This was a time trial start so I got off pretty uneventfully. Swimming is my weakest sport by far. I am ok with enduance, but I am s-l-o-w. I was passed by a lot of people, but the contact was minimal. I knew from previous reports that I would pass under three bridges. But after that third bridge, I kinda of checked out. I really wanted to be through with the swim. I couldn't see the exit and did not know how much longer I would have to swim. I just really had to put my head down and dig in and the exit was finally in sight. The exit was up some steps and there were guys standing there to help pull you out. One guy grabbed my hand and pulled before I had a foot on a step or a hand on a rail so up out of the water I came.

I actually ran through transition. Normally I am so out of wack from the swim that I can barely walk much less run. Used my spare water bottle to wash the grass off my feet before putting my socks and bike shoes on and off I went.

I tried to take a few bites of food in the beginning. I felt pretty good in general about the bike leg. Seeing everyone whiz past me kind of dampered that a bit but I knew I was putting everything into it and it really wasn't that bad. The course was pretty hilly, the long drawn out kind which are the hardest for me. The down hills were pretty nice. I tried to stay in my aero bars for the flats and downhills. There was one downhill that I knew was going to be pretty fast so I decided to get in the drops instead to be a little closer to the brakes. I didn't get the speed I expected because there was someone going pretty slow and as I tried to pass, faster riders started yelling "on your left" so I slowed.

Did pretty good with this transition. Racked my bike, changed my shoes and off I went.

I thought I was going to have a huge problem with my run. I started pretty slow and came to the steps, which I walked up. There was a pretty good downhill after the steps. Going downhill, I started having something seize up behind my knee. It got to the point where I couldn't put my foot completely down. Great. This was going to be a long 6 miles. It eventually worked out and I really didn't have any problems after that. I really got the the point where the run was pretty ok. I knew I could hang in there. I started playing leapfrog with a lady in my age group. She seemed faster than me but would slow at aid stations or other reasons and I would pass her. Another lady, a little younger, got in the mix around mile 3 and started talking to us both so we all kind of stayed on the same pace until mile 5 where we hit the uphill. I like to dig through hills so I just lowered my head and took off, leaving both behind. I stayed ahead for the next mile and then rounded the corner to see the finish line. The lady in my age group started sprinting past me at that point. Another thing I like to do is sprint for the finish. I may not be very fast overall, but I like to kick it at the end. I felt like I had earned my place in front of her on the hill so I kicked it up and passed her. She fought pretty good but gave it up in the end and laughed. I hope she wasn't too mad.