Dumbest thing you ever did in a Tri

Not particularly dumb.  I participated in the race both yesterday and last year and probably would have done the same thing if I hadn't clarified with the person in front of me.

I lost one of the expensive insulated water bottles on the bridge last year!

50 yards extra?  That is nothing!  Based on my times in the one sprint to another sprint (1 month apart), my pace went from 1:39 to 2:07/100.  I had a bad glare and couldn't see the bouys well at all so I winged it.  Figured if I was too off base the kayaks would point me the way.   Wondered why I had such clear space around me on the way out.  Looked at watch when I got out: 3+ minutes longer than it would normally take me (and I felt great the entire swim)!  That comes out to almost 200 yards off on the way out (I could sight perfectly on the way back in).     I looked back after I exited and realized the kayaks were on the inside of the triangle and none on the outside where I was!  Needless to say, I now wear mirrored goggles to help with the glare.

At the same race, I left my garmin on all night the day before the race (and noticed in transition when I tried to turn it on).   Had no bike speed/mileage/cadence. 

Drank heavily that night....

Never done anything REALLY stupid...just somewhat stupid...seems like every race I do something somewhat stupid  :-)

Ran to the end of T2 with my helmet on...but fortunately took it off at that point.

Didn't properly secure my aerochamber at White Lake and 6 miles in it got jarred loose. Not a good way to start a 56 mile bike ride in the heat.

Thought I was a rock star when I caught a couple of the elite women on the last of the large hills at Pinehurst. Then about 0.25 miles into the run when I still had a burning pain in my quads and they came coasting by I realized why they were elites and I was a learner...don't overcook the bike. Anyway, that point was made every step of the next 6 miles.

My most embarrasing one (for me..no-one else saw it) is that at Triangle one year I thought (again) that I was a rock star by catching one of the elite women (again, what's with me and the elite women in this post) a couple of miles into the bike. I was thrilled- started 5 mins behind them and I had made up THAT MUCH ground. Well then as I got closer I saw she had one leg and one prosthetic! So while I was so proud to be making up ground, I didn't factor in that she had to attach a prosthetic leg and ride with one leg/one prosthetic. I felt like such an a$$ for being so proud of myself and spent a lot of that bike ride reflecting on how much harder some things are for some people, and how awesome it is when they overcome it!

Was it the one-legged chick from Survivor (she was from RDU)?  PACE BOOTY!

Might have been from Survivor! Would it have been wrong to ask for an autograph?

my most idiotic move was blasting into T1 only to have no clue where your bike is... when I left T1 to swim I saw i had the only yellow cervelo...upon reentry to T1 i noticed everyone and their mother had a yellow cervelo...

and i just stood there scratchin my head til a T-worker asked me what my # was... and pointed me in the right direction.

Dude, I've run the wrong way in transition, only to have the entire set of spectators scream "go the OTHER way". They left of the "you idiot...".

LOL- that is the transition I am talking about!

i'll let you know how dumb of a decision it was post Sat.. =)

I forgot all my nutrition on the bike last year at the Charleston half.  It really makes for a long bike and even tougher run. 

At Charleston this year I was speaking with another athlete who was setting up his stuff in T-1 next to me.  Nice guy and it was his first half (possibly his first tri too).  We were getting ready to head down to the swim start so he walked off and I went over to get my "good luck" kiss from my wife.  I noticed my new friend walking down to the swim start... with his wetsuit on backwards!  My wife was able to catch him before he got in the water and advise him of his mix up.  As I came out of the swim into T-1 my wife advised me that his day got worse.  Apparently he thought the 2 lap swim was only a 1 lap swim.  She said he was out of the water heading into T-1 before he heard the officals yelling at him to get back in and do another lap. 

If he is on here reading this, my wife said she sat with your significant other out at T-2 and she said you killed the run so it sounds like you bounced back really well despite a bumpy start.  Congrats on your race!  You will have some great "back in the day" stories to tell from this one. 

I got in the water.

good stories, i am glad I didn't know about my blunder till after the race when one of the volunteers said " number 35 hey you swam farther then anyone", and explained it to me said they tried to yell at me, but in a pool you know how that went.

Great thread It might be a long running thread...I'll be at White Lake Saturday