This was my first RACE in OW without a wet suit. My goal was to not drown, AND to not be a total head case and freak out. I was in the middle of the 250 pack as we got into the water, and instead of getting myself in a better starting point, I sort of freaked a bit about everyone closing in around me and not having room to tread water. So I basically was just trying to keep my head above water, and didn't get out of the way. This was the longest 4 min ever!! Gun went off, and I got run over. One girl actually pushed off my stomach with her hand. Nice. I was trying to go with the flow and sort of swim with head above water so I could see, but it was just a washing machine. If I was going to freak out it was going to be here.....so in an attempt to not let that happen, I kind of let the crowd pull away. Then it was pretty much smooth sailing for me. I was able to just swim my slow but steady speed, and I could get my breathing under control quickly, and didn't have too many times where someone was mashing me and I either had to move away from them, or hope they would quit swimming into me. While swimming I actually felt good and was proud of myself to maintaining a happy head space!!!

I was mad that my time was so slow, but I did what I could.

I felt that I went as fast as I could in T1. I RAN all the way out of the water to my bike. After the football field length run out of the water to my bike, I quickly did what I had to do and DID brush the bulk of the dead grass of my feet, but really I didn't waste time and felt good about it.

I felt good on the bike. I knew it was going to be tough to keep any type of average speed up with all the turns and people packed onto the course, so i just did the best I could and tried to keep hammering. I kept reminding myself also that I still had to run. This wasn't a reverse, and I still needed my legs!

I felt quick about this too.

Ugh. It was 90 by this point. The bad thing about this course is there is NO shade. The only shade you get is going under 2 over passes. As much as I wanted to just walk, I kept going. I only walked at the aid station. I would pour some water over my head, trying to keep the excess running off my head onto the cement, and not down my back and into my shoes! Then I would fill my jog bra with ice and keep going. The ice would help cool my core temp, and provided an ice buffet for me to much on while I felt the blood pounding in my hot head. I passed my swim coach midway into lap 1. She was walking and didn't look good. I can't believe I beat her! I keep truding along and would sing songs in my head to try to keep running to a beat. During the last mile I picked a girl to try to overtake. It took a while but I did it. That helped me go a LITTLE faster.

Not be so freaken hot!!! I don't remember it being this hot last year, and I had a super fast run last year. Oh well....

Get OUT of my wet clothes ASAP.


This race has gone downhill. We used to get a nice spread of food. This year it was bananas, pretzles and animal crackers, oranges and water and gatoraide. Also, 95% of their volunteers are high school kids. I can't tell you how many I saw them standing there texting instead of doing what they should have been doing. Oh well, in a few weeks we will be back for the SOMA half. Same place, same RD, same crap. PLEASE LET IT NOT BE 97 DEGREES LIKE IT WAS LAST YEAR!!!!!!