Having done a few indoor triathlons, I decided to try the Flat as a Pancake as my first outdoor sprint. Swimming in the bay was a little tough for a newbie, but otherwise the race was great. Set-up was easy; the bike and running courses were truly flat, and

I've run this race on July 4th a number of times and each year this event has improved. What did bug me was that there was no National Anthem played prior to the start of the race. Come on Guys it's the 4th of July. The birthday of this great nation.

This race was in a fairly common running route in San Diego - Mission Bay. It was fast and flat. I enjoyed the atmosphere and positive encouragement. Lots of young girls were running with their moms and I overheard a lot of women saying this was their first race, so I