Post Race Thoughts

So I've had some time to collect my stats, eat myself silly, rest my muscles, and do what I do best...mull things over a million times.

In my age group there were 34 women who competed, here were my stats:

Total--2:17:05 (21/34)
1k swim: 24:17 -21st
T1: 3:42
30k bike: 1:00:22 -14th
T2: 2:39
8k run: 46:07 - 26th

some thoughts
- I finished middle of the pack, 53%.
- I have never swam competitively or in open water, or had a lesson since I was about 13. With effort, and maybe some tips from my friend Katie, this time can easily improve.
-I didn't actually "try" on the swim. I just swam to survive and conserve my energy to finish.
-Looking back, I actually enjoyed the swim. It was kind of calm and relaxing. I remember sidestroking and thinking of Chip and his guys in Qula-e-Naw and how their life is so much harder than a 1k swim in a pretty lake at sunrise on a sunday with a couple hundred people. Then I imagined that this guy who caught me on the swim was Chip and tried to keep up with him the last 75-100m.
-T1:Don't walk to your bike. Don't fall down putting on your socks. perfect putting a tight shirt on a wet body...or buy a tri top.
-Biking is fun. Considering I had only done two 20 plus mile bike rides as training, finishing 14th in my age group was quite good.
-Maybe hydrate more. I only drank a half bottle of water or so. Might have been the cause of cramps on the run.
-T2: Think about peeing BEFORE you get off off the bike. Yes, this is a horrifying thought...pee on your bike? But, it sure beats running around looking for a spot in the trees. Or at least I could have stopped at the port-o-potty on the way to drop off my bike.
-Continue to aim for negative split on the run. Push it harder next time since running is a strength. Without stomach cramps I would've killed this course.
-This race was the most fun I've had in a long time.
-This was the biggest confidence boost I could have asked for. Makes you feel like anything is possible.
-It would have been way more awesome to have Chip there with me.
-I was hardly sore the next day..this tells me I could have worked A LOT harder.

Still trying to figure out another race to do this summer between my half marathon and the army 10miler...