With a big adrenaline rush I started off way too fast only to have it catch up to me about 120 yards out. I'm not a strong swimmer anyway. Plus on the way back I wound up veering into oncoming swimmers. What a goof! :-) I swallowed water a few times, choking bad and had to hit my back a few times to recover.

The water was a good temperature. We swam in it a week before and it was 65, so it warmed up almost 5 degrees or so over the week.

Start slower, relax, pace myself! I need to keep working on my swimming. I've made a lot of progress, but have a lot, LOT further to go.

I'll need to practice my transitions and get smoother. I didn't think I had any one problem, but was fatigued after a frustrating swim. I also think the better shape I get into the less I'll drag into and out of transitions.

I wouldn't use gatorade for my 'energy drink'.

I didn't feel very fresh. Again, with better conditioning this should improve. I can average 19 to the low 20's, but I was dragging bad.

This needs practice. I took way too long in T2.

I biked without socks and stopped to put socks on. I may experiment with running without socks to build up some calouses. I would have saved a full minute if I hadn't put socks on.

I'm not a runner and struggle with knee issues, so I actually felt OK about my run. I did it and don't have any real knee pain, just aches - nothing that ice won't solve.

Nothing

light stretching


Conditioning.


I felt like I did OK for my first triathlon. Having practiced all the individual events, I found doing them all together was twice as hard as any of them alone. That was a real shock. I knew it would be tougher, but it's different to experience it. I thought the RD did a good job and the volunteers were great. It was well run and had good snacks, food, etc afterwards.

The only critique I have is that I'd like to have the race results posted longer at the race site. I goofed off a bit afterwards only to find the results pulled down about an hour after the finish and didn't see how I did. On the other hand, they posted them online VERY soon...by noon. So, thank you!

Also, when signing up I was given the option to sign up as a Clydesdale but was told at packet pickup that the Clydesdale division is only for the Sprint. So, I was not included in the overall rankings. That option needs removed from the registration.