The swim wasnt bad.. They started all 35 females together that were doing the olympic, so not too many. Got hit a few times and took probably a good 400 meters before my training partner and I could get into a groove and not get hit, or held up, or whatever. Then we just kind of hung on together. it was her first oly, so she just hung on my feet for most of it which was the plan.

Well, I dislike wetsuits. They help the float yeah, but i hate the restrictive nature of them. I have a bum right shoulder from surgery years ago, and any extra restriction on it just is annoying. I might get a full sleeve one, ive heard they are a little less restrictive up top, but then im even more sausaged in! But some races I'll need them.

Not bad, it was also my training partners first race with her new clipless pedals, so she had a few more things to worry about and get in order, normally shes the one waiting for me!

NOthing really

The bike went ok.. my knee was giving me a little grief, so i wasnt pushing too hard like i would have hoped. Then the sky opened up about halfway through, and we get soaked and pelted with rain, had to avoid lots of water, watch the hills and turns. So I think the second loop i lost a bit of time.

I really just kind of ho-de-doed the transitions today. The 2 olys im doing are for warmup for the HIM, so I guess i wasnt thinking too much about getting in and out on the first oly of the year as I was, remember everything. And people racked there bikes wherever they felt so i had to rack my bike wherever there was a spot, then find all my stuff that was covered with other peoples stuff and bikes and get all that together. It was interesting. I had my stuff get messed up before, but this was just blatently people not even making any effort whatsoever to stay in their space, much less their area of the rack.

The run was interesting. And a lot of fun if you ask me. Coming off the bike from pushing through all the rain, my legs were a little fatigued. Then we got in the trails, and I started having fun so I turned it on a little. Immediately I realized this was going to be a mess. I couldnt push at all but more so keep the feet moving becasue when i did try and push the pace rather than maintain it, I slid all over and looked like one of those cartoons where the feet are moving but the body isnt! I was brilliant and wore my Nike Frees even though I knew there was a chance for bad weather, and those have zero traction in the first place. I love trail running though, and in the mudd, fun! In fact on my way back out a guy was coming in, and here i go taking the middle route through all the puddles and mudd, and I hear him laughing and he goes " you were THAT kid werent you" lol. Yeah i was, hey your already soaked and muddy, why not have fun with it!

About 5 minutes before I finished, I see ligtening and hear thunder.. crap, need to finish. Sure enough as I finished, there are my husband and my training partners husband taking all our stuff out of transistion. they told everyone to get the stuff and get out now. They went and pulled anyone left on the course. I finished with about 5 minutes to spare. I feel bad for anyone that got pulled that close to the end of the race.

I held back the first lap because my training partner is much more cautious in trails. I should have just went because i wasnt happy with my run time. I went faster on the second lap, but it was sooooo sloppy by then that it was hard to keep forward progress :)

walk back up the hill to the car, and all of us had to change since we all were mudd covered and soaked. Then went to cracker barrel :)


Partially not a race mentality for this race as a training opportunity. Then the weather. But I had fun. I think the next one I'll try a little more to do a little less talking to people, and more concentrating on my race. It still is supposed to be a training race, but I'd like to see if I can better my time.