marshallini's race review;
Swim - I started in pen 1. I'm not a sub 60 swimmer but I figured I'd get a smoother start and beat up less starting near the back there and it wasn't overcrowded. I didn't experience any real argy bargy until the turn point and I would've got that where ever I started. So that plan worked.
Target sub 1:10 - Actual 1:08:09 
T1 - Had to go sockless on the bike because a sock went missing in T1, otherwise relatively smooth.
Target 4 mins - Actual 4:35
Bike - Essentially uneventful. Northern Loop was nowhere near as bad as I remember from a recce ride I did at the end of last year. Sailed thru it to be honest.
I wasn't at all familiar with the Southern Loop so had no points of reference to how I was doing. Struggled a bit with the wind on lap 1, lap two wasn't any easier but I felt better.
With about 24 miles to go I tried work out how much time I had left to hit target and I thought I was going to be ok. Then the wind and the climbs back towards the finish had me doubting myself now, they were slowing me down too much and I was working really hard now to keep the pace up. Once over them I tried to push on again and whilst everyone else was taking it gingerly thru the rough section by the Hall I was riding it like a BMX Bandit, my bike is rubbish so wasn't bothered.
The road back to HPP seemed to go on for ever, but I got there eventually and handed my bike off to someone.
Target sub 6 - Actual 5:51:27 
T2 - No probs here did have to stop for a comfort break exiting transition tho.
Target 3 mins - Actual 3:26
Run - Although I'd taken time off both the first two disciplines which gave a massive buffer for my overall time target the run was what it was all about.
I left T2 feeling ok, stomach wasn't 100% but the legs were fine. Took on just water for the first lap of the lake and down to the turn around by then my stomach was feeling ok so I started on the gels, I took a gel every other feed station with water and then Hi5 on the others.
I felt I was running well and based on the 5 mile markers my pace spot on. As the run went on my knees started to to ache a bit but nothing bad, my shoulders/traps were giving me more grief, then on the last lap my right quad started twingeing a bit, but I was too close to let anything stop me although the wind was trying it's best. The last mile or so to the finish was a real grueler and I did lose a fair bit of time here but I got there without walking.
Target sub 3:30 with no walking - Actual 3:29:19 with no walking*
(* two pee stops but they are permissible under my rules).
Overall - The final 3-4 weeks had been terrible for me, I felt like 5h1t and was really doubting myself. People kept telling me that's quite often how it is and when the race starts it'll be fine.
And it was fine, more than fine it was AWESOME!.
Things could not have gone better really.
Target sub 11 - Actual 10:36:59
Edited: 03/07/2012 at 16:28
