WTF happened here? Honestly don't know. I must have swam so far off track on the first 300m that I was in another lake. I had problems seeing the bouys in the beginning but thought I was going in the correct general direction as I didn't see any kayakers. About 1/2 way to the 1st bouy, I could finally see the bouy and swam straight line from there but thought it was wierd that I wasn't getting pummeled...at all. Swim wise, I felt good. No panicing, breathing was good and felt strong. After the first turn, I had no problem sighting and swam a bee line into the squigly man. Got out of the water, looked at my watch and though the thing was broken (I just changed the battery the night before) as that couldn't have been my correct time. Starting doing the math in my head...my pace would have been almost 25 sec/100 slower than my HIM a month before. I felt that my swim was actually good and was in the upper 14's. Soon realized my watch was working just fine and I had just completed the worst swim of my life. 17:38...less than two months after a 13:32 750m and a month after a 39:00 1.2m swim. Oh vey.

Maybe try to be close enough that I can actually see the sighting bouy?!?! I never realized I was off course until I got home and tried to analyse what the hell happened. Thought about how I never really had any traffic swimming (in the largest AG no less) and finally put 2 and 2 together.

Sand in cleat and couldn't get clipped in for 1/2 mile...same freaking thing as last year.

Cleat covers?

Hoped on bike...realize Garmin battery is dead. Fan-freaking-tastic. No cadence/speed (execpt for an old bike computer that hadn't been reset but did have current mph). At this point I was really starting to get agitated. Rode pretty hard but I had already mentally checked out of this race. I really like this course though. I didn't expect to do great on the bike as I hadn't ridden that much since my HIM last month and the past 5 months of training have been edurance rides with almost no sprint training. Time was within seconds of last years bike split.

Sprint work. Charge stupid Garmin before a race.

No problems here.

At this point, I just wanted to get the race over with. Had no Garmin to pace myself so I just went on feel. First mile said 6:08 but I think the marker was too short as I didn't feel like I was going at that pace. Don't remember mile 2 split. Got passed by a guy in my AG and for the first time, I didn't care and didn't attempt to re-pass him. Just kept on going. Felt fine the entire run, nothing special. No big kick at the finish like I normally do. Blah. Time was good and was a sprint run PR but that was not suprising. Hoped to go under 21 but no go today (nor did I care when I was running.

Charge stupid Garmin before a race.

Banana. Beer. Beer. Coffee. Bread.


Stoopid lake.


This is the first time in a while that I was not happy with a race. I did beat my time from last year (barely) but that was my 1st ever tri. Totally disappointed in my swim. No where close to hitting a sub 1:30 goal time with that swim. Oh well. Sh1t happens. Went home, got on some clean running clothes and then went to a 1k beer run at noon at the local brewery. That was more my style! Finished 5th out of 600+ in that one! That at least made me feel a little better!