Deanne and I set off for Buffalo Springs 70.3 in Lubbock Texas on Friday morning. We had organised well with our home stay Chuck to pick us up from the airport so we were happy all was going to go well.
As we are learning as we go American Airlines are terrible! We have had trouble with them on nearly every flight and this was to be no exception. First our second flight from Dallas to Lubbock was cancelled. Then we were booked for a flight 4 hours later. Then this turned to be about 5.5 hours later! This ment we arrived in Lubbock at about midnight instead of 6.30.
Im trying to stay calm and not get worked up and I was doing very well until our bikes didnt make it!
We spend the next hour working out where they are and the lady at the airport can not tell us because or anyone she rang didnt know. Now im starting to think I wont be able to race at all. Mean while Chuck is patiently waiting in the car outside for us.
We leave with only our carry on baggage and no indication as to when our bikes will come if at all.
We get to bed at 1.30 and its safe to say I hardly slept.
I start making calls and finally get news our bikes are in at 10am. My heart is finally starting to lower! Better late than never!
From this point we started to get on track with normal routine thanks to Chuck who was racing us around.
It wasnt ideal but my first look at the race course was on race day. We kinda got stuffed around by the airlines!
This was to be my first race with some of the real good guys towing the line. At the swim start to my left was Chris Lieto and to my right was Terenzo Bozzone! This was so good yet so scary! I wanted to stay with them to the first bouy which was about 200 meters but I couldnt, or if I did Ithink I would have died! Once aournd that bouy we split into two packs pretty quick. I couldnt get away from our pack yet I was able to hold the pace we were swimming. This was a good sign for me as I wasnt last out ofthe water which can happen to me! I was three minutes down on the leaders and keen to get going. I felt pretty good on the ride and from exiting the water to getting back off the bike I had made about 8 places and was in 8th place. I was feeling pretty good and running good but not 100%. I managed to pass two guys, one being fellow Aussie Josh Rix. 
At the half way point I was in 6th place but it was then that I started to suffer. I slowed down a lot and three guys passed me as if I were still. This also hurt me mentally. Its very hard to stay focused out there especially in the hot Texas sun. From here I was running to hold my spot in the top ten and that I did finishing in 9th place. I would have loved to have held onto 6th place but its not easy and that is what I am learning here. I can take a lot from that race and hopefullyu improve on it for Vineman in three weeks time! 
Big well done to Deanne who raced the sprint race on the same day and won! Thanks to her win I got a mention in the newspaper!