My worst swim ever. Getting out to the first buouy was okay, but it stayed crowded as we joined the Olympic distance racers in progress. The water was bigger than I've ever swum in before, and I could not keep my head down. I struggled to the shore, knowing I had lost my chance at an AG medal. : (

Practice on the big lake from time to time.

I left my socks and a pair of old running shoes along with a bottle of water to clean the sand off my feet down on the pier. This went well. My family was on the beach and followed me to my shoes. I knew I needed to hammer the bike. I passed a bunch of people on the way to the transition area who were wearing crappy footwear. The running shoes were well worth it.

Nothing

I really hammered on the bike, knowing how much time I had lost in the water, steadily passing people the whole time, including several in my AG. I'm getting used to my new bike, a Specialized Transition Expert 2009, and shifted well.

Nothing.

Good transition.

Nothing.

I could see a guy in my AG about 100 yards ahead the whole time and just didn't have the gas to catch him. I went hard but didn't seem to have an extra gear today, perhaps a result of going all out on the bike.

I need to learn to HTFU and get acquainted with true suffering, maybe go out really hard and see if I actually blow up.

Lots of walking, drinking, stretching, eating


I had a terrible day in the water, totally unfamiliar with those swimming conditions. I was in good shape, but I never established equilibrium out in the big waves past the line of buouys.


Pizza hut provided pizza, pasta, and burgers, and volunteers handed us cold wet race towels, water, and Gatorade at the finish line. The awards ceremonies started before all the racers came in, which was a pleasant departure from the tedium of waiting for the last athlete that most races seem to enforce on us.