I think my biggest mistake was that I stayed in the back to start when I should have started in the middle of the pack. I got stuck behind a alot of slower swimmers that I could not get around. I was never able to get my own space in the water the entire time and I got kicked quite a few times from women doing the side stroke. Also when I got out and started looking for the turnaround none of us could see it. There was about ten women wading in the water trying to figure out where to go. I felt calm in the water then entire time but I just couldn't get around anyone. Also, there was a LONG run UP a hill to get to the transistion area that took a couple of minutes to get to so that effected my swim time too.

Start at middle of the pack.

Someone had taken one of my shoes and completely undid the velcro straps so that took a few extra seconds to get put together.

Um not really sure...how fast is good and how much faster could I get?

This was a tough bike course with hlls averaging between 6-12% grades. I thought the bike went well though. I passed alot of people going up the hills but then as usual I got passed by alot of people going down, but I pedal most of the way down the hills so I am not sure how much faster I could have gone. The biggest problem I have is that my Cannondale Road bike is very sensitve when it comes to changing there grears. It takes too much time to go from the small chain ring to the largest and back down to get up the big ass hills so I keep it in the small and middle one. If I am not careful changing gears then the chain will pop off and I do NOT want that to happen. BUT....for my next race I will be able to use my new tri bike!!!

Use my tri bike, but I had just gotten a couple days prior so I was not comfy enough to use it yet.

Hmm...again, not really sure!

Ok, this is where the race gets UGLY!!! By this time it was fast approaching 100 degress out and it was HOT. I have never seen so many people walking a run course before and what was funny is that I chatted with people they were very grumpy and did not care...I though was happy! :) The run went straight out into the desert down a hill and back up a hill....long and steady hills. I ran down them and tried to run up them but I couldn't....twice even walking up those hills I got so dizzy that I needed to stop walking all together! There were only two water stations on the run which was NOT enough. I know it is typical to only have two but with those conditions they should have added more. I did the best I could with the conditions and just kept going. Once I got out of the desert part which was about two miles I did better and was able to do a very SLOW jog. But still, this was my slowest 5k EVER!! That does not make me happy but I will be happy because of the conditions.

It's funny but before the race started there were a group of people talking and laughing and they had said that the night before the weather man had said that if you are training for a marathon or a triathlon then to skip today because it was going to be just too hot!! We all got a good laugh out of it. I thought everyone at the race was super friendly and I had a great time meeting new Bt peeps and chatting with the ones I have already met. This is the first time I have ever gone to a race where I knew someone so that was great!

I got to meet the race director and he told me that he looked at 20 years past weather and that the ave were in the 70's at race start and about the 90's for the Intermediate finishers. Therefore, he decided to start the race at 8am to give the out of towners a break and a chance to sleep in a bit. He said he was shocked at the weather too. He was a super nice person. I think I will do this race again next year if the weather is not so hot.