Phone in waterproof case kept running into my legs. It was annoying.
Lost time at 2nd turn due to goggles fogging.
Lanyard clip broke and I had to carry my phone for a while before tucking it into my suit.

Ditch the phone. GPS didn't track most of the swim properly anyway.
Use goggles that have anti-fog.
Practice more.

I took my time in the transition. I could have gone faster here. The asphalt in the transition area is painful with bare feet.

Organize the transition area more carefully.
Use a belt for the bib instead of pinning it to the shirt.

The bike ride felt really good. I felt fast and was happy to average below 5 minutes per mile.

Use a better bike (different gearing, more aero, lower rolling resistance)

Bathroom break. Took a bit to get suit untied.
I took my time because my run is weak and I wanted more recovery.

Train more consistently, including bike/run transitions.

Ugh. Wrong turn added 0.5 miles and 5 or 6 minutes.
I got a bit more consistent with my stride in the last mile.

Follow the course.
Train more consistently.

Walked a bit, stretched.


Limited training.


Hawk Island is a good race for beginners. The overall environment was friendly. The water is fairly clear (it can get murky at the start), and it is a small, protected lake. Waves and chop are likely to be minimal. The bike course has some gentle hills. Wind was calm today, but my previous race there (2012) had a stiff wind. The running trails are smooth, quite flat, and wind through light woods.