Yea, I don't think so. I don't pace 1:15 per 100 in a meter pool and swim almost 2 min/100 meters open water. Not to sound like my s**t don't stink but I have a strong swimming background and this just wasn't right. I have had my fair share of open water swims so it's not like it being open water had anything to do with it. What DID have to do with this swim was the fact that it was definitely way too long. The original lay out of the buoys was at least 700-800 meters one way and we had to go out and back. We got word to "ignore the last 2 buoys" from the RD. Um, ok? I guess someone went out and moved back the last 2 buoys, I really don't know. All I know is that it was still too long. I positioned myself in the middle sorta towards the front. The guys in front of me took off and I couldn't catch them but I still managed to be 8th out. I think if I wore my wetsuit I would have been faster and warmer but the cold didn't really bother me.

Nothing. I think my actual swim was decent and I still kept my streak alive of not being out of the top 10 overall for the swim leg. Maybe I wold hve positioned myself a bit better. Oh, wear my wetsuit.

It was impossible to time this. There was no chip timing and the only place I was anyone taking splits was coming out of trnsition. In that case I thing the swim time as well as the bike time also have transition times added in, which leaves the split times for this race deceiving.

Pracice this more and lern hw to jump on my bike with the shoes clipped in.

No matter whic way you went it seemed like there was a headwind, even coming the opposite way on the loop. Starting out I felt OK but soon my hip flexors were screaming at me. It took a while to find a gear that was comfortable while still feeling fast, later on I fell into a rhythm and was able to push hard. Again, I believe this bike time also includes transition time from bike to run.

Spin a little more in the small ring before switching into the big jawn.

Rolled up my socks pre-race so I could just roll them on. The worked Ok I guess but I really need a set of Yanks or Speedlaces. Tying shoes is for the birds.

The race description said that there was some sand and pine needles. Pre-reace the RD said that there is about 4 tenths of a mile that is deep sand. SUUUURE. More like 90% of the run is deep sand. The entire path was also like an Iraqi airstrip with craters every few feet from ATVs riding around. I hated this run. However I did better than I thought I had. I wnted to pace 7:30/mile and felt like I was nowhere near that but I guess I wasn't far off. Had this been rod I think I could have done what I wanted. I had no way of feeling how well I was running, there were too many time I lost footing or almost rolled over my ankle because of the sand/tire tracks.

Not run this course.

Hung out with the crew and watched Michelle finish her first tri!


Pre-race nutrition, the run.


This gets a # because it was Michelle's first. It was very unorganized and the lack of chip timing grinds my gears. I probably won't do this race again but it was more like a fitness gague more than anything. I did have a great time though. I ended up 3rd in my age group but we didn't stay for the awards. We went and chowed down on pancakes instead, which was more fun.