The water was above 78 degrees so no wetsuit. This was my first open water swim without a wetsuit so I was a little nervous. The swim went down river and across left to right. However, the river current was right to left. We were told which opening to got through under the first bridge. I started in the back and to the left to hopefully fight the current. About 100 yds into the swim there is a sandbar you have to run over. Once I got over the sandbar, I started heading for the opening. The current was stronger that I thought and I was quickly being pushed right. About half the wave was in the same boat (we were in the 1st wave and didn't have the advantage of watching another wave). The course official at the bridge let us go through the opening to the right. It wasn't much shorter and I think I would still be fighting the current. Once I got through the bridge everything went downhill. Not having the wetsuit, I obviously was not sitting as high the in water. Therefore, I was swallowing tons of water. I had to keep switching to side stroke to clear out the water.

Also, I think this course was longer than 1k. I am not a fast swimmer but even on my slowest days swimming I am not that slow (especially with the current). Regardless, my swim was really slow

This was a new experience without the wetsuit and I actually felt much better the last 300m than first part. I just need to work on every aspect of my swimming.

Included in swim time

This race was swim/run/bike so this was the third segment. It was a two loop course of about 6 miles each. It was a nice course with winding single track, some small hills and an open stretch on top of a dyke. I wasn't sure how I would feel coing off the run but I felt great. Being a former MTB'er, the course was no problem and I felt very strong. I passed a lot of people and just one person passed me in the last few miles. I was able to hang on his wheel and finish right behind him (even though he started in a later swim and was actually 5 minutes in front).

Nothing...felt great

This was the run to bike transition so it was just switching shoes, put on helmet and camelback

Nothing

Thrilled to finally be out of the water, I was looking forward to run. I wasn't sure how hard to push it with the bike coming next. It was a very flat and very fast 5k course with the exception of a foot bridge you had to cross over Route 91 (a major highway). You had to go up 6 or 8 flights of stairs (I can't remember how many) to get to the bridge. I think this really slowed times down. I felt great and passed a bunch of people without being passed. With my swim being so slow, I certainly had plenty of people to go by. I caught up to a guy who swam in the waver after me but must have swam right by me and we ran in together the rest of the way.

Nothing, I was really pleased with my run. I think I paced it about right were I didn't kill myself for the bike but went hard enough to get a good time.

Drank gatorade, had a banana, watermelon and some water


swim, swim, swim and oh yeah swim


Great race, lots of fun and very different. I might try it again next year just so I can beat those damn currents on the swim