Stood around with Heather (who wasn't racing, just representing USAT, her hubby Kirk, Courtney and her hubby Kraig waiting for the race to get started.

Lake Hartwell is so clean compared to lakes in southwest Georgia (Lake Blackshear). And treading water waiting for the start was great. I think I actually prefer this to running in. It was so much easier just to go. I was swimming pretty well until the first buoy - besides getting kicked a few times, which is normal - and then it got really clogged. Honestly, that's the first time I've thought that I could go under. Panicked a little, so it took a few minutes to calm down, but after that I felt pretty strong in the water. Passed some of the guys in the wave in front of me, got passed by some clydes in the wave behind me.

The swim includes the maybe quarter-mile run back to T1. Okay, maybe it wasn't that long, but it seems like it.

Swim more. Do some OWSs. Swim to the outside of the first buoy instead of hanging to the inside. This wasn't a problem at the second. Oh, and remember to start my watch (hit the wrong button).

T1 was awesome. My towel was big enough (unlike Yargo last year). I've been practicing riding without socks and that made T1 a lot easier.

Nothing, well, besides run up the hill to the T1 area.

This is where it all fell apart. I've been training consistently on the bike lately, and I was really, really hoping to see a big improvement over last year's times. But that didn't happen. As I was mounting my bike, the front tire blew.

Earlier in the morning, I let Adam pump my tires before we headed to the transition area. The back tube, being new, held fine (at 130 psi). I heard a pop when he was pumping the front tire, but didn't really think anything of it. So, about 100 feet from the bike start, I'm bumping along with a flat. I pulled over to the side, unscrewed the quick release lever (it's only quick if you have enough slack for the bike frame to let go), and after yanking the busted tube out, tried to put on a new tube with the tire still on the frame. I'm not good at that, so I finally yanked the tire off and put the tube on, inflated it a little and put the tire back over it. I'm not sure how long it took - between 5-10 minutes. I was so pissed that I cut my watch off. It was definitely not how I planned to start the season.

Got back on the bike as the last of the novices were coming through. I passed a lot of people - one guy who ended up passing me later on the run - he kinda joked about being passed by a girl, but if I had had it my way, I wouldn't have been at the BOP on the bike in the first place. The hills weren't bad at all, a bit like riding around Athens. And the downhills were fun.

About a mile from the transition area, the front tire went flat again (I'm pretty sure I didn't change it correctly, because I could hear something rubbing throughout the bike). At that point, I was so ready to finish, so I road my lovely piece of crap bike in, and told her I was just kidding about talking about getting a new bike and please stay together and other words that shouldn't be written in a public forum. ;) The ride in was a bit shaky, and the guy in front of me kept turning around to make sure I wasn't gaining on him. Either that or he heard me and thought I was crazy.

You know how they tell you not to do anything differently on race day? DON'T DO ANYTHING, ANYTHING differently. If I could have done anything differently, it would have been to not get a flat. Or two. I busted it on the bike, so I know my times and my speed are better. But it was just so disappointing to do so horribly on a race I wanted to do well at. Oh, and buy unpoppable tubes. Do they make those?

T2 was great. Socks went on pretty easily. Bike racked easily. I had a green towel over the rack ends, so it wasn't hard to find my spot.

Nothing. It went really smoothly.

I felt good on the run, just tired. I really went hard on the bike, mostly to try to make up time, so that really ate into my energy for the run. And my stomach was fussing at me. I think chocolate gu doesn't agree with me so well. Or maybe it reacted with the gogurt. I finished strong, but didn't try to sprint. I didn't have any of my normal extra energy left, so I did achieve my goal of leaving it all on the course. And the course was definitely hilly. It was like running on a kid's roller coaster with the gentle and continual ups and downs.

Go harder on the bike for upcoming bricks to get my legs ready for race-like situations.

Walked around, talked to the various people I knew. Met Patrick's wife (he works in a different unit of the college of ag). Chatted with Hunter, Adam and Tania's three-year-old. Found the BT people. Had chili and cheese and chips and two rolls and water and capri suns. The race had quite a spread!

Before we headed to lunch, I went back to the area near T1 where I left my old bike tube and pump, and I almost broke down. It was disappointment really, more than anything.

I was reminded of it again on Sunday at church as we sang "my hope is built on nothing less" and it has this as part of one verse: "When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." I wasn't thinking that as I was changing my tube, trust me. But it's still true. He's my solid ground. And I'm especially proud of this -- I FINISHED THE RACE. I didn't give up.


Bad placement on the swim, and no OWSs lately. A busted tube. Lack of energy on the run.


I really enjoyed this race, despite various problems. They had tons of volunteers - who even cleaned up the cups on the 5K course (it was getting kind of messy). The website isn't quite honest on the amount of hills on the run portion, but that's a matter of perspective. It was great. I'm looking forward to next year already. Oh, and they gave us socks in our goody bags. How cool is that?