Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! I hate the swim. Even if I am "only" in the water 25 minutes ... it is still the longest 25 minutes of my life. This swim was especially disappointing because I had been training so hard all summer for the swim ... swimming an average of 5 to 6 miles a week and really working on drills, speed, intervals, you name it. I was sure I would beat my previous IG best of 24 minutes and change, and hopeful for 22, but that all went out the window when I got kicked in the face early on and my goggles started taking on water. Flashback to Columbia in May, when I got a corneal abrasion (my race report which I will fill out later - never got to it for some reason - has more details) ... I did not want to repeat that experience so I stopped about ten times and tried to clear my goggles, and stop them from leaking. I never succeeded and finally gave up and started just swimming. I lost a lot of time there but not sure how much. About halfway through the swim I realized my neck was hurting and that I was trying to hold my head up and not keep it down in the water - again, I think because of the leaky goggles (and that lake water stings!! my eye is still oozing almost 24 hours later). So I forced myself to put my head down and then I got a better rhythm and breathed easier. Unfortunately, it was too late to save the swim and I was really disappointed with my time.

Maybe start near the back and just not worry about time lost. Not sure. Definitely need better goggles. Like some that can be affixed with super glue.

85/340 in my AG for transition. Average, could be better. Spent a lot of time worrying about my stinging eye and thinking about getting a new contact lens, but then just went for it. Gear was well organized, but I tossed my cap and goggles somewhere and didn't realize til later I lost them! Good riddance to the damn goggles.

I kicked a@@ on the bike this year! I got pretty close to being in the top 100 overall (and long story, but #1 and #2 I think cut the course accidentally from looking at the rest of their times) so I may have been 101. I knnow this course very, very well and it paid off. I was happy and confident and felt great!

Slash the tires of the SUV that stopped to make a left turn, on the far right side of the road, leaving some of us with no choice but to tiptoe our bikes around him on gravel and broken asphalt because there was no room on the road to ride by him ... grrrr.

Great!! I don't even know if I could improve on this. I am so happy with this transition time. And I felt like it went well and I was thoughtful about it ... bike shoes off, running shoes on, bike gloves off, race number on, hat, sunglasses, gu, take a drink ... didn't forget a thing and it was so smooth. =) 32/340 in my AG for T2.

First mile was 7:00. Yes, 7:00! I don't think I have ever done that ... ever! I felt fantaastic. Unfortunately, then the hills started and I cramped up pretty badly around my diaphragm, probably not drinking enough + running too fast to start, so I slowed down a lot, second mile 8:58 or so and the final 1.4 miles only slightly faster than that. Still, only two women passed me during the entire run!

Not start out quite so fast, but speed up more near the end.

Stood around and talked, got pictures taken with my friends, and then headed back to pack up.


Not knowing how to swim, apparently.


I love this race and hope to do it *every* year as long as I am able! My time from last year was a huge improvement. Last year I was 2:04:50 so 6 minutes and change taken off ... a better swim (though still not as good as the first year) ... a minute or so off the bike, two minutes off the run and good transitions. I need to get better in T1 but part of that is constantly having eye issues. So, for next year the swim is my focus yet again. I'm really getting tired off focusing on the swim!!