Here is the story of my first race this season:
Overcast and cool day. Rain held off. Temp around 55 degrees. This was coldest weather for me for a triathlon. thought transition was going to be in the parking lot. It was moved to a sandy beach area (more on this later) because of the large number of participants. Water temp was in low 60s

Swim: With suit and neoprene cap I was quite comfortable. My feet got a little cold but nothing crazy. Had in water start so I did some dolphin dives to get going. Felt smooth and relaxed after initial start. Water was fairly shallow. About 200 yards out I had to stand up and run a few steps because my hand was hitting the bottom of the water. Went a bit off line on one part of course but quickly redirected myself. The swim went by quickly. The wetsuit helped so much. This was the first time I have worn a full-sleeve suit but had no problems with getting extension. I could not really draft on anyone because I kept going by them. I looked at my watch getting out of the water and was excited about how fast I went but also a bit concerned since this was my best swim ever. Timing mat was right before entry to T1.

T1: Started taking my suit off as soon as I got out of the water. No issues. Got to bike. Suit came off easily. Put on helmet, sunglasses, grabbed the bike and was on my way, except for the sand. Bike timing did not start at the mount line but rather the exit of T1. This was not good. I had a choice of carrying my bike or trying to push it through the sand. I did a combination of both. Unfortunately, my feet became a bit caked with dirt sticking to me. Took me an additional 1:10 or so to get from T1 to mount line. I hate running in sand.

Bike: This was not a good ride for me. I wanted to keep an even pace. Average around 21-22 MPH. Started off fine. Very smooth, making circles, etc. However, my feet started getting cold. Wearing no socks was not the best idea, but socks would have gotten wet out of the water anyway. By the end my feet felt frozen. Wind not an issue going out. Calm. HR was around 152. About 12 miles in, the inside of my right groin started to ache and feel tight. This was not good. As the race progressed it got worse and worse, I had trouble getting any extension on my right leg. I felt like I need to stretch it out. This may have been a result from my new seat position. Yet, I had not issues with my back during or after the race. My speed and HR began to drop. Then came the headwind. A good 15-20 MPH in the face. Glad I had aerohelmet. I was getting frustrated at myself at my dropping speed and falling HR. I tried to remain focused. Pushed myself through the last 4 miles. Then it was time to dismount. Again I had to run through the sand back to T2. This was not good. My legs were a bit weary and my feet were very cold. So I had another minute added to my bike time. There was someone in front of me that I could not pass because of narrowness of path.

T2: Had some issues getting my sneakers on due to both sand on my feet and the fact I could not bend my toes very well. I almost fell over. Got brief cramp in calf and quad but those disappeared quickly.

Run: I could not feel my feet. It sound like I was hitting hard ground every time I took a stride. I was probably heel striking badly. First mile was 7:40. Had trouble getting my HR up. Don't know why. I felt like I was pushing myself. Second mile was better around 7:20 or so. My feet began warming up finally around 3rd mile. Now I was able to get my HR up to 155-156, not the 160 I was looking for. Also I my sunglasses fell off my head (I did not need them due to clouds) and lenses fell out during mile 2 to 3. Stopped and picked those up. The tough part on the run came around 3.5 miles when there was a sand/concrete path. I had no idea how long it was or where it ended. The part zapped my legs. When I reached the end of the path, my legs felt ok but not like they did a few minutes earlier. Felt slight cramp in right quad. Toward home stretch, my race belt came apart. How this happened I have no idea but the material came out of the plastic buckle. I picked it up and instead of just holding it the rest of the way I tried to rethread it and put it back on. This was dumb. I got it back together but it felt apart again so I just put it in my hand, carrying it to the finish.

Here are the final stats:
Pre-race weight: 187.7, Post-race weight 185--After eating and drinking a bit. Could not weigh myself until I got home.
Time 2:15:55 Place 64/264. Overall Hr 148
Swim 1/2 mile: 13:47; pl 24; avg 1:23 (I am guessing that's/100 yds?) HR avg 146
T1: 1:07; pl 19
Bike 29 miles: 1:28:08, pl 99, avg 19.7 Hr 146.
T2: 1:22, pl 95
Run 4.1 miles: 31:33, pl 51, avg 7:31, hr 152

Positives: Best swim ever, good T1
Negatives: last 15 miles of the bike, HR rate on bike and run, made beginners mistakes, should do a sprint as first race of the season next time