This was my first OWS, and my wave was about 20 women. I started at the inside in the front, and didn't have any issues with a scrum. Swim seemed like an okay pace by feel, and I didn't go out too fast like I did in my first race. Seemed slow overall though, and it was. Time was almost 2 minutes slower than 500 yds in a pool with flip turns, which surprised me. There was a several hundred yard jog to transition that was included in the swim time.

Wear a wetsuit and take the time to warm up prior to the pre-race meeting. Be more aggressive, especially in a shorter course.

Transition was much improved over first race. Wore socks, had no problems putting them on even with numb fingers from the cold. Bike was racked near exit so run was short. No problems clipping in this time, got up to speed quickly.

Consider skipping socks

Timing chip did not register for bike or T2, so had to guess at T2 and subtract from overall. I haven't done much hill training, so when I saw how hilly the course was I panicked a little. Started out a little slow out of fear of overtaxing myself, but gained confidence as I started passing people. Mostly passed men, as we were the first female wave. Thought it went very well considering my lack of hill experience, and I only faded on the very last climb. Gear changing is improving.

Start more confidently next time and push hard for the entire distance. Work on drinking more water. I'd love to have aero bars and an aero bottle, but probably won't happen until next season

Did not attempt anything fancy with shoes still on bike. Slowed to dismount line, unclipped, and jogged with bike back into transition. Changed shoes with no difficulty, quick laces worked well. Took off helmet at last second before leaving T2

Eventually learn to take shoes off on bike

Run felt slow, but always does to me coming off the bike. Doing more bricks in training might help with pacing. A GPS watch would as well. Got passed by several young men who I must have passed on the bike, and by two women who were much faster than me. I think my effort was maximal, as I kept trying to push harder and just couldn't do it.

Keep training, run more, and incorporate more bricks.

Walked a bit, drank water, and hugged the family


The cold weather was a mental hit before the start of the race. Standing around shivering is not a good warmup. Otherwise I was happy with my performance and effort, and my overall time was almost exactly what I expected and was hoping for.


Race was well-organized and adequately staffed. Food was plentiful after and there were 3 opportunities for water on the run. The race was held at a park, and the playground gave my 2 year old something to do while I raced.