Was pretty happy w/ this swim. This is a decent time for me, and included some run up to transition. Didn't get too much contact until after the last buoy. It was a tt start so actually started Right next to my husband, and then right with about 4 other club members. This was funny because John and I are always in competition with each other. I figured he would smoke me on the swim, I would stay even or lose a minute on the bike, then hopefully be able to catch him on the run.

Surely if a big group of us started together we could form some sort of pack and draft off one another in the swim right? Well it was to no avail, the instant after I stepped in I didn't see any of the others again (except for Jason, who I think I clobbered with my arm. Sorry!)

So when I get back to transition, I can't believe my eyes! John is still there! I see that he is Not happy to see me! I also see that Ron's bike, also next to ours, is still racked.

Practice dealing w my aero helmet. I put it on backwards then couldn't buckle it.

I knew this course was very hilly going into it. My plan was to go really conservatively so I could still have a good run. I have been biking a lot more recently, but due to being sick hadn't gotten on the bike at All that week. I was afraid of burning up my legs by trying to stay in the big ring so I went to the small a lot.

About 5 miles in got passed by David. About 10 miles in Ron came up too. Stayed right by him for awhile then I mentioned that John and David were just ahead. Well thats all it took for him to take off!

Probably could go a little harder....need to work on cycling though definitely.

I knew I had to move quickly to have a chance at catching John and Ron. Also, I had no doubts that Jason and Erik and some other people would be right behind me! We all started at the same time so those were the only people whose places I knew relative to my position.

Right when I started my heart rate was sky high and I was already practically wheezing like I do at the end of a 5k. I knew my effort was too high to sustain so I wanted to back off a bit. I saw Ron leaving transition right before me, though, and I wanted to pass him while not looking like I was dying (which I was.)

After I passed him we had to make the turns down into some campsites etc. I saw John at a few out and backs and was trying to calculate how far ahead of me he was but was having trouble concentrating.

When I ran down into the campsites there was the strong smell of people cooking barbeque and I started feeling really sick. I have been nauseous all week but not so far that day. I had to slow down a little bit and then Jim Linck passed me. That wasn't really an issue to me since there was no question in my mind that he would beat me.

I kept running pretty strong but wasn't seeing many women at all, much less from my age group. I Did keep seeing almost everyone from my club and it was great and motivational except for the fact that I couldn't talk or offer words of encouragement because I was about to keel over from exertion. I kept seeing Erik, Ron, and Jason behind me and thought they might run me down! Also, I started questioning whether I was going to catch John after all.... he must be having a great run!

With a mile left to go I was going to sprint it out and hopefully John and I would have a photo finish! But, alas, fate had other plans. Feeling incredibly sick from the bbq, being sick, who knows what else, I started dry heaving while running at about 1000 decibels.

It was so loud and I thought it was going to be like one of those movies where someone throws up then everyone else hears then and gets sick in succession. With half a mile to go I had to stop and take a break to hurl all over the race course! I was so mad that I mistimed this event to not take place after the finish line! Fortunately, that event didn't cost me too much time, and I was able to keep running to the finish.

not be sick, not get sick. Oh, and John beat me. This time :)

Had a great time hanging out with the 30 plus atc people who did this race!We ended up having a number of people place in their age group, masters etc.