Great swim. Didn't push my way to the front, didn't act like a spaz taking off in the first 200 yards, didn't do much of anything other than just wade in and start swimming.

Sighting was good, but there were a few times when I treaded water to hunt for the buoys. Relaxed swim, no pressure, and it ended up being fairly quick.

Nothing. I loved this swim.

Transition was good. I did not put my wetsuit into my bag before I jumped on the bike, and regretted not doing so. Nothing bad happened, and at the end of the day, I still had all my stuff. I also ended up with an extra pair of goggles (Aqua Spheres!) and another cap. Not sure how someone else's gear ended up under mine, as I was the first in my area to get on my bike. But from now on, I will always take the extra few seconds to bag my gear.

I suck suck suck on the bike. Totally suck. Suck cheese, suck fumes, whatever.

I passed just 2 people, both of whom were carrying their bikes along the course because of mechanical issues. And if I read the results correctly, I was passed by 42 people.

I don't know. Attach a motor to my bike? Hire someone to tow me?

It is painfully obvious that I have no biking skills.

This one was nice. No complaints.

I died at mile 10. I wanted to push it hard but I just didn't have the juice to do it. I did run it, and I finished strong, but not at the pace I wanted.

Like Providence, this two-loop course had a major hill in miles 2-3. I ran it the first time, walked it the second, with the hope that the eneergy I conserved would help me later.

I'm not sure if it worked, but I will say this -- this hill was worse than Providence's College Hill, and I was not as beat-up on this run as I was then. And it's not like I trained for this race. So my opinion is that walking the hill was the wiser option.

Ride the course before the race. I just didn't have a sense of it on the first loop, and that little bit of familiarity might have helped me finish about 2 minutes faster -- allowing me to break 6 hours, my all-time goal.

Lack of training. This was a last-minute race that I had contemplated but did not commit to until earlier in the week.


This was a first-time event. Nice shirt, bare bones race. But a tougher course than Providence 70.3 and much closer to home. No huge crowds on the course, or at the finish line, and an almost lackadaisical approach to the event. No signs or lighting to guide drivers to the race site in the pre-dawn hours.

On the other hand, no high entry fees, no minimum stays in hotels, and I was able to register 3 days before the race. No required Saturday bike check-in, so I didn't have to be out there 2 days in a row.

I'd do this one again.