So At the 5 seconds to go, my muscles were shaking with nervousness. I was keenly aware that I had never used the pair of goggles that i had on my head. Keith at NSA had recomended them, and although he a reliable source, I probably should have tried those out. MEH. So anyway, 5-4-3-2 *oh crap, oh Crap* 1 (airhorn)

Run run run, Is it deep enough to dive? run, DIVE. SWIM SWIM SWIM, GO GO GO. Don't let her get beside me, go go go. Oh wow, first bouy, oh wow, If I don't slow down I'm going to die.

Then I focused on getting some feet, It took me until the next bouy to find this girl who was AMAZING, she was faster than me by a lot, and I stayed about 2 feet back from her, she was great at navigating, although she did take the corners a bit wide. So I stayed with her until the end of the first lap. Coming up to the 1/2 point, two other girls were looking to get on her feet. I was very protective. Something I learned in Hawaii and in bike racing. That sometimes you can take a draft if you just don't move and the other person moves in front of you. But all four of us were swimming super fast together into the run bouy.

I meant to get a split for the swim, but I didnt. As I was running back into the water after rounding the bouy, I felt my timing chip slip off, I stopped to get it and put it back on. After that I Lost the girl. I spent some time looking for another draft, and instead I just focused on navigating the bouys and getting really close to them. I thought I saw Liz in front of me so I burned a few more 100 meters just to make sure I wasn't way off. But I cranked out the last bit of the swim. I swam into the shore as far as I could. stood up and ran for the timing mat. I looked at my watch, 24.55. And I started it at 30seconds before the race. I was amazed. I've never swum that fast before.

leave my timing chip and stay with that girl that was so fast.

it was a bit of a run into T1 from the water. I got my helmet on and my suit off at the same time. For the first time. and I got into my shoes pretty fast and I heard some volunteers yell that I needed my number so I put that on too.

Getting out onto the bike I felt pretty good. I don't really remember the first while, or the first time up the big hill. I know I passed a few people and I was in my easiest gear quickly. I kept up my cadence as per my ride with jen, I stood a little and that was that. The rest of the first lap is a bit of a blurr to me.

The second lap I focused on being smooth with my pedals and I felt really strong still, I had to resist the urge to push harder and harder.

The third lap I was supposed to focus on pushing over the top, I wasn't so great at that but it felt ok. I passed my mom on a corner. There was one corner especially where there was a cross walk and the corner was wet an mostly paint. I took care to ride on the sections without paint. So passed Mom at that corner and she looked happy. It was good.

I tried to also re-accelerate after the corners and pedal through a lot of the corners that i knew I could. Thanks to Dave who talked me through that at a crit once.

I felt very confident on the bike and the last lap I was happy to let it all go and hammer it out. I was breathing really hard at the top of the hills but recovering quickly. All in all a great great ride.

I ate one gel on the ride ont he second lap. I didn't feel sick for the first time. The Electrolyte that Keith at NSA gave me were great. I was NOT missing the sugar in the gatorate at all.

Maybe push the hills harder. Go faster.

Pretty quick transition, I don't really remember it. I grabbed my other gel and went out.

I'M SUCH A SLOW RUNNER!
ARG!

Running out of transition I saw my sister running in with her bike and I knew she would be past me soon. I ran pretty comfortably until about the 3km mark and I noticed some pain in my left leg. I was pushing hardish and saw liz on the out and backs and tried to tell her to catch up to me faster. She looked so comfortable. Unlike me, I was not doing so well. She finally passed me at about the 4km mark, and as she ran by I knew that I wouldn't be able to match her pace. Andrea had told me to run the last 6km hard. And at this point my race fell apart in my head for me. I didn't have it

If it was being sick for the weeks before or the missed training due to work, I don't know. But it wasn't there. All of that training to get my run faster, all those hard HARD track workouts kicking my own ass, it JUST WASN"T THERE. I was so desperate to feel faster, better, anything, I tried to eat my gel, and I felt a bit sick and I knew at that point that there was no more nutrition that I could absorb. And as I faded, Liz got farther and farther away. At 5km I saw my time was 25 something, and I kept trying to pull myself through the pain up to the pace.

I had Nothing, absolutly nothing. I wanted a fast race, and I wanted to swim and bike fast. But what I really wanted was to Conquer this demon of the over 50 minute 10km. And I just couldn't do it. And it killed me. I saw my watch at 49 minutes and I was so angry that I was still running.

I tried to kick at the finish. I didn't have it. I cried out a few times in exasperation and effort in the "Kick" but there was nothing there.

Then I saw my sister and gave her a big hug, and then I saw my mom. And gave her a big hug too. We had all finished around the same time. That was cool. Liz got me a recovery drink. And I went to find Callum



Run Faster. Not be in pain.

Hugs for callum.


Maybe the three-four weeks of bad training.


GREAT amazing race. So well organized. Great people. Good venue. If you can do it. It is More than worth it.