Inhaled a little water early on, but was able to clear it while taking just a couple sidestrokes. also had some trouble getting around the buoy,I tried to take the turn close to the buoy, but there was a bunch of people backed up, so I ended up having to tread water around the buoy. Once I got around it though things opened back up and I was back in my rhythm. I just kept swimming until my hands touched bottom, then I was up and out. This was definitely my best swim yet. I didn't have to flip over on my back even once, my sighting was good, and I finally found my rhythm during a race.

Go wider around the buoy, so I don't get caught up in the dogpile :)

The transition times for this race are included in the bike split, so I don't know the exact times, but this was my best transition yet. Got the top of my wetsuit down while exiting the water, jogged up to my transition area, pulled it the rest of the way down, pulled my legs out, threw on my helmet and glasses, slipped into my shoes, and I was off. There was a set of stairs I had to walk up in my bike shoes to get to the bike start, which slowed me down some.

Learn to get in my shoes on my bike

I have some work to do on the bike. I only passed two people during the bike leg and around 10 passed me. I pushed pretty hard on the flats, but several people still flew by me like it was nothing, and the hills really did me in, not so much going up them, but coming down with the curves I braked a lot. I'm just not very confident in my bike handling skills, and well... I'm a big chicken when it comes to going around corners fast. It's definitely something I need to work on. I also hit a bee coming down hill. It ricocheted off my arm onto my leg and it was PISSED! It sat on my leg and stung me repeatedly, but atleast I didn't wreck trying to get it off me. I cussed out loud at it until I could safely brush it off :) . I'm sure the person who passed me during this little episode thought I was completely nuts, as I was angrily saying "gdammit... F**K... YOU LITTLE A**HOLE... F**K". This was actually the first time I'd ever been stung by a bee, so luckily I wasn't allergic. It swelled a little, but not too bad.

Not brake so much going around the corners and downhill. Not get stung by a bee :)

Can't run real well in my bike shoes on pavement, especially going down stairs, so just went as fast as possible without biteing it. racked my bike took off my helmet and bike shoes, put on my running shoes, grabbed my race belt and hat, and put them on while running to the run start.

Learn to get out of my bike shoes on the bike.

My plan was to push as much as I could during the run, and take walk breaks if my knee started acting up. I didn't have to take any walk breaks, but I couldn't seem to push any harder than my jogging pace either. I only passed one person on the run and about 5 passed me.

Not injure my knee the month before, so I could do more running and speed training.

Gary and my friend Carly (who had both passed me on the bike) were waiting at the finish line. Gave them both a hug, Carly took a picture, and then my friend Teresa crossed the finish line. We walked it out a little together, and then went for a dip in the lake, which felt much colder now that our bodies were so hot. It was really refreshing though.


Lack of confidence on the bike, and my knee


This was my first triathlon ever last year, and will always be one of my favorites. It's a great local event with burgers and beer afterward and great prize drawings (even though I haven't won any lol). It's a fun course and great people! This year I took 15 minutes off my time from last year, so I can't really complain. Of course, I ditched the hybrid which accounts for alot of it, but my swim was about 3 minutes faster and my run was 2 minutes faster even with my knee issues. Training and experience is working, now I want to get even faster for next year :)

First picture from left to right: me, carly, and Teresa Second picture: Gary and me