Somehow, we missed that our wave was up. We were chilling on the beach when we heard our wave called to enter the water, so we sprinted to the start. I guess that counts as a warmup? Luckily we got in with time to spare and worked my way up to the front of the pack.

I positioned myself out front and far to the right. Longer course but less crowded that way. The gun went off and a big pack took off. I was smarter then to try to keep with them and swam my race. Kept it in check, with just a slight effort and a smooth stroke. Felt great and caught people from the wave before us by the first bouy! By the second there were people from 2 waves ahead. It was a cross current here so I was getting a bit motion sick but I just kept swimming - strong but effortless was the name of the game today. NO RACING THE SWIM!

By the first turn, there were so many people I couldn't even tell where the big pack from my wave was. It was crowded from here on out with caps of all colors. We were now swimming into a strong current and one wave knocked me in the chest taking my breath away. Otherwise I kept strong. Most annoying part? Idiot on a jet ski who kept riding to make more waves for us! I know he's out there for our safety, but he should have been idling, not joy riding next to the course.

Finally saw we were next to the boat signaling the finish but then I saw the turn bouy probably another 50-100m ahead! I think it drifted :( So, rather then turn towards the exit I kept swimming to the bouy.

Finally hit the turn around and swam it in. I was keeping a nice steady pace, felt really good but it was getting warm. I almost wish I hadn't worn the wetsuit, it wasn't necessary.

Um, 5 minutes slower then my slowest ever prediction? Yeah, right. Course was long and into a current. Peeved about this. Felt like I had a really solid swim but there's nothing I can do to overcome a long course.

Felt incredible getting out of the water, like I hadn't even started yet. This is how I wanted to feel. Ran up to the strippers, got the wetsuit off and got to my bike. I couldn't tell how many were gone but there were tons still there. Felt pretty seamless.

I got to the transition exit and Chad said he only saw 3 other girls my age pass. He could have been wrong (he was) but that was exciting to hear I somehow passed the big pack in the water without even knowing it. My plan paid off!

Not much, for me this went pretty good!

WOW! This was dreadful!!!

Got started pushing a whopping 16mph into the winds. It was brutal! Took me quite a while to get up to speed. My goal was to average 18-19mph. With the headwinds, I wanted to hold at least 17 on the way out so I could hold 20 on the way back (yay for a tailwind!) and average 18.5 Good plan, right? Wrong! It was a crosswind the entire route. I finally picked up some speed a few miles in but I was pushing hard to maintain it. I kept passing people and talking to them as I went. A few joked around with me which made it fun! I just kept thinking "get to mile 28, get to mile 28".

Well, I get to the bridge and have never felt so scared on a bike ever. The road was a disaster and the winds from there on out were horrible! After my wheel broke in my last race 2 weeks ago, I didn't have time to decide what to do so I borrowed a friend's race wheels. Great idea! Except, she had a tri-spoke on the front and that is dreadful in the crosswinds. I could not control my bike at all on the back end of the course. I was being pushed everywhere and whether I was aero or not made no difference. I was actually really scared for my safety but what choice did I have but to keep pushing forward?

I finally hit the turn around and told myself I just had to get past the bridge, then I'd feel ok again. However, at the turnaround I discovered something awful - there would be no tailwind on the way back. It was all crosswinds. The entire 56 miles. UGH!!!

Nothing I can do but keep pushing, right? I then realize Brittany hasn't passed me yet. She always catches me in the first 5-10 miles. So, I start looking for her. About half a mile after the turn-around I see her. She's a mile back. I begin wondering if I can hold her off? I know she'll catch me on the run, but it would be a fun personal challenge to see if I can get back to transition before her. So, I dig deep and push harder, thinking if I can just up my speed by 1mph I might be able to stave her off. When I'd get tired, I'd think "Brittany's not back there slacking" and it would keep me going.

Here's where I have to say a big thank you to Brittany!!!! :) She unknowingly pushed me through some really rough spots on the course. A great friend and an incredible competitor, she's always been a source of motivation for me.

Not have borrowed that wheel. I think the speed benefit of the race wheel was diminished by the crosswinds and I probably would have been better off on my own wheels. I also wouldn't have counted on the tailwind to get me home because not having it did cause some mental upheaval I had to work down from.

All in all though - 19.5 mph???? My best case scenario prediction was 19 (though I thought I would only hit 18), and that was with favorable winds. So, I'm super proud of my effort out there and my speed.

