My swim time is fine. I really can't complain since it is a rare week that I swim more than once a week and truth be told I often skip weeks. I am though annoyed at my poor sighting skills. (Well, also annoyed that by the time I got to start swimming it was nearly 9am. That sucked, a lot.)
This was my 3rd triathlon (done a sprint and a HIM) and I probably sighted the worst I ever have. This mostly had to do with my confusion on which side of the bouys I should be on. I knew it was a straight shot but I was worried about getting dq'd for swimming in the wrong place. As a result I was swimming closer to the side and then decided midway maybe I was suppose to be more in the middle so I diagonally cut across the river to be where I thought I should be. All this did was put me in a washing machine of swimmers and made the water choppy. Should have stayed where I was. For sighting method I would just swim for 50 strokes and look. I figured that was looking up every 75meters or so. I figured that if I got off too far it would cost a minute at most of correction.

Hmm, on second thought I guess maybe I didn't have so much a sighting problem so much as it is just not being very bright.

Anyway, shrug, I guess I did well enough. I caught a ton of other swimmers that started way ahead of me.

I also felt the water was very hot. I hate hot water. It makes me swim slower.

Just swim straight ahead and not zigzag across the river like a dumbass.

No idea if this good or not.My rack couldn't have been more in the middle of transition if I had gotten out a tape measure and planned it. I did good though running from the water (removing cap and googles) and finding my rack. Squirted water on my feet, put on helmet, shoes, socks sunglasses and ran out of transition. I am not coordinated enough to jump on my road bike (not tt for this girlie) and slid into my shoes. I also don't see the point of this since in, now 3, races I have done I always pass people fiddling with their shoes just past the transition line.

Nothing.

Sigh. I am pretty unhappy that I still suck on the bike. I see that this is where so many triathletes have strength and it is my weakest area. This year I have tripled what I rode all of last year and I can say at best I am only marginally better. It just baffles me that I hardly swim at all and come up 5th in my AG but I bike my tail off (okay actually my tail has gotten a little bigger from all the cycling) and I am 15th.

I will say I did not push hard on the bike. I fried myself on the bike and then had a miserable painful run in my other two tris. I knew that it was going to be hot as blazes when I got off the bike and the run was already going to suck. So I kept my bike effort behind what I call the pain line. My goal for this race was to have a good, painfree race. As a result my bike was comfortable, completely boring and subpar. But it did not hurt. Oh and I didn't get flat. I was soooooo worried about that.

Maybe next time be a little more aggressive. There were many times I could have pushed a little harder but was just sort of complacent.

I did loosen my shoes before I got to transition but I didn't do the flying dismount. Just don't think I am bike coordinated to pull that off gracefully.

It was pretty crowded and while tried to run there were people in front of me not running so therefore my efforts were in vain. Then I got confused and went down the wrong rack. That cost some time but whatever.

I call this a success since I didn't run out with my helmet on.

Not get lost.

I've had a rough year with my running. Lots of little injuries and lots of ITBS flare ups. My goal was to just run the entire 10k. I am notorious for walking in a 10k--I can run a marathon without walking but 10k's? Walk pretty much every time; even my PR. I was doing well with my goal until about mile 5ish. I was starting to get chills, had that swimming head feel and then I passed a guy loudly puking his guts out as I ran up that little hill. So I walked for about 30 seconds, got the HR down and finished on running.

I have to say that this run was more of an easy jog rather than race effort. Make no mistake; I was going about as fast as I could go but it felt like molasses. I am guessing it was like that for everyone since only a few men passed me and no women at all did.

I wish I could have ran faster but I had a pain free run and considering how hot it was I think that is something.

It is what it is.

Looked for my husband and then had an adult tantrum when I found out I couldn't have a shower. Got naked in the parking garage and poured a water bottle over me.


I would say the heat. Definitely would have been more aggressive had it been cooler. I have been to the medical tent after a very hot marathon so at this point I know it is best to just dial it back otherwise it is going to just be miserable with a possible DNF.


I really liked the Oly distance. I figured I would. I am well suited for events that are 2.5-3 hours long. Sprint wss too short and HIM was just too long for my mental ability.

Like I mentioned, this was my 3rd triathlon, first in almost 2 years. My objective was to have a good race and I did. My goal time wise going in was under 3 hours with figuring 2:45 was the best I could do given my cycling ability. Run was definitely slower than I predicted but I think had it been cooler that would have been faster. What I am most impressed with myself about is my pacing ability. I "raced" this entire event with no watch, heart rate monitor or any concept of my pace/mph. I had no idea until they posted the results that I met my A goal time of 2:45.