Overall I felt good on the swim. I tried to draft off some people, but it was difficult to find many people going my pace. That's what I don't like about time trial starts. I made sure to pin my time chip so I didn't have the same problem as last race where it almost came off. So, I was actually able to kick my legs this time. :) The swim felt really long and the last 500 meters was directly into the sun. It made it difficult to site, but I knew if I was heading toward the light, I was going the right way.

Probably use tinted goggles for this race next year. Although, the sun was so bright, I don't know if tinted goggles would help much.

It was a long run up to transition. But I tried running as fast as I could and found my bike easily. Thanks to the guy who brought the bright rainbow towel at the end of my bike row. I quickly put on my shoes & helmet, grabbed my bike, and ran the long way around to the bike exit. I clipped in fast and was on my way.

Nothing. Fastest T1 in AG. 2nd Fastest T1 Overall.

I borrowed a friend's race wheels, so I was really anxious to see how I would do on the bike. When I headed up the first hill out of transition, I looked down to see my time. I noticed the clock time, but my spedometer was showing zero. I kept hitting different buttons and then realized that I forgot to put my sensor on the new wheels. Damn! I hated not knowing my speed, but I just rode as hard as I could and looked at the clock to judge how well I was doing. I was making good time halfway through. The course was definitely a tough one. The first half seemed to have one uphill after another. Where were the downhills???? My strength is definitely the hills, so I actually enjoyed this course. I passed several girls on the bike and repassed 2 that had passed me early on. I was a little worried that I rode too hard and would be hurting on the run. But I felt strong and had a blast during the last 2 miles when we finally got some downhills. The hills, the scenery, and the other cyclists helped the bike part go by fast.

Put my sensor on my wheel!

I quickly slipped my feet out and rode on top of my shoes towards the dismount line. I hopped off my bike quicker than past races and ran around the corner through transition to my spot. Again, thanks for the rainbow towel. I racked my bike, slipped on my shoes, grabbed my visor, belt, and watch and ran out. Then I heard Steve and Chris cheering like crazy which helped motivate me to speed up that first hill.

Nothing. Fastest T2 in AG. 4th Fastest T2 Overall.

I felt great during the first mile and averaged just under 7 min/mile. The hill at mile 2 was rough. But the longer I ran, the better I felt. I drank water at every station and poured some over my head which felt awesome. I loved how I saw so many people throughout the course. My GPS wasn't working much on the course, so I couldn't really tell what my pace was. At mile 3.1, I saw my time was 22 minutes. So I knew I was having a good run. I tried to keep a steady pace and not slow down too much on the hills. As I headed towards the last turn towards the finish, I saw Steve up ahead waiting to cheer me on into the finish line as he always does. I love how he helps me through the last half mile. When I saw him, I knew I only had a little ways to go and that it was all downhill. So I kicked up my speed and sprinted as fast as I could all the way to the finish. I knew every second counts and since it was a time trial start, I had no idea where I stood compared to others in my age group. When I crossed the line, I looked at my watch and clocked my run around 44 minutes! I was so excited. That's the best 10k I've had in a triathlon this season. Considering how tough and hilly the course was, I was so happy.

Nothing. I set a PR today! :)

Walked around and talked to lots of people I knew. I caught up with some old college friends that I haven't seen in years.


My hip has been bothering me for the past couple of weeks. It was hurting pretty bad during my warm up run. So, I was nervous it would act up during the race. But for whatever reason, I didn't feel it too much during the run. Maybe I was numb by then. Who knows. But it's definitely been bothering me a lot and has limited my training. I need to get it checked out this week so I don't damage it further. It's probably physical therapy time. :(


I'm so happy with my performance today. It was a tough course...lots of hills on the bike and run. But I had one of my best races this season. I managed to get 2nd in my age group, which totally shocked me since this was the state championship race with lots of good athletes.
Now I know why everyone loves the Tugaloo race. I've heard so many people tell me it's their favorite. It was a very challenging course, but the scenery was great. And the tough course made it even more rewarding once you finished. It was well organized and with good food at the end. GA Multisports once again put on a great race. I will definitely do this race again next year.