No wetsuit. So had to try and limit my losses. I'm not a bad swimmer. Just not a very fast one. I navigate and site pretty well and I don't struggle. But being in the back you are with inefficient swimmers and poor sighters (not passing judgment here - just keepin it real). I was stuck with two rather bad dudes that I just couldn't shake for the first 800 or so meters. So I would adjust way out to the right - perfect no one in front of me - and suddenly he was there. I'd back off and move inside - perfect clean line to the buoy - nope, there's my pall apparently looking for a good time. Nothing phased him - a kick in the side and slug in the back. The dude could certainly take a punch I'll give him that much.

I have to get fast. But who am I kidding. It ain't gonna happen. Just have to plug away at the back of the pack and learn to land my blows more efficiently and effectively.

Not bad. I kinda kicked my stuff un-racking my bike and my OCD made me reach back and tidy up just a touch which cost me a few seconds.

Some behavioral therapy prior to my next race.

Ugh. Plenty of chip and seal roads. Some fresh so there was some loose gravel out there. Not a bad ride. Lots of gradual climbs on the way out. One bad into the wind section on the way back. Had a side stitch the entire time (more on this later) but I finished my 24 oz bottle of endurance formula gatorade with a packet of gatorlytes mixed in. Why you bad Mr. Crampy not leave me alone?

Put a motor in my bottom bracket. They didn't have an x-ray machine. Totally could have gotten away with it. Next time fo shizzle.

Little trouble re-racking not bad. Got a little lost in the transition area. Was looking for Glenn's yellow bike on the end of my row (this was my mental notation in the morning knowing he would and did finish ahead of me) and turns out there was another yellow bike on the end of another rack a few ahead of my rack. D'oh!

Hire and bring my own transition attendant to guide me to my rack and take my bike and rack it for me. I think this would be so much more efficient. Why haven't I thought of this before.

That side stitch I mentioned on the bike finally just took my breath away within the first mile. I started great and hoped I could tolerate it until the first water station. I just couldn't breath any more. Got that handled but it freaked me out enough that took in too much water and gatorade at the first two water stops that I wanted to puke at mile two from the sloshing stomach. Run quickly deteriorated into a run walk. Finally salvaged enough determination to have a final 6:55 mile.

Gatorade, water, shade.


Oprah. Seriously, how can I be expected to live my life knowing her show is ending. What is a girlfriend to do.