Well folks, I just got my tri-cherry popped in a wonderful way!

The Rattlesnake was well supported and well attended. They cap racers at 500, presumably so they can provide such excellent support every step of the way. We had a time-trial start, rather than wave, so everyone had about 5 seconds of space on either side of them at the beginning of the swim. I found this to be a nice way to start, with one caveat: you're never quite sure where your age group competitors are unless you encounter them along the way. The swim was pristine, with not a wave in the water. At the end of the mile, there were tubs of water to wash the sand off your feet and wetsuit strippers (not to be confused with strippers in wetsuits) which I chose not to use. The transition area had well spaced racks holding four bikes each by the rear wheels. The mount/dismount line was a bit hokey (sidewalk chalk) but there were volunteers making sure everyone knew where to get on and off the bike. The bike course was pretty straight, with a few ups and downs. Exiting to the run was opposite the bike exit/entrance and next to the swim entrance, so everyone had pretty much the same distance through the transition. The run wound around the reservoir, partially on a sidewalk and later on an asphalt path. There were aid stations at every mile with water and Gatorade. coming into the finish was, thankfully, a slight downhill. There was a live band playing, sandwiches, water, soda, and, my favorite recovery beverage, Coors Light.

Now, on to the results! For reference, the top male finisher ran the course in 2:04. In my first tri ever, I managed to finish in 2:42. That was good enough for 3rd overall in Clydesdale, which earned me a Swiss Army knife, and I believe 5th in my age group, 24-29. I was four minutes off of an age group third place finish, but hey, I'm pretty ok with that. Next year, I plan on whomping everyone.