I've been saying to myself for days, just get in, relax, do your swim. But when I got in there, I couldn't find a rhythm, and never breathed correctly. Usually, I breathe every 4th stroke and take a look around every 8 or so. This time, I took a breath with every stroke, so felt like I wasted alot of energy. I started about 1/3 of the way back from the front in the middle. The first hundred yards was a washing machine, but I didn't get beat up too badly, was able to leave folks behind who were getting too close to me. At the first turn, I thought I'd get comfy and settle into my normal rhythm, but I was too concerned with making sure I was not the last one in the water, so my head was up, looking around more frequently that I would otherwise on a training swim. I felt good tho, saw lots of people breast stroking and floating and hanging on the buoy, etc, but I didn't stop the whole way, and felt completely fine.

I think with more experience, my need for breathing every stroke and keeping an eye on things will diminish. Otherwise, I think I did fine and wouldn't change a thing. Maybe get more to the front for the start, because I really found that the washing machine thing didn't bother me much, and I have absolutely zero fear of ow swimming, so I think I could handle the front.

Got out of wet suit immediately, had it to my knees by the time I got to the T area. There was no sand, so just put my socks on, then shoes, helmet, glasses, and then the bad part: my gloves. Took me a good minute to get my gloves on with wet hands. (Had my bike shorts, bra, shirt and number on under the wetsuit.)

I guess I can try to ride without my gloves, but I've been using them for 15 years, and I feel naked and distracted by that feeling when I don't use them. Hmmm. Will have to think about that. Since this was my mountain bike, I had to deal with laces and velcro on the shoes. Big mistake! I think I could have removed the laces and just pulled the velcro over, would have been fine. Gotta see about some slip on cycling shoes! I think if not for my gloves and shoes, I could have gotten outta there in a minute. Still, I had expected that it'd take me 5 mins, so I think I did well.

I think this was a good time for me, on a mt bike. When I practice this distance at home with my knobby tires and with significantly more climbing, it takes me 30 mins. In the gym on the life cycle, it takes me 16 mins. So 23 mins on mt bike with slick tires on flat route, yeah, that's about right. I think I could have pushed harder, but I did not want to die on the run. I kept my cadence up and my heart rate JUST under AT, which is how everyone should do a time trial, so I did my best and didn't suffer too much at all. Could have done the sprint distance, no prob.

I passed everyone I could see in front of me, and only got passed a few times, so I felt great. On corners and slight down hills, I did great, thanks to my bike racing experience in the 1990s--it really helped me. Also, spent most of the time in a nice tuck position to fight the wind.

Oh, and was really cool because was soaked and the weather was overcast, so that was NICE!

Not a thing. Oh, except pay the remaining balance on my new road bike and use it!

I thought this was a good time. Shoes took a bit to get off.

Never thought about riding with feet on shoes. Guess I could have done that. I'm not coordinated to jump off moving bike, so I guess could work on that. This was a fast, easy transition.

Starting the run after the bike was HARD! I've practiced bricks several times, but for some reason, it was just so hard. Hard to make my feet move and make myself go forward. But I knew from experience that it would get better, so I just kept beating out a rhythm. Took MUCH longer to feel ok than I thought it would, like 0.75 mile. At that point, I saw a girl with my wave number on her leg go past me, so I decided I was not suffering and could pick it up a notch. I felt fine. Never felt a thing in my shins, and everything was going just fine. With 100 yard left, I started to wheez slightly, but didn't care cuz I could see the finish. Also got a stitch in my side at that point, but again, I was almost done, so not concerned over it. Picked it up to maximum effort at that point, and did a slow-mo over the finish line with my hands in the air.

For me, this was a good run, because I never walked, and I felt fine. It was slow, and my rank for the run was poor, but I still did better than 60 other people! So all in all, for me, this was good!


I think I could go a little harder, earlier, but this was my first time, and I had no idea about how to pace myself.


I didn't feel like I needed water, but I took a cup at each transition, and nearly choked trying to drink it. I guess in future races, if hot days, I'll prob need water, but I'll have to figure out if there's a method to drinking while running!

Just drank alot, took some more ibuprofen, ate.


Not knowing how I would feel at each stage, so I kinda saved myself in each race.


I was surprisingly calm during the whole race. I never had butterflies, dread, anxiety or any of that, to which I am generally susceptible! I think this was because I was totally prepared, in terms of equipment and having mapped out my pre-race routine to the minute. And any time I started to get an inkling of those feelings, I was able to breath and meditate it away. I really tried to be in the moment and just focus on each little task at hand, and not let the outside world or the race itself get into my head.

During training all these months (started in May), I had been nervous that I would finish last, but when I arrived at transition at 5:30, a girl racked up next to me with a BEACH CRUISER! She asked if it my first race, and if I was nervous, to which I replied that I wasn't, and that I was going to treat it like training. She said, "Training?" As if the thought of practicing for a race had never crossed her mind! So then I knew for sure that I wouldn't finish last! (No disrespect to her at all--in fact I was so pleased to see someone coming out and giving it a go. And here I had been worrying about little things here and there along the way.)

The camaradarie of an all girl race was so motivating; this is a great first race for anyone. (The director asked each wave to raise their hands if this was their first race, and I'd say overall, prob 70% of participants, this was their first.)

It was so fun to have my little girl there. She and my sister in law had signs and were cheering me all along the course...they found me 5 times during the course of the race, so that was really special! My daughter was really proud of me.

The whole race was great, I couldn't have smiled more. And the whole time I kept thinking, "I'm doing pretty well! I feel really good! I think I like this!"

I got a little misty after I came across the finish line--finishing and doing well, achieving something, reaching a difficult goal and exceeding my own expectations...really made me well up. Makes me know I have power over myself and my life. That I am strong. I've had a difficult few years with bad marriage and an end to my relationship with my father. So this was a big UP for me. All that other stuff is crap, and this is what it's about.

Oh, and on top of all that, I won a raffle for a $220 heart rate monitor plus a $50 gift certificate to a running store in San Diego!!!