Good swim for me--faster and closer to top swimmers than usual. Got out in good position and was able to draft off guys much of way. Felt very strong.

Not sure. I got out in good position and found a good "groove" to swim in. Maybe be a bit more aware of my position as I approach the buoy- Got a bit squeezed against it on the first turn.

Pretty good job considering very tight transition area.

Clobber an AG rival with my bike? For second year in a row she (not the same woman, but basically the same speed) was right in front of me in the chute, jogging along! Anyway, she's a better biker so it didn't make a big difference.

For me, a good bike leg. Cracked the top 10% for women for I think the first time. This plus 33 kph was my goal last year, but I hit it this year. Gratifying as I've worked hard on the bike for over a year and seen few results. Felt strong and able to go after and pass some of the age groupers on their first lap. Unlike in previous years, I actually passed some people who were NOT 80 years old, and were NOT riding mountain bikes!

Go just a little harder. Bizarre scene in last km as about six of my competitors in female elite passed me, just in time slow down and block me in transition. We were practically tripping over each other and our bikes, and I managed to screw up the T2 exit when I followed someone the wrong way. Maybe look back toward the end and see who's coming, try to stay ahead of them.

Sucked! I headed the wrong way to the run out and probably wasted at least 30 seconds, maybe more. The official who was supposed to be directing people was not there and I wasn't the only one lost, but I should have checked it out more carefully beforehand. T2 was a minefield of bikes, discarded equipment, age groupers and elites piled on top of each other. It seemed some people had just thrown down their bikes down in the middle of the lanes. Or maybe it was just so tight that people had tripped over the bikes and knocked them over. A big mess! I'm sure T2 cost me fifth and possibly fourth place. Actually the woman in third had me solely on transitions. Clearly something I need to work on. I've always been a space cadet and can't seem to consistently get over it. Grr....

Go through the run-out beforehand. And again, and again. Ask, even if I think I understand, 'cause I'm obviously not too bright when it comes to this stuff.

Never felt good. Maybe still flat from last week, or working the swim and bike harder. My hamstring and glute cramped right away and I could never get into my normal stride. Told myself to relax and I'd feel better in 1-2 km (I usually do) but I didn't, just felt more and more wobbly. Should have been able to catch another one or two women but couldn't. No one passed me but it was not a good run. Cardio wise I was fine but no life in my legs. Humidity extremely high and hauling the air in seemed to be an effort--didn't seem like asthma, though, just pretty yucky conditions for running. Didn't realize much of the last 500m was over rough ground behind transition--was going to try to outkick two women in front of me, but too wobbly to do it there. Didn't feel like I was running that hard but couldn't move any faster.

Not sure. Kept debating whether to stop and stretch to get rid of cramp; maybe it would have been worth it.

Just walked around and stretched a little, then rode back to the hotel. No time for anything else as I had an early PM flight back to Saigon and had to clean up, eat, pack the bike, etc. Can I count RUNNING with bikey in his box down the street when it started to rain en route back from the bike shop? Or realizing at the airport that they hadn't deflated the tires, tearing the box open, killing my fingers pressing on valves, and doing the world's fastest box tape-up? I think I need a husband, or boyfriend, or road manager, or mom, or something!


*Lack of familiarity with T2. Thought I understood it and later realized I didn't. Very displeased with myself for losing so much "easy" time. I lost fourth (maybe third) thru sixth place solely due to transitions. Need to take more time to get it right.

Lots of maybes for the sub-par run but not sure which, if any, mattered and how much:

*Maybe insufficient recovery from last week--not used to two races in a row and last week's race (total of 18 km of running) had more running than I'd planned or trained for. I wasn't very sore after the first race but legs still felt tired doing an easy run on Thursday. Probably should have stayed off feet on Saturday but was climbing the walls and needed to do something. But I didn't feel tired after and was only on my feet shopping for maybe 3 hours, a lot less than a normal workday.

*Maybe stressing in T2 contributed to the cramping as I didn't get up to speed right away then. Definitely did not help my mental state.

*Maybe also just a more balanced race--I biked and swam much better today (2:45 faster total) than the past two years, so had a bit less left for the run than I usually do.

*Hate to make excuses but I've had an emotionally exhausting last month dealing with some issues at work. Stress for me equals poor quality sleep and appetite; maybe that plus the two races so close together just took their toll.

*I think I need more run speed work to hold a hard pace. Haven't done much due to early season injuries and bike focus. What little I have done has been fartlek/tempo, closer to 10K race effort, within my long runs.


Well-organized as is typical for these events. But transition, which is always tight in big Singapore races, was almost out of control. It became really hazardous by T2 with bikes and equipment strewn everywhere. Several "lanes", which were narrow to begin with, were blocked by poorly parked and fallen bikes. The way to run out was not clearly marked; apparently someone who was supposed to be directing runners wasn't. I realize it's my responsibility to check it out--thought I had but I had confused run out with the approach to the finish--they were parallel but in opposite directions in the same narrow loop. There were lines and cones everywhere and maybe it wasn't completely set up yet when I checked early on. There seemed to have been recent earth-moving and the ground in this area and transition was very ripped up with lots of rocks. Otherwise the usual well-planned event.