Pics of me at the race:
http://jay.ligda.net/photos/0906C_EFA/med_DSC_0182.JPG
http://jay.ligda.net/photos/0906C_EFA/med_DSC_0600.JPG
http://www.brightroom.com/go.asp?54378938
The short story:http://jay.ligda.net/photos/
http://www.brightroom.com/go.
I did the swim in 57 minutes. I figure the wetsuit would have been 7-13 minutes faster, based on how I usually place for tri swims. I regained normal warmth after about 30 minutes on the bike. Nothing was numb although I did feel pinpricks in my feet. I finished the entire race.
The long story:
I wanted to do the EFA swim w/o wetsuit as a personal achievement thing. A few short years ago I couldn't swim. my first triathlon I managed to flail for 200 meters and had to had to ask for help after realizing just how hard another 200 meters would be.
My first race w/o wetsuit was last year..Big Kahuna. I brought a wetsuit but the zipper stuck so I threw it in the trash and did it without. I've been swimming off and on in AP for years sometimes with and sometime without wetsuit... but my swims are usually pretty short maybe two buoy lines or a perimeter loop.
Last year I wanted to do EFA without wetsuit but I hadn't really been in enough right before the race to be sure about handling the temps. Last year I did an ironman, but after that I took most of a year off from exercise completely. A few months ago I started getting back in shape and it's been a hard process. My goal has been 3hrs in the water per week. Four weeks ago I found out I might get an Alcatraz slot, and three weeks ago I started getting in AP trying for 3-4 times a week. I started with one buoy line, then two, then two again then three a couple times then four then, perimeter + buoy line where I kinda leveled off. Sometimes I would get out cold enough that I knew I wouldn't be able to bike. Starting last weekend I felt warmer than ever getting out.. The warmer water and sun made it much easier.
The actually swim probably wasn't much tougher than 4 buoy lines.. mainly because I didn't have to fight current. I was lucky to have a warm and sunny day, and I wasn't really affected by the chop. I got kicked hard in the face once, but the advantage of the aqua-sphere goggles is that you can "take a punch". 50% of the time I aimed at sutro tower and 50% I was aiming at 11'o clock from the tower. The variation was due to trying to avoid another kick to the face. I was very scared of missing the beach, but I came near the second yellow bouy and shortly turned to swim parallel to the beach.
Transitioning to the bike I was slow. I saw people run in after me and leave before me, but I wanted to get warm gear on. I had arm warmers, tights, booties, glove, and a helmet liner. I put the gloves in a pocket, put on the armwarmers and helmet liner but skipped the booties and tights. I was not cold so didn't need nearly as much as I prepared, but was afraid my core temp might continue to drop for a while and I would get cold later.
Riding at the back of the pack I passed many people. I wasn't really going fast.. It's just my swim had taken longer so I was around slower riders. I was strong on the hills but made sure to mostly even pace it. The run sucked. It featured a lot of walking as my legs hurt so much. I hadn't done enough prep work and I knew it. I was dehydrated also. Eventually I got my water right and could run at normal speed, but there real time loss for me was more on the run than the swim.
I finished strong and I'm feeling good today.(although slightly sunburnt)
