Since I had problems breathing in two of my five triathlons, I figured that I should start out very slowly and concentrate on my breathing. In the two that I had trouble, I started out too fast and got hyperventilated.

I like the time trial start. Peachtree had the same thing, but I had trouble breathing there. I think I have finally figured out what I need to do on the swim. I start out slowly and ONLY concentrate on my breathing. Do not think about keeping up or passing anyone around me. Once I start daydreaming about things that I won't mention here ;), I know that I have my breathing rhythm down. Then speed up. Simple, huh?

It worked great. I probably swam a little too fast for me. I was very tired when I got out of the water. My av HR was 160 which is very high for me on a swim. I have really concentrated on swimming that last year mainly because I did not want to drown. I am not very fast now, but I am an amazingly lot faster than I was when I started. I should give swim lessons. I am the poster child for swimming improvement.

As I get more comfortable swimming in deep dark water where you are very hard to find if you are not breathing somewhere below the surface, I will start out a little faster. I can see that I can improve a lot more in the swim department. Although it may not sound like it when I talk to you guys, I have never been afraid of the water. I just have a healthy respect for it. I have a search and rescue certificate for Scuba Diving. I was on a drowning victim search team at one time although we never actually looked for anyone. They called us once, but by the time we got to the lake, they had found the guy using those big hooks. ooooh!

At this point I do not really worry about the transition times. I am not "racing" so it is not a big deal to me. I will work on them as I get faster.

I am not disappointed, but a bit surprised by my bike ride. I expected to be faster. I think the ride was 25.8 instead of 24.8, but that still does not account for my time. I was watching my heart rate monitor instead of speed and cadence so that could have had something to do with it. I do not really know. I had not done any exercise for seven days which was riding the gaps. It was really weird, but my sit bones/muscles were really sore when I got off the bike. It was like I had just started riding. They did not bother me after riding 100 miles, but this time I could hardly walk much less run when I got off the bike. I am sure that I looked very comical trying to walk/run. I could hardly walk. I had to fight off cramps again, but not as bad this time.

Push harder I guess.

Same comments as T1. Although my transitions times are extremely slow compared to everyone else, I think that have improved a good bit. :)

I could hardly walk when I got off my bike, much less run. I have no idea what is up with that other than I had not ridden in a week, but I have done a lot of riding and long distances and hills before that. All I know is that I would have felt very sorry for someone who was moving the way I was when I got off my bike. :)

I think I may start running a bit. I am not promising anything, but my thoughts all along have been to work on my swimming so that I do not drown. I think that is very important. Ride bikes because I enjoy it and then work on my run when I felt average on the other two. I would say I am very average on the other two now, so I may (I said may) start working on jogging. Although I am VERY slow, I do not want to say that I did bad because I have not put any work in to do better yet.

I do not go fast enough to need warming down yet.


Not training on the run. Maybe not tapering and taking a week off before the race even though it was partly because of work travel and partly because I was too lazy to workout while traveling.


I had a great time! I accomplished my lofty goals.
#1 I had a good time.
#2 I felt that I did a good job on getting my breathing rhythm down and not feeling that I may need to get pulled from the water or drown. I think I can improve my swimming a little more now.
#3 Same as number 1. I had a good time. I had a good time Saturday night eating with the gang. I had a good time doing the "race". I had a good time hanging out with everyone at the tent. I had a great time with Kraig, Courtney, Kirk, Heather, Leslie and her kids going to the wading pool afterwards to wash of the sweat. We looked like rednecks taking a bath, particularly since Courtney had a beer in her hand. :) I had good time going to the restaurant/brewery after the race to eat with the redneck gang. ;)

I want to thank Elena, the new Rebecca, Deb, Karen, Megan, Sal, Andrew, and both Jamie's for coming out and cheering us on and helping out.