Massively so!!!
I always though of it as a “big” race, but less than 1k finishers first year, then under 700 
It was my first Iron Distance and my second tri in the UK. IIRC, there were 950 starters?
What amazed me was that without improving my swim times from Oz (relative to my HIM times) I came out of the water mid pack and there were a lot more bikes in transition than I was used to seeing.
I didn’t like that that stupidly narrow change tent. Were you at the TT group photo we did on the steps?
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No 
I’m an anti-social guy and registered on the Friday instead.
Swim was about 100m short, but 
I liked the change tent, straight through and out.
714 (!?) finishers I think.
I reckon they double/triple counted the relays as “entrants” 
I’d forgotten about the relays. I do remember the rough as guts lane that led out of the complex. I also remember on guy slipping on the weed on the boat ramp at swim warm up. He smashed his head on the concrete and his race was over before it started!
I also remember wanting to kick those geese in the head on the last lap round the lake. 
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I’ve had the odd finger wagged at me by draft marshals in the big Ironman events; never been pinged. Sometimes it’s just unavoidable; especially early-on after the swim.
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Those feckers nearly had me off at the relays in 2019. I was coming down the back straight towards transition (the fastest part of the lap), looked down momentarily at which exact point about 5 of them decided to cross the road. I swerved (still on tri bars as no time to come off) clipped the grass, had a bit of a tank slapper but managed to gather it all up.
Yeah, they didn’t seem in a hurry to get out of anyone’s way and I wasn’t in the mood to be polite at that stage.
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They were laughing at you (and me, or at least that what it sounded like on the last lap!)
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Me and Mrs FB also did the 1st Outlaw - as you say the Hooters station was very underwhelming and a complete wast of time imho.
the rear derailleur bar end shifter packed in with about 40 miles to go so I had to do the rest on the front chainrings which got had work so ended up about 15mins slower than expected.
Regularly hit Swans/Geese when wakeboarding last year (typically 29mph cable speed). I think they had become de-acclimatised to the danger due to the reduced operating hours / lockdowns and would fly directly into my path crossing the lake, or scatter from the water in the wrong direction. Previous years they have always managed to avoid me at the last minute, a bit like crows at the side of a road. You always think it is going to be a big impact hitting a swan, but in reality they are deceptively light and pretty much just bounce off.
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Quite possibly the worst paced race in the history of idiot age groupers.
This is from a long time ago, I just shrugged when a “ coach” type pointed out that it was my longest run by some 200% all year the second was 8 miles.
The rest were all 10 k or shorter.
If only I knew then what I think I know now.
There are two 8:30 miles in there !
Went through 5 k near the front
10 k top 20… ish
At ten miles just died, then I pretended I had cramp as I was going so slow. WTAF?!
Drink of coke and …
Last mile was 6 mins or so…!
I cringe when I think about it… but I was very young.
#clueless
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It’s a toss-up, either taking up triathlon 3 years ago at 57 or entering my first iron distance this year at 60…I’ll let you know later.
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Ok.
Sun cream: good
Spray on sun oil: bad
Day off swap this week meant I got to ride this morning. It was sunny (great) but we appear but be out of suncream. No problem, here’s some spray on sun oil.
Spray spray spray face ears arms neck legs, good to go.
First problem, as soon as I start to sweat the oil somehow transfers to my sunglasses and before I know it I’m riding through fog. Ride, stop, clean, repeat throughout the session.
Second problem, the elbow pads