My swim was faster than I expected. I kept a pretty consistent stroke the whole mile except for the part where I took a kick to the head and had to breast stroke for a bit to get my breathing under control and adjust my goggles. Is this going to happen in every race? There were plenty of buoys and a yellow rope marking the course which was really helpful. The only thing I didn't like was the smell and taste of gas fumes from the boats surrounding us. I got a little nauseated but it went away quickly when I exited the water. Yeah! I was happy with this swim.

We had wetsuit strippers. How cool is that! I was breathing pretty hard from my swim and the uphill trek from the beach so I tried to slow down and get my HR under control. I sat down and put socks on which was worth every second because I can't stand to wear my cycling shoes without them (OCD). I had a great spot right by the bike in/out so I didn't have to run very far in my cleats. Okay, this was a little slow.

Hills kick my butt and the Quincy Hills are never-ending. Today I showed them who rules the road. Today I rode these faster than I did on any of my training rides. This is a challenging course for me and I'm proud of my effort on the bike.

I was considering a little nap at this point so the fact that I kept moving was a positive. It felt good to get the helmet off. I washed down a GU with water and off I went.

My run was much slower than I anticipated. I was feeling the heat and my legs were toast after that hilly ride. I kept a slow but steady pace for the first 3 miles. I had to throw in several walk breaks during the last 3 miles. I made it all the way to mile 5.5 and had to stop and pee. I wanted to hold it so bad for that last half mile but it just wasn't going to happen. It was blazing hot outside but not as hot as it was in that port-a-potty ... when I stepped out of there it actually felt cool for a few minutes!

Wow. I think the whole official USAT crew was here today. The officials were everywhere. One stopped to visit with me while I was setting up transition and let me know I hadn't put the number on my bike correctly. He showed me how to make it legal ... no penalty!

I was the second oldest female racing and the only one in my age group so I got the first place AG award. I don't know where the more mature ladies were today ... maybe having tea and crumpets with the Queen!

My friend, Val, volunteered at the swim finish and run start. It was fun having her there to cheer me on as I moved through the events. Thanks Val. I couldn't do this without the support I get from friends and family. So thank you to my husband who hates the heat but stands there in the blistering sun to catch glimpses of me as I fly by and offers words of encouragement. Thank you to Jeff, my awesome strength trainer, who tells me I'm a rock star and gets up at the stupid crack of dawn on his day off so he can remind me of that as I stand in the chute waiting to jump in the water. Thank you to my friend, Beka, who comes to every race and cheers her little heart out, holds my half eaten bagel and banana, and helps me pack up when the race is over. I love you guys.