I put a post with some pictures (waiting to see if Brightroom has any of me) from the race on my site here.

This race was a new and longer distance for me - 1,500m swim, 18mile bike, 10k run. I finished the swim somewhere around 40-45mins. Not good by most standards but a best for me. I was pretty pleased with my swim - I churned the whole way: no breaks, only minimal variance from course, and no thoughts of desperation.

The bike took forever - I underestimated the multiple quick elevation gains. Total elevation gain per the Garmin was just under 2,800'.

By the time I finished the bike, I only had 15 mins until the course closed. So, I was cut for time from the run. It was a bummer.

The day before the race I weighed in at 268 - so I was down a total of 47 lbs for the race. I'm going to try to drop another 40 for next year.

Lessons learned:
1. I need to practice swimming more (technique, technique, technique).
2. I need to practice using my Garmin under the swim cap. (Had it working, messed with it, it stopped working.)
3. I need to do more strength training. Worry about speed later.
4. I need to learn more about the mechanics of my bike. I had my chain break, both of my derailleurs were off, and my rear brake was borderline useless.
5. If there is a way, I need to pre-ride the course, always.
6. Swim cap worked much better above the ears (lesson learned from last race).
7. Roctane is good stuff. Seems to be more potent but shorter lived.

All in all, I'm not disappointed with my performance. Considering I skipped any serious training for all of Jan, Feb, and most of Mar, I'm pleased with the progress I've made. Time to take it a bit more serious now, though.

Dom and the volunteers from Sunset Racing did a bang up job on this race, btw. I ran into him multiple times on the course and at the resort, and he was a very cordial and supportive guy.