Um, wow. Major suckage here. I got off my bike to find my hips had locked in the aero position. I have a long history of hip issues, so I don't play around with my hips anymore. I had to walk and take a bunch of time stretching out before I could get upright and running. A necessary evil though if I wanted to get through the run.

Normally during the last 1-2 miles of the bike, I stand for 30 seconds, sit for 30 seconds, just to loosen up the hips. However, this course had a straight headwind at the end and I was tucked in tight. I paid for it! Next time I will begin preparing for transition by doing my standing drills on the bike before I get there.

I'm not even sure what to say about this.

I needed to hold an 8:30 pace to hit 5:30 (due to the slow swim). It was aggressive but could be attainable. My goal was to take the first loop really easy, and pick the pace up slightly each loop - killing the 4th with everything I had left. My Garmin was freaking out with the out and backs it couldn't hold a pace, I'd watch it flashing from 5 min / mile to 16 min / mile every few seconds. So, I'd have to do this on feel.

As per my plan, I took the first loop easy (or at least it felt so). Brittany passed me pretty quickly. I tried to hang on with her but I wasn't moving that fast yet. The new goal was to keep her close so when I sped it up I could run with her, she had told me she wasn't feeling well and I thought maybe we could both use the company.

By the middle of the first loop, I started feeling like I had to pee, so I slowed down on the drinking, but kept grabbing sponges. At the end of the first loop I didn't have to pee anymore. I should have realized this was a bad thing, not a good thing.

I started the second loop but was really tired and didn't feel like I could speed up much. So, I just tried to push only slightly harder but it was still a very easy effort. Then it happened. Probably around mile 4 - it was right as we turned onto the main road out of the Moody Gardens campus. My chest seized up. I was running along and BAM - could not take in a breath! I honestly had no idea what was happening, all I know was I couldn't get in any air and I was wheezing and struggling to breath. I was terrified! I stopped running and just took some large breaths but they were all very wheezy. Started walking and just concentrating on trying to breathe. Then it hit me, I was having an asthma attack.

This is attack #4 in my entire life. So, to say I didn't have my inhaler handy is an understatement. I actually forgot I had asthma or an inhaler (I found it later at home, unopened and expired in the original packaging). So, now what? In the past, I've been able to control the attacks by stopping activity. However, this was a race, and I could hit my time goal so there was no stopping! (STUPID, STUPID, STUPID, STUPID)

So, I played with it. I would get to a point where I could get about 60% breath in and keep speeding up until it would seize. I finally found the line of the fastest I could hold without seizing and held that for the race. I couldn't even talk to the volunteers at the water stations I would just mouth what I needed. I kept grabbing sponges and shoving them down my top to keep cool. I felt really dry / dehydrated and couldn't breathe. It was crazy. I kept chugging forward, only waving at friends as I would see them on the course. By loop 4, even the site of Kristen and Michael and their incredible cheering wasn't doing enough for me.

I noticed some of my other friends didn't look so good, but I couldn't actually talk to cheer them on. Loop 4 I got to the 10 mile mark and saw I had to run my best 5K time ever to best the 5:30 mark. I finally admitted defeat. Until this point, I still hung on to a glimmer of hope that if I kept pushing, I could hit 5:30. I kept pushing the fastest pace my chest could hold but knew I didn't have much left. I hit the 2nd to last hill on the course and couldn't physically make it up, I had to stand there for a while trying to get air, then I walked it. I walked the next one too. Then I tried to run again. I saw the finisher's chute and couldn't wait to get to the med tent. I must have sped up at the thought, because by the time I crossed the line I was heaving terribly and couldn't get any air in. Brittany was waiting there for me and got me to the med tent.

Everything. Actually, I'm really torn on my emotions on this run. One one hand, in September I was stoked with my 10:01 run pace on my half. To run a 9:06 pace is incredible improvement. To do so with an asthma attack is to me, unbelievable. I feel like I did actually leave everything I had left on the course, but I did so stupidly, so I'm not happy with my push to that extent. All in all I'm still not sure how to feel about this. I'm proud I pushed through, thrilled with my improvement yet upset I didn't use enough common sense. Next time I will most definitely have my inhaler handy and I'll take the time to take better care of myself out there.

Walked to the med tent where they gave me 3 breathing treatments, an IV and other stuff I just can't remember


Long swim course with currents on the swim and asthma on the run.