The swim was rough! It was an ocean swim and my wave, off all women, got pounded by a set of waves on the way out to the buoy. I tried to stay with the fast group of 4 women but I couldn’t keep up. But it is a good thing I didn’t stay with them because they swam off course so I made up sometime as they corrected themselves. I still ended up fifth out of the water.

My transition was lightening fast. I don’t know what the other girls are doing in T1 but coming out of T1 I was now in 3rd. Must be that flying start Dante made me learn.

Megan quickly passed me on the bike; she is so fast and just had a baby 8 months ago – crazy! After the second loop Carol, a 55-year-old bad ass who is on her way back to Kona this year, passed me. So now I was in fifth again and trying to hold off my friend, Gina, who always catches me on the bike. I had less then a mile to go and then I heard “ Come on girl” and it was Gina as she flew going up the bridge, as if passing me was de-motivating enough it had to be going up the bridge. Then Gina followed some guy and took a wrong turn, which totally stinks but she was such a good sport about it after. So I ended the bike still in fifth with Gina right behind me. My bike time was 7th female overall

Run 5k (but it was really short ~2.9)
Run 20:00 (yes flat – how often does that happen)

My run was so much fun. I knew I had some catching up to do and I had Gina breathing down my back and not much time so I took off. I caught Carol after 1.5 miles and was now in fourth. I could see the third place girl ahead of me and I was trying to close on her. With about .5 mile to go I caught her and we ran side by side. Apparently she is Nikki because everyone was cheering for her. I had heard of Nikki and was siked I finally was running with her. We were entering the last curve before the 400-meter straight away for the finish and I was running just behind her on her shoulder. I figured I would let her dictate the pass and then see what I had left to sprint it out. Her husband was on a biking next to us telling her to hold the curve (So I didn’t pass on the inside). Then her husband said, “ she looks bad honey, she is hurting, you got her”. Well I did not like that and that put a little fire in my belly even though I really was hurting. I took off on the straight away to the finish and she surged too but quickly died out. I crossed the finish in 3rd place and totally excited I had a great race.