I'm not really a triathlete..

...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. (really, I did stay at one)


Here's the quick and dirty:

The swim sucked. No, sucked is an understatement. I sucked, coughed, sputtered, inhaled, swallowed, choked, and drank a good amount of Lake Anna. It's not that I wanted to quit, because quitting never was an option I gave myself, I truly thought I wouldn't be able to finish. I pretty much did the whole thing on my back. The swim was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. It is a totally different experience swimming in a lake than a pool, and I learned that the hard way. (30:43/750M/166th)

T1 was fine! I was glad to get the wetsuit off and put on shoes. I was beyond exhausted, but I think 2:17 was decent for my first transition.

I already planned for the bike ride to be a recovery. For the first couple of miles, I caught my breath, re focused my mind, and hydrated. I really enjoyed the bike ride. It was like an easy version of what Mel and I did the week before on our 13 mile ride around Crownsville. I played leapfrog with two other guys, and when we all finished our bike ride, we discovered that we were 'neighbors' in the transition area. (51:13/12 mi./138th)

T2, I got a minor calf cramp when I took off my biking shoes. It took me almost two minutes to change shoes though. That's kinda a long time. But whatever!

I ran with/paced Jason, one of my 'biking buddies' for the better part of the run. This run consisted of two things that I hate: grass and trails. So, by the time I got out of the trail, my legs had loosened up a bit, and off I went! I guess I had a decent pace. On a good day, I run about a 8:20-8:40 mile. My normal 5K time is under 26 minutes. My goal was to finish it in under 30 minutes. So was Jason's. I think I helped him get through the first half of the run. About halfway into the second half, I lost my concentration, and slowed way down because of the hill. The dude left me behind. I finished the run under my goal though! (28:34/5K/71st)

Total time: 1:54:35/145th place overall. I wanted to finish in under 2 hours. YAY ME!!

I don't know if I'll do another one. I'd like to. I think. I am sure that I didn't practice swimming enough. Since that one is the hardest for me, I avoided it the most. If I decide to do it again, I will really emphasize swimming.

I would like to put together a team and train together and possibly compete together, either as individuals or as relay teams. If any of you think you'd be interested in this possibility, tell me so we can brainstorm about how to make it happen. I have some ideas already floating in my brain. (Remember where I live. If you aren't close enough to participate, don't tell me you'd like to unless you're going to come here and practice. OK?)

p.s. I didn't piss myself until I was less than a hundred yards from the finish line. I just did a little bit, but I was on the verge of letting it all go. I really did have to go. I didn't even catch my breath first. I went straight to the bathroom (on a toilet) before I did anything else. (Happy Brandi?)