Wow, so much to write on the race. I took notes along the way, but they seem to have become really, really long. So, how about a few highlights from the pre-race activities.

• Packing my bike, even in its purpose-built case, is still a challenge. I ended up frantically riding the bike to the shop to get them to take the pedals off for me (I think I might have been turning them the wrong way), then putting them back on, loosely, and pedaling home. Try as I might I just couldn't get the damn box to close. I purchased a bike box a few weeks back. I figured with the impending move and the trip out to WA it was worth having a hard case on wheels. But I couldn't remember what the picture looked like when it was full. And I was having trouble with my internet. I can't imagine how normal-sized people with normal-sized bikes fit theirs in boxes. I mean mine is so small I can't fit full sized waterbottles in it. I eventually gave in and took off my aero bars which seemed to do the trick. Of course even with the wheels, the box isn't really designed for the out of doors. Even the slightest uneven pavement made it bottom out on the way to the train station, but we both made it with only minor bruising.
• It's easy to spot triathletes on the way to the race, even after we've checked in our bikes. We're the people with the sporty sunnies, in the compression tights, wearing the t-shirt from the last race, and in some cases, with the shaved arms. I felt like I was doing a pretty good job of not identifying myself as part of this not-so-secret fraternity: my compression tights were hidden under my jeans. In fact my heart rate monitor watch wass probably my only give away.
• In the airport I met another triathlete, from Brisbane, originally from the states, who works in intellectual property. It was just a very weird coincidence and reinforced the idea that Brisbane is just a large country town.
• Until I got to Busselton which was actually a country town. Unlike the popular beaches of Sydney or the sunshine coast, there are no towering apartment blocks and the main strip of town runs perpendicular to the beach. There’s only one cafe on the water and it’s just at the beginning of the jetty. I can see now why it was tough to find accommodation nearby. That said, our guest house is fantastic! Literally 40m to transition and includes breakfast. We only got this room because some friends of ours had booked it a year in advance and they pulled out. The sign is our B&B, the fence is transition!
• I stayed with my friends Simone and Andrew. Andrew raced while Simone supported. The night before the race Andrew suggested we carbo load. By which he meant have a few beers. They're both ironmen, so I figured they knew best. Andrew returned to our table with 3 "Western Australian Thimbles of beer"