For the swim... I came in 72nd place out of 74. But I did beat two swimmers. Hooray. Problem number 1: no wetsuit. It was 60 degree water temp. Not good for controlling your breathing. I was virtually the only one without a wetsuit. Problem number 2: wind. Blowing straight in my face on the final stretch. Not a great idea. Problem number 3: lack of training. I had trained for maybe a total of 3 hours in a pool. Never done an open water swim. Smart. Needless to say..I was cramping up, hanging on to rescue crew, and willing myself to finish the swim before I drowned.
The transitions were fine for my first time. The bike ride was extremely technical and I spent a lot of time walking the course. An old jeep trail called Steelbender. Very tough trail. But I finished in about the middle of the pack.
The run was tough too. Uphill to a waterfall, then back down and around Kens Lake. Running in sand the entire time. Finished in about the top 20%.
What an experience. Challenged me like I had never been challenged before and it taught me that procrastination and being unprepared can literally kill you.
The rest of the trip was a blast too. Hiking arches. Morning and evening bike rides on Slickrock trail. And Mike snorting BBQ sauce at the restaurant. Good stuff.
