When can I do another one! One race down, hopefully many more to go. It was really easy to get out of bed in the morning, even though I haven’t been up at 4:45 since I don’t know when.

Swim: Is it really necessary to count down from ten for each swimmer over a loudspeaker? Thankfully my swim time put me in the first 15 minutes of the staggered start, there were people in the pool area for an hour and a half. I would have gone crazy. (Curb watchers out there, I thought about the Looney Toon’s nanny and had a good laugh). I finished my warm up about 40 minutes before I started, and I knew when I got going my heart rate was going to go crazy and I’d just need to hold on. I was right, the first 200 meters was no fun, but I found some feet and before I knew it I was in T1... (8:00-440 yards). My time wasn't all that good for me but I left the water very much in control of my breathing. I never had found this intense of a focus in practice, but I could tell from the time I woke up it was my day.

Bike: I had the advantage of being able ride the course leading up to the race, but my times always sucked and I was tapering so I never wanted to really let it go. On the first of two sizable hills, I kept waiting for someone to pass me. It never happened, I actually scooted past one guy who passed me on a flat part. It was awesome. The rest of the bike went like that. Get passed on flats, reel em in on hills… My training so far has been for 70.3, I felt like I should be fresh getting off the bike and going into the run. Again, I hadn’t put in good times in past bricks, so I was wondering how my legs would respond on race day. I didn’t try to kill it at the end, my legs felt good and I was ready to run. (21.? Mph)

Run: T2 was no problem, I need those elastic laces though… I almost came in the “Bike out” line, honestly, my only goal this race was to avoid being “That guy” (mission accomplished, as far as I know). The first ½ mile of the run is deceptively up hill, so I told myself to jog up it, and then start running if it feels ‘there’. I waited until mile 1, but once my legs got in the groove, it was just awesome. I never expected that they would work so well! Again, there wasn’t really anyone behind me chasing me, other than one guy who must have skipped the swim and bike altogether, and maybe wasn’t even running the 5k at the end. I think he was just sprinting on the course as a Sunday AM workout… That must be it… Then the coolest moment of my athletic career happened. I saw the number 22 on the back of a calf ahead of me with a ½ mile to go. I had to pass him. I ran uncomfortably fast until I was right on him, and slowed until the chute, just waiting… I can’t really describe the feeling, I don’t remember much to be honest. I just remember thinking “I can’t feel my feet, I hope I don’t fall.” I got him by a body length, and I was hooked (20:3?- 5k). 9/40ish in AG, AND A NEW PR!! (oh, damn...) What a great day.

I can’t thank you guys/girls enough for your advice… simple things like getting a race belt, and tough things like taking my helmet off before the run, I owe them all to you guys! Gosh, triathlon rocks.