Secondly, you should really listen to the announcer when they are talking about the groups that are getting ready to start. He had announced the Elite group and I didn't even hear them start, when Nicki asked me if I was supposed to be down in the water.
"No. Not until the 'Under 40' has to start." (Please note that I am under 40 years old.)
"Well, that's who is down there."
I got into the water with just under 90 seconds to go before the start. Yikes.
Third, it is really hard to backstroke in a straight line without something to spot. There was not a cloud in the sky that morning. And the sun was not really working for me as a guide. Consequently, this is what I probably looked like, only slower:
And I really had no need to be worried about hydration during the race, since I ingested plenty of water while I was swimming.
To properly assess my satisfaction with my performance, we must know what my goals were. In order of importance, my goals for the St. George Triathlon on May 15 at Sand Hollow Reservoir:
1) Don't drown.
2) Finish the race.
3) Don't finish in last place.
4) Finish in under 2 hours.
Goal #1 may seem like a no-brainer, but given my swimming skill, I needed it as a goal. Check.
I did manage to finish the race. Goal #2 - Check.
Notice that the goal is not "Don't finish last in my age group." Although, it turns out I would have actually achieved that goal, as well. I was second-to-last, thank you very much. However, when I checked my times before we left, I was in last place in my age group. I managed to finish before some old guys, large women, and a 15-year-old kid. I am a specimen. Goal #3 - Check.
Goal #4 - 2:08. I will be back. I will get to under 2 hours. It's not a lofty goal, really. Interestingly, what killed me was not my weak event. I actually performed better than expected on the swim time. It was my bike and "run" times that were really lacking. I am convinced that it must have been the Batsuit:
Feel free to search Bib #746.
