It was pretty nippy outside so I thought the water would be freezing! It actually turned out to be really nice - felt like getting in the pool at the rec. I'm sure my times are unimpressive, but I think I did a great job for my first open water swim. It was a one wave start so I hung out near the back to avoid the big crowd. I was able to pass quite a few people which was shocking to me! My only criticism is that I had to switch to breaststroke frequently because I kept getting water in my mouth from the waves, I drank a lot of that tasty green Lake Shelbyville water :) I think the good thing for me is that I grew up swimming in lakes and ponds so the nasty, skanky water really doesn't freak me out and I never for a moment thought I would drown, I just didn't want to be last!

This was my first OWS so I was really pleased! I'm sure I'll get better with practice but this is all I could have asked for. It would be nice to be able to breath bilaterally because I kept getting waves in my face breathing to the right .... of course the same might have happened going left.

I was pleased with my T1 time, but it was a small race which made it simple to find my spot and to get out. I had a water bottle to hose the sand off my feet and since I bike in my running shoes and wear socks (have tried training without them to no avail) this is my longest transition. I put Gold Bond powder in my socks and rolled them down prior to the race and it worked great, they slipped on like a dream!

Nothing - but next race I plan on having cycling shoes so I'll have to rethink my whole plan.

I was a little nervous about racing on my road bike because I've avoided it like the plague and I'm not very practiced on it. This was a perfect course for a bike novice - no big turns, flat, and free of road hazards. I felt like I shifted pretty well (NOW, I understand what that front derailleur does!) and I was able to drink and shoot my gel without weaving like a drunken idiot which is a vast improvement over two weeks ago. I probably could have pushed it a bit harder but I was afraid I wouldn't have enough left over for the run so I tried to keep my HR in the high 160s.

It'd be nice to have a fancy, schmancy bike computer so I knew my cadence and speed. I probably could have pushed a little harder, but I'm sure I'll learn my pace better as I train and practice.

time for T2 is rolled into bike, but I was like Superman quick since I already had my running shoes on. Just racked my bike and grabbed my visor and race belt. I am still a complete klutz at getting off the bike and I'm just thankful I didn't wipe out at the dismount area.

I ROCKED the run!! These are the fastest miles I've ever done, even in training runs of shorter distance I've never done better than 10:30 miles. Not only was I fast (for me) but I felt pretty good. It took a mile for my legs to feel "normal" but then I just sped up and held that pace. Right after the 2 mile mark I felt the beginnings of a stitch but it never came on. I was able to sprint the finish and I just felt awesome!! There were also a lot of friendly faces on the run since it was an out and back I got to see the fast people heading for the finish like my cousin tliles (6:46 miles are FAST!), a runner in a BT jersey that I cheered for (who I later learned was Writebrained), and a lot of good humored people yelling enoucragement or challenging me to catch them. Just a great run and a fabulous experience!

In retrospect, I definitely had more in me for that run but I was so afraid that if I went harder I would blow up like I did at my last race. Of course I've heard the phrase, "it's supposed to hurt" so next time, I'll put the hammer down, especially for the last mile

Walked to the refreshments to grab some water. I didn't stretch or anything because I got too caught up in chatting. My sore legs reminded me the next day that it's important to STRETCH!


Just my lack of experience and knowing how much gas I have in the engine and how hard I can push it.


For me, this was just a fun and amazing experience! I swear that I had a smile on my face the whole time and in my wildest dreams I would never have thought that I was capable of doing a triathlon. This was a really good first sprint distance because it was relatively small therefore not so intimidating and the course was very beginner friendly.

One of the best parts was having the chance to meet up with fellow BT'ers oneslowdoc, writebrained and tliles after the race. Even though they were done far before me, they were all so encouraging and excited about my accomplishments. I learned a lot by talking with them and the best part is that all of us ended up with trophies!! Go Team BT!!!

so today I'm thinking, When's the next race??