6:15 a.m. and a klaxon blasted to set us off. It was a typical IM start and my world slowly closed in around me and became a sea of thrashing arms. There were the usual folks that swim up your back. It goes like this...

Them: Whack, toe, whack, toe
Me: Hmmm, someone is back there

Them: Whack, calf, whack, calf
Me: Hmmm, now they are driving my lower body under water

Them: Whack, thigh, whack, thigh
Me: He's getting some traction now

Them: Whack, butt, whack, back
Me: Get ready Gordo!

Them: Whack, neck, whack, head
Me: Glug!

The seeding meant that although I was swimming at close to my AT, it was a sustainable pace (at least for the short term). After about five minutes things settled down and it was bearable. I had achieved my first decent open water start. I had all the same emotions (fear and panic) but I had not been overwhelmed. The visualisation had paid off and I was heading towards a solid swim.

The pace was fast and I was pushing to hang on to a fast set of feet. Lots of sighting was required to avoid being dropped. It felt a lot like a short course race must feel. I was getting a huge draft and loving every minute of it.

The water was HOT and my fullsuit was a bit of overkill but I need the extra speed. The first turn was a thrash-fest but I took it wide and avoided the worst of the crush. Around the 1500-meter mark, I had a stitch in my side, probably from very frequent sighting in the murky water. I knew that I was moving quickly because I was swimming in a mixture of Yellow and Blue caps. I was loving it, but man that stitch hurt. I told myself to hang tough and the pain would be gone at the next turn. Sure enough, my body followed my mind and I reached the turn pain free.

Into the second turn and BOOM! I take an elbow to the face. The force was so hard that it created a vacuum in my right goggle. My right eye was being sucked out of my head but there was no way that I was going to back off in the turn. That would have been certain death. Coming out of the turn I managed to get some of the pressure out of my goggles and get back to swimming.

At the marker for the end of the first lap, I see a pink cap up ahead. It is a woman and one of the top seeds. I notice the look of the body and figure that it is Lori Bowden. Way cool, I am swimming with Lori. I think that it would be a lot of fun to draft off a world champion and slot in behind her. Bad idea! I enjoy my five seconds of fame before getting absolutely clobbered (twice!) by a huge dude with a blue cap. A bit dazed, I wonder where she got her minder from and look for another pair of feet to draft.

On the second lap, I realise that I had been hammering the first lap and back off a little. However, when you are in a fast pack and able to keep on their feet it seems like a damn shame to let folks get away. It really seems like such a waste. I knew it was a bit silly but I kept pushing. Hell, I was having fun and that what this sport is about, right? Still, a few people start to drop me and I notice that the yellow caps have pretty much split.

I am hot and it turns out that I am not the only one roasting as a few people sweat their caps off just before the last turn. Into the last turn and the sun is rising directly in front of us. We are totally blind but we seem to have lost some of our fight and while I am whacked in the head a few times, it has lost its pre-race bite. Into the home stretch and I start thinking about T1.

I can see people standing on the shore and running alongside me. I swim as far as I can and do a few dolphins off the bottom. I can see the clock is in the low 60s. I am stoked. Goal One - TICK!

Swim 2.4 miles - 1:02

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