The bad start to my race started here...in the water. I did not seed myself right, was almost all the way towards the back, and I think this cost me...BIG TIME! I am a better swimmer than where I seeded myself, and I need to do better next time.

The swim was HARD! When I say it was hard, I mean at one point, I believe I had my right arm out of the water, and I was going to take a stroke, and a wave came in, and practically flipped me upside down! The waves were pretty choppy and it was parallel to the shore, making it pretty shallow, so that allowed for a lot of walking and getting tossed around in there like I was, I just got to the point where I wanted to say "screw it" and just walk.

While my time was 2:18 faster than Pleasant Prairie LY, and the conditions were far worse than that nice flat and easy swim, I KNOW it could have been faster had I just sucked it up and swam more like I KNOW I can.

The other bad thing today was, with the chop, and the buoys, I seemed to have swam too close to them, and everytime I felt like I was getting a good rhthym, I would swim into the rope or whatever was attached to the buoys in the water, and it really threw me off. Then I would try to keep swimming, and get "away" from them, but the chop kept bringing me in...uggh!

To quote what Schmize says in his RR...Big Foot: 1 Amy: 0

Seed myself better...I know that now, so going forward, hopefully I have a better swim time.

SWIM MORE and walk less!! I know I can swim...I've done the work, and now I just have to be more confident in the water, no matter WHAT the conditions are. It was REALLY shallow in some parts though.

Coming out of the water, I had a really hard time pulling the cord to unzip the wetsuit...that has NEVER happened to me before. It was like I opened the velcro flap, pulled out the cord, and was pulling on it, and it wasn't coming unzipped.

I was in the 2nd to last row (closest to the bike out) so I had quite a run to my rack. The transition area was packed...

I really think me not being able to get my wetsuit unzipped threw me off...but being how far of a run I had, I don't think this was too terrible...

Hardest.Ride.Ever.

Being that I tried to ride this course last week and I got lost, there were only certain parts of it I knew. What I had NOT planned on was the 30mph winds that were going to be visting the Lake Geneva area today. I know it's hard to tell by my slow azz avg speed, but I REALLY tried to go balls out on this. I just couldn't compete with the wind. On some of the roads going West and then South, I had to come out of aero because I was almost blown off my bike. There were definately some curse words being said, under my breath, but it just was really tough out there today.

When I did finally get to go North and East, I was going lights out...about 28-30 mph, even saw at one point I as at about 35mph...cause I knew the other two directions just killed me. the funny thing was...when we changed directions, it seemed the wind did too...great...

With the winds as high as they were too on this, I noticed that my lower back and my abs were already starting to cramp up, so I knew this would not be a good sign for me for the run.

Big Foot:2 Amy: 0

I am really disappointed that I wasn't at least closer to the top of my AG in the bike...

I need to just keep at it with hill work...maybe do some hill repeats when I am out in the burbs...

And when it's windy...I have to be out there because you NEVER know what it will be like on race day.

So earlier I said that transition was REALLY crowded...well, being that everyone in my area was already back and on the run, no spot left for my bike, so I wasted about 10 seconds trying to squeeze Betty back on the rack until I just said, F*ck it, and leaned it up against the rack and slipped on my running shoes and grabbed my race belt and was off.

Also, with all of the people who had run through the area all wet, the grass was really sloppy, and being that I was so far away, and had to run with my bike, I really think that added some time.


Find out that bike in was at the opposite end and rack there so I don't have to run so far with the bike.

In all of my years running, which would be 23 years now (oh my Lord), I have never run this slow.

Did my stomach muscles cramp up? YEP
Were my legs tired? YEP
Did I dog this run? YEP

I haven't done a run this challenging with the hills since my high school running days. It was really hard for me...and I just walked more than I should have probably, but I was tired...exhausted actually...and I thought if I walked, I could massage my stomach to feel better...and it did from time to time, but that rugged terrain just wreaked havoc on the poor thing. It's like it was screaming, "Hello...what the hell are you doing to me??" Last week the PT doctor said he noticed pelvis misalignment and my hips "dropping" sometimes when I run, and we were worried about this with the unsteadiness of the terrain.

Mile splits: 11:49, 11:02, 11:14, 11:49, 13:21,11:05

Big Foot: 3 Amy: 0


I'm not giving up....until the doctors tell me there is nothing more they can do for me, and even than, I don't think I'd accept it. I've done almost 10 miles without pain, so I am sure there is SOMETHING we can do to try to alleviate this pain. Maybe I have to COMPLETELY change the way I run, if that will solve this issue, I'll do it. I'll do anything, but quit.

No matter how bad I do out there, I'm no quitter!

And because of that, I give myself a point!

Big Foot: 3 Amy: 1

How nice is this? I finish that race...I felt like crying, and who is there to greet me at the end???? Ms. Pam Grande herself...a fellow BT'er!!! I cannot tell you how much that made me smile...so happy to finally meet her. I grabbed some of the breakfast and then we waited for her to get her FIRST PLACE award for her Age Group...NICE GOING PJ!!! :)


Experience and Training. Being that this was only my second OLY, I am still learning how these longer races differ from the Sprints I am used to.

Training wise...need to practice hills more. Period!

As far as the wind on the bike or the waves in the water...unless you practice and train in that environment, when it makes an appearance like it did today, you won't be prepared, and I wasn't.


Mentally, and Physically, this was my hardest race ever. I am very proud of myself for never fully giving up, even though, I think I could have pushed harder in certain areas, but to me, I am chalking it all up to it's a learning experience. Not every day is going to be your best, and that's how you grow as an athlete...a very tough day like today really makes you appreciate the good races you have.

I know I speak a lot about running these races for my mom, but today, it was 11 years ago that she passed away, and so I was really talking to her on the bike and run, asking her for strength to get through when I just wanted to say screw it....she always loved my strong finishes in races, so I made sure to kick it in to high gear for her!