Prologue:	I'm sure some of you have done this in the past or will do so in the future...so strong is the hold on those who MUST race....I almost didn't go to this race myself! There was a Friday night party temptation that I almost succumbed to, training that was sub-par all summer (it didn't exist! No training since my last tri on July 11th), and little or no desire to go to a race. Saturday morning came, and I got up at the usual time (6:00). I'd packed the night before, so I decided to go and attempt something I hadn't done yet in my seasons of racing! Long live the couch potato! I quickly ate a little something, drove to the site (after taking a construction detour :) and arrived with 30 minutes until race time. No sweat! I set up, then wondered briefly if the water was going to be cold....we'd had unseasonably cool weather up here in Minnesota as of late, and I didn't have my wetsuit w/me. Oh, well. Turned out I could've used it in the race!
The Swim:	We started on time, and pretty soon I found myself up at water's edge. Swimming should be a breeze, since I don't find it hard....Ha! We started after the horn blew, and as soon as I entered the water, I just KNEW I was in trouble! Bodies seemed to gravitate toward me even if I veered out of the way! I couldn't get a rhythm going (note to self: some training would've helped....) and I was constantly defogging my goggles....The turnaround couldn't come soon enough, and I was met with another test of my perseverance, THE SUN! Blinded by the light, I couldn't motor; instead, I would spurt and sight, spurt and sight.....and I was getting slower each time. Eventually, I got near the shore (Yay!) and stood up to jog when it got shallow....and stood up in 6-8" of mud and muck! Bleah! I punched my watch upon exit, and found a time that was my worst EVER for a mile swim, 33:50. Could I have been slower if I'd done breaststroke the entire way? Probably not! I got to my transition spot, had a little problem getting my shoes on, and was off up the incline out to the street. T1: 2:20.
The Bike:	The bike was OK for the first 10 miles or so.....and then I was pooped! I wasn't getting any speed on the flats, and even on the downhills I couldn't go anywhere near 30 mph! I was toast! I tried to muster up some strength for each minor uphill, but none was forthcoming....OK, so training would have helped here, too! 15 miles came and I was ready to go 12 mph the entire way back....20 miles and my left knee protested LOUDLY that it was DONE! I'd never had this problem, so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to run or not.....a slight readjustment of the cleat position, and I could keep the pain at bay, but I didn't push too hard, or I could have been on my way to the hospital before I knew it! 25 miles and I knew I'd finish this portion, but at what cost? Five miles left to go AFTER this bike? Ugh! Transition came not too soon, and I was in and out with yet another problem w/ the shoes....I don't know why! Bike: 1:26:15, 18.8 mph T2: 1:52.
The Run:	Now for the part I'd been dreading all along....the run. My last tri had me slowing to a crawl after four miles, and since this was to be five miles, I was fully expecting to repeat! The first mile was a meager 8:20, but some GU I'd taken in T2 seemed to help and I clicked off the next miles progressively fater until my pace was just over 8 minute miles. Another GU at mile 3 and I just thought I'd make it! Mile 4, and I still felt OK.....but I turned a corner on the course and I met the last uphill....and started to slow. I slowed at each block, and could feel my goal of 2:45 slipping away....I turned the last corner, and although it was only 400 yards, I felt NO zip. I plodded my way across the finish line, glad to be able to finish at all! Run: 41:57, Total time: 2:46:13.
Post-Race:	Lessons learned: 1. You CAN finish a tri w/out training, but it won't be pretty! 2. Don't expect any PB times, or even expect to come close! (last year was 2:32 !!) 3. Listen to your body, especially when it's untrained....you just MIGHT have to stop! 4. Even though it isn't fun, a race of this kind is a good baseline for training. 5. Sprinting ISN'T in the cards when you haven't trained! Let this report be a good lesson to those of you who are contemplating racing in an event on little or no training! You CAN do it, just don't expect any miracles! Extended tapers over the course of months DON'T work!