The swim went well...we just took our time. We started out breast stroking to let everyone get ahead of us. We had an easy swim around the buoys.

It went well...I dried my feet off...put on my headband, helmet and sunglasses. Then put on my socks and shoes. It was time to get moving out of transition. I grabbed my bike and ran out of transition.



Eat a gel.

I still have not mastered "clipping in". So I'm slow after I cross the chip mat. But once I got on...I got rolling. The roads were wide and we had plenty of room. The course was nicely prepared and the intersections were well managed. As we rolled through the course...I saw a bridge in the distance. As it neared, I couldn't quite decide if I saw orange cones on the bridge or not (40+ vision issues! LOL)...anyway...the lead cyclists were now coming on the other side of the road...so I see the first guy and I yell "DO WE HAVE TO GO OVER THE BRIDGE?"...his response "WHAT?"...my response "NEVERMIND". I see the next guy...again...I say "DO WE HAVE TO GO OVER THE BRIDGE?"...he simply nods up and down...and responds "YES!". I say to myself "son of a b$@%*"!!! And, so I began to speak to myself (internally)...had my spinning class really prepared me for this? Was I going to walk my bike up it like the lady I could see in the distance in front of me??? That wasn't an option in my mind. So as I neared it...I adjusted my gears and started pedalling as fast as I could. I pedalled fast until I almost reached the top where I passed the lady that was walking her bike...my pedalling slowed but was steady..."I can make it!" I reached the top...and started down the otherside...I didn't want to go too fast since there was a left turn not much further...so I descended with some breaking. Looking ahead...I didn't see anymore bridges (thank goodness!)...I was hoping that I would have enough time to "rest" until having to go over the bridge again. I had plenty of time...I started to run out of gas...and Ana was yelling at me to "get moving". She took the lead and I kept going by the need to keep up with her. We made it back to the bridge...I approached it again in the same manner...only my slow pedalling started much sooner...I struggled more on this ascent...but we made it...the descent was FUN...no turns on the other side...so I let it rip! I set my gears and pedalled as fast as I could down the bridge...my computer wasn't working (again!)...so I don't know what speed I reached...but it was fast! I just prayed that I didn't lose control and crash (a huge fear I have)...and so I concentrated really hard on holding my line. There was another small bridge after the descent which helped to slow me down sooner than I would have liked...but we were cruising. I had a hard time on the last leg of the ride...I had gels but didn't take the time to eat one.

Eat a gel and train more to increase cycling distances and endurance.

I racked my bike. Changed socks and shoes. Drank some of my fluids. Ran out of transition.

Eat a gel.

I was just tired...we ran out of transition...then were walking before we knew it. I was out of gas. We alternated walking and running to different land marks in an effort to keep our momentum up. We grabbed two cups of water at each mile marker stations...1 1/2 I drank...the remaining 1/2 went onto my head. We ran in as fast as possible over the finish line! Cool! We were done!

Train more to increase our run endurance.

We received a cold towel and a bottle of water at the finish line. We used the water hose to rinse the saltwater off of us....refreshing! The salt was burning our skin.

After we ate some food, we got a good stretching from a chiropracter. I found out that I have a "tight right hip" that is causing "pain in my right knee area" in the side muscles that keep the knee from rotating. Oh joy! I need to keep stretching the hip to improve the situation.


I will do this race next year.