Aw Jess just read it - so sorry about that, could easily have been me!  I actually was okay in the swim - I wanted to draft badly but people were ALL over the place - so I decided swimming straight was a better option than following this lot!  I touched every buoy so definitely straight!

I got swum over by teams and by Macca nice!

Glad you thought the swim was long, me too.  The water was FOUL.  I'm so glad i didn't really drink any.

run to transition long and painful on the feet I agree.  I did get a volunteer strip my wettie so I was clearly lucky.

Bike - mmm I stopped to get on but a long way from the line and i wouldn't have held you up you were in front....

Oh my GOD those hills were brutal in that heat - by the time I hit the turnaround and tackled those hills on the return trip I was smashed, had nothing left to give on the bike.  some of the IM age groupers were a bit rude to say the least - I was keeping left all the way but they screamed a lot!  The pros don't do that.

One age grouper came through and wiped out some chick - straight into her, no warning - she flew over the handle bars onto the grass thankfully, had to take off her rear brakes as he'd bent the wheel all out of shape.  He didn't fare so well as he landed on the gravel....

The run - well it was hot, hot and then hotter.  I cramped pretty badly at 10km and walked it home.  Finished in 7.39 - officially after the cut off but they didn't cut off....so I'm happy. 

I had a good day and i'm sorry you didn't.

See you out there next year...

oh my journey home - delayed by Jet star for 11 hours, got home at 3am today and up at 6am for work.  Not happy.

Oh sweetheart that sounds genuinely as well!!!

I know the guy that came off. He was from Melbourne too apparently. He told a different story to your one though!! I had a ball on the way out to the turn around, I honestly don't think it would have been able to repeat the performance on the way back however.

I will be back next year. We'll have to catch up. So when you catch me on the run you can give me a Giddy Up, lol.

oh in other news was told the reason the jet skis churned the water up in the morning before the start was to scare off the 2m croc spotted.....

What training program did you follow?

I followed the Beginner but for Shepparton I'm going with a coach to prescribe something more to my individual needs and time restraints, but also to challenge me and make me faster and more competitive.

I've got IM Melbourne in March - i waiver between dead excited I'm doing it and absolute certainty that it can't be done.

However I shall do the training and get to the start line, then take the day as it comes.

See you out there Jess!

Oh wow Jess!  So sorry and sad for you - hope you're feeling a lot better now.

Awesome awesome attitude you've got to go back next year and own that course!  I know you will !!

Get healthy and enjoy a well-earned rest.

Job, sending you a PM, easier than checking back here every time lol.

Thanks Nige, I'm a bit more positive about it now than I was on Sunday. I think I made the concussion headache worse from all the crying!!