The highlights reel...

Thanks Bruce :-)

I still can't say that I'm in the mood to write a race report. So instead-

Highlights:
- a beautiful clear, still morning in gorgeous Canberra;
- watching hot air balloons float overhead whilst setting up in transitions;
- seeing TA smile AND wave during her blistering bike leg;
- having R & MiniM at the swim start;
- finishing the swim (in what turned out to be a reasonable time) despite having a very unpleasant experience;
- riding my new bike;
- having the best, and loudest, cheer squad of any of the competitors - how can you not smile when there are 10 people cheering for you!
- riding consistent laps on the bike;
- getting kind comments from competitors (as they passed me!)
- not being last out of the swim or off the bike;
- getting a kiss at changeover to R in T2, watching him run & then finish off Team Mango Jelly's race;
- stepping up to the next race distance;
- enjoying a sausage sandwich & coffee while watching the presentation ceremony; and
- getting a solid 2 hour training session (2:02 on the watch) on a beautiful day in one of my favourite places to train.

Lessons learnt:
- remember to use anti-fog in goggles or, if unavailable, spit. Fogged-up goggles make sighting (small) buoys even harder (if not impossible). Heck I even had trouble spotting Black Mountain tower at one stage...
- starting in a mens wave and getting quickly dropped (and lapped) does not necessarily mean that I am hopelessly slow. It's just a (natural) consequence of racing against men.
- a post-swim stomach ache will eventually ease;
- (much) more time on the bike is required. Need to consider riding 3 x p/w.
- Jamaican chocolate cheesecake is great recovery food.

MTD:
Swim: 21.45k
Bike: 198.5k