Ok, time for the full race report complete with pictures!
I was nervous about waking up on time, what with the time change and all. We have those Smart Clocks that are supposed to just automatically change, so that made me nervous and I ended up waking up early. It was ok. Just got up, got dressed, made tea and double checked my bag to make sure everything was in place and ready to go. Had some water and oatmeal for breakfast and was on my way. It was still dark outside. WHY am I doing this? Insane.
Got there and the parking lots was CROWDED, which surprised me since there are so many waves and thus lots of start times and I was one of the earliest. Went in, got my t-shirt (wicked ugly. BOO!) and got marked. Now, this should have been easy, but this event was really poorly organized. I went over and gave them my name, and the woman said, I already have you checked in. You should be number 271 (wave 2, lane 7, swimmer 1 in that lane), but I already wrote 271 on someone else. Hmmm. Ok. Well, I shouldnt care, really, but if she is really super slow, then I dont want her times being posted to my name! She went and tracked the other woman down, re-marked her, and gave me the right number, etc.
Off to the locker room. It was a ZOO in there. Since the swim was indoors, the transition area was indoors. And people had their transition spots set up EVERYWHERE. Some in the pool area, some in the locker room, some in the hallway, etc.
I found a prime spot in the locker room and snagged it. Got everything all organized and laid out. Now I just had to wait for my wave time.
I went into the pool area to check things out and see how the first wave was doing. Yikes! These people are scary. Like 5% body fat and just ripped. They look like Jillian Michaels. These are not my people. 5 minutes before it is time for my wave to start, one of the race officials calls us over for details, etc. I am nervous, but not horribly so. Everyone in my wave looks like me. Mostly fit, but not super cut and with just a few pounds to lose. No one was super fit like the first wave people.
At one minute before our start time, we get in the water and wait. I go to my goggles on, and the strap pulls my bathing cap off. CRAP! I fumble around like crazy and get everything on and in place before the start. Phew.
I am off and swimming and feeling good already! This is a good sign. It has been taking me a while to warm up in the swim. But wonderfully, I hit my stride early and just kept with it. Something that never happened in any of my training swims. But something was wrong. My goggles are digging into the bridge of my nose. It is not horrible, but somewhat uncomfortable. I finally realize that I must have put my goggles on upside down (!) during the fumble to get everything back on before the start.
While swimming, I am keeping my eye on the clock. It seems to be moving quickly. I decided before I even began that I would not count my laps. That is what the volunteers are for. I would just do my swim and get out when they told me I was done. And that happened quickly, yes! I knew I had done well when getting out of the pool, but I was looking around as I was heading to the transition, and everyone else was still in the water. WTH?? OMG, I was SECOND out. Second. And the first one out was male, so I was the first female out of the water.
Transition one. I was breathing HARD after the swim. Really hard. It surprised me. I had all of my stuff well laid out and in an easy to get to spot. I kept a big towel in the pool area and the small towel in the transition area. I dried off with the big towel as I was walking (running not allowed in the transition zone) to my transition spot. Got there, threw my Wish shirt on over my tri suit, socks, and sneakers. Grabbed my iPod and water bottle and was on the bike in no time. (All other gear was with the bike.) In fact, I was the FIRST one on the bike! Total transition time = 1:17!
I cant comment too much on the bike. It was as expected with no surprised and nothing eventful. And I guess that is a good thing.
Coming off the bike and onto the run was another story. I was off in a flash and jogging over to the run area and this A$$WIPE comes flying past me, elbows me in the ribs, and knocked me flat on my a$$! WT F?!?! It really rattled me. Not to mention cost me some time. T2 = :35
The run. Well, I was tired. Sucking wind, actually. Not sure why. The bike was pretty good recovery, but I was still winded. From the swim? From being knocked on my a$$? Not sure. I started out fairly slow (10:35 pace) and planned to do that just for 2-3 minutes to get into my groove and then get up to race pace. But man, I was breathing hard. So I kept that pace for a while. At about the half way point, I bumped it up to a 10:10 pace. Maintained that for a while and then got a cramp! WTH? I never cramp when I run. Lack of oxygen I am guessing. So I had to downshift again for a couple of minutes. On a positive note, I was able to finish the last half mile pretty well, at a 9:30 pace (which was supposed to be my race pace). Overall time was at a 10:20 pace. Not horrible, but not what I had hoped.
Hit the finishers area and was happy to be done. Stretched. Drank water. And after about 20 minutes, the elation sunk in! I completed a TRI! And I made a decent showing, especially considering it was my first one!
Later I found that I won my wave (for women). So I got a bonus medal! Two medals! YES! Sadly, the a$$ who elbowed me into the run won the wave for the men.
Thanks so much to everyone who supported me, gave advice, answered my many questions, and was just all around supportive! I never would have made it to the starting line without you!
After I was done, I got to go support my mom, who did this with me. She turns 70 this year! Is she a rock star or what? I can only hope to be doing tris when I am 70! She rocked her swim as well and was FIRST out of the water. Her wave was 50+, but still, she was by far the oldest and by far the fastest! She is neither a biker nor a runner, though. So she took her time on the bike, and walked the last leg at her 14:30 pace. I am so proud to be her daughter!
Can't wait for the full report!
Stephen and I have completely different coping mechanisims. He is much more like your friend. Deal with everything in it's own time and place. Like a little kid who can't let their food touch. Each thing is what it is. I'm more like a big stew. It all mixes together, the good with the bad. And it makes something entirely different, yet still all the same components.
Nice job. AND you took pictures. amazing!
All the questions I was going to ask! 
History ~ tons of it. I have been overweight since my son was born and gained 30 lbs in one year when I changed job assignments. I have little trouble maintaining, but losing is tough. My current goal is to reach the 170's. Long-term ~ 130's. 
