RACE REPORT- Collegaite Nats...

I really dont know what my times were cause of my timining chip issues but here are my best guess- the only one I am fairly confident of is the swim cause I know who was around when I got out:

swim (600ishm)- 7:10ish
bike (40K but worst conditions in the world)- 1:10:30ish
run (6.6-6.7 mi- much longer than 10k)- 41:00ish (? I know instinctively I was running around 6:10/mi pace whatever that is...)
transitions- the speed of a glacier moving towards the sea....
overall time: 2:03:10

swim- 53 degree water...the swim was the most vicious swim ever...I have several bruises and a goose egg on my head from the fallout...around the first buoy I got the two handed shove on my head underwater...I went under about 10 feet and popped back up backwards with the entire field swimming over me...I just really need to improve my open water swimming...I realized that is my biggest weakness- specifically open water...So I finished the 600ish meter swim in about 7:10, roughly around 40 seconds behind the leader...the swim was cut in half (it was supposed to be 750) due to the conditions...

T1- more getting beat up: On my way in, I ran over someones wetsuit and it slipped out form under me. I hit the ground with my left hip,knee and hand- all of which have big bruises on them today...I got up, flustered, found my bike where I struggled to put on my shoes and helmet becuase I was having adrenaline issues after the wipe out, I lost considerable time

Bike- I started the bike in about 12th place...I quickly caught a bunch of people right out of transition...there was a big hill at the beginning (I am pretty dominant on hills without a lot of effort)...then I just kept passing people like crazy...I couldnt believe it- the conditions were terrible (completely wet course, 40s temperature, 20mph winds constantly with 25+mph gusts) but I felt great, I never really felt like I was going that hard but by the turn around I was already in 3rd place and passed all the favorites in the race...I did get passed by one girl from texas tech who had the fastest bike split (wow she was fast!!!) but I am pretty sure I had the second fastest bike split of the day and I think the race was won on the bike for me...I knew at the turn around on the bike, when I passed last years winner- who is very good, that I had a really good chance to win

T2-my feet were completely numb- I couldnt feel anything below my ankles, I was freaked out that I would roll an ankle and not even feel it...had a lot of trouble getting on my shoes- I need to practice transitions obviously....pathetic..

Run- Started the run more than a minute + back,...started out steady, couldnt feel my feet for the first 1.5 miles, miserable...but at the first turnaround (1.5 mi in) two great things happened: I could feel my feet again!! and I caught the two girls in front of me....after the turn around I saw the two girls who race ITU and who are very good- I think they were probably 90 seconds back at that point- they looked like they were charging like mad...when I run I get lazy unless someone is really threatening me...so I just continued at a somewhat cruise race pace until the 3 mi turnaround when I could see what they were doing....last years winner was still about 90 sec -2 mins back and the second place from last year was falling back from her ...so I just keep grinding at a good but relatively comfortable race pace until the final turn around...when I saw she was still 2 mins back, I relaxed and didnt have to worry about getting caught....I cruised in and i dont think anyone expected me to be coming cause no one had the tape up so I had to slow down in the chute for them to get the tape ready....crazy- I guess that is what happens when you are not supposed to win.....

So I crossed the finished line and didnt realize there were a bay of cameras in front of me..I kind of looked at it and realized what it was and so just stood there (kind of like an idiot) for about 5-10seconds with the banner over my head...not sure what to do but I figured they might want a picture becuase I hadnt given them anything to work with- I totally forgot about that part...I guess I am still a real novice- oh well....