Beautiful water conditions. Crystal clear. Swimming over the reef was like snorkeling. Even saw a huge sea turtle on the long stretch and a sea snake about 100m off shore.

Started off average but by the first buoy started catching up the girls that sprinted ahead of me at the beginning. By the second buoy started to catch the slower girls from the wave ahead of me.

Pay more attention to the swim and less attention to the turtles???!

Mount line for bike was on an uphill on a narrow golf cart path (we weren't allowed in the grass for fear of DQ) so I ran a bit further to where the path level off enough to get into shoes.

Nothing.

Was doing great for the first 6 miles or so. Then on an uphill I got a flat. Took ~10 minutes (I'm not very good at that) to fix. Then gears started changing themselves on two uphill segments (not a comfortable feeling). The next sharp downhill found my rear wheel locking up and fishtailing when I applied brake to control speed. Thought I was going to DNF with a hospital visit! Finally able to unclip and stop and pulled over to fix. That's when I realized I had never locked the skewer in the rear wheel when I changed the tire (DUH!) so I lost more time with that (also why the gears were going funky). Felt blessed that I made it thru the bike segment at all!

Learn to change tires more quickly. Also somehow get some downhill training so I don't feel so out of control with the speed (no way to do that around here).

Knew I blew any chance at placing with such a poor bike so just decided to relax. Got the fuel belt, knee brace and running shoes on more casually than usual.

Had my bike gone smoother I would've gone faster. As it was I didn't feel the need to rush.

Felt great on the run (had so much rest from that disastrous bike leg!). Passing lots of people the whole way. Those golf course hills were brutal...the downhill was so steep that I almost felt that I was going to fall forward and roll down it, and it took everything I had not to walk the uphill! What a great challenge.

Nothing. Maybe push a little harder (I always say that when I feel good at the end).

Light jogging, lots of walking around.


Flat tire, stupidity when changing it, wimpiness on downhills.


Outback Steakhouse provided lunch after the race. Also had massages for all competitors. Had a great time with Bob's teammates from TNT as well as meeitng Stan (Flyboy) at prerace pasta party, during/after the race and the TNT dinner/dance after the race.