in T1 - of course I didn't do a good job and it went flying off as I was going downhill at 40 mph for a mile. Not sure when it really fell off downb that hill but I wasn't going to backtrack up it.

Around mile 15, a lady crashed in front of me but the Bonsai truck was right there. I asked Bonsai and her if they needed help as I cruised by and they said no - at least that is what I heard in the distance.

Last mile and 1/2 was pretty steep hill. Glad they saved it for last when one's legs are tired and your sweat is running off like flood waters.




Since I saw Dan coming into the run finish as I was finishing the bike, switch bibs and chips with him for a better time. :)

I was happy with this transition time considering how far I had to run to get to it.

Nice rolling hills - Oliver and Ernie passed me on my first loop while they were 1/2 throught their 2nd loop. It was good to see them at this juncture of the race though it would have been better to be on the 2nd loop. My legs were screaming in pain and cramping but I kept going though not at the speed I would have liked.

Run faster

Oliver met me at the finish line with gatoraid and pizza - what a friend. I forgive him for being an accessory to me losing my hear rate monitor.

Stretched while I ate and glad it was over.


Don't understand why I started cramping so early - it wasn't that time of the month.


I considered this a "C" race and a prep for Reston. Very disappointed that I didn't do better on the swim considering how much time I have worked on it but attribute it to sighting. I knew when the heart rate monitor got in the way that Murphy's Law would kick in so just roll with it. Glad I finished and looking forward to improving my time at Reston.