I'm usually a swim-slacker, and I haven't been training much this year, so I sort-of felt like I had to work this really hard. It was a wave start (3rd wave), so I placed myself at the front and tried to push hard from the get-go. I pulled away from the wave with one woman sticking with me. Made sure I got ahead of her. Right near the first buoy I started catching a previous wave, so it was harder to focus on swimming fast as I wanted to be aware of others. Tried to keep my pace. Rounded next buoy OK, and was also catching people from first wave. It was getting crowded!! Just kept pushing pushing pushing... nearing the shore, pushing, waiting for my hands to hit ground when BOOM!!!! I smacked into something hard. What the?? Was it a tree?? Collected myself to see it was a sawed-off pole -- crap! I also saw a pink swim cap in the area and wanted to make sure I beat that person, ha!! Up to the shore and into T1.

Not smack the pole. Check for obstacles pre-race? This was a smaller race, so the finish area was just marked with one buoy. I was swimmming right in an effort to swim hard and not swim over people... Had I been closer to center I would have been fine. Rats.

As I exited the water, I heard a spectator say, "Oh no! She's bleeding!" Crap! Oh well, nothing hurt, so soldier on. People racked on either side of me where in T1 and commenting on my cut. One girl looked at it quickly, deemed me OK and took off. Another insisted I stop and clean up. She had spectator friends there who did not want me getting on my bike w/o a band-aid. And Porter (RD) was showing up with a band-aid too. I let the nice women squirt water on me and throw on a band-aid and went on my way. Told Porter I was fine.

Not have open wounds that needed assistance.

I tried to push hard on the bike. After a few miles, the cut started to hurt a bit, and blood was pooling in my sunglasses. Ick. Uh oh. Tried to wipe it off and wondered how it looked. Tried not to think about it and push on. Wondered if I should stop, if I was being stupid. But I felt fine so I kept going and tried to push. Passed people, got passed a time or two. Chugged up the hills, cursing myself for being slow. Kept pushing! Made a plan to flag someone down heading into T2 so I could get some more band-aids before the run.

Not bash into a pole during the swim! Maybe push harder?? Initial glance at HR numbers seemed low, but they were sustained at a high rate (for me) for the duration, so I think I gave it what I had.

No T2 time -- timing glitch. Saw Leslie (medusa_ann), dressed as Wonder Woman, as I rode into T2, and I yelled at her to bring me band-aids. She was awesome and brought some big ones and I just had her put them on over the one I already had. Ready to run!

Not need band-aids.

I wanted to run hard, and wanted to average sub-8's. I took off and tried to push, not feeling awesome or fast, but like I was working hard and wanted to sustain that or build. Building didn't happen. I got passed a time or two, kept people in my sights and tried to focus, be strong, and just go. Didn't have a lot of go, though!! Worked it as hard as I had!

Nothing. Race more sprints to find that miserable place?

None, just had to tell my pole story again and again. Got wound cleaned by EMT. Got some chocolates. Hung out with friends. After I got home, I showered and cut was bleeding again. Husband checked it out, we called my mom (nurse), and everyone decided I should get it checked. So I spent the afternoon in urgent care getting wound cleaned, concussion eval, six stiches, and tetanus shot. Good times!


Head wound. :) And not racing a sprint for 2+ years. It's a different animal than an Ironman!


It was a great race and I love to see BTO Multisports out there doing their thing. Great job, Porter! Thanks!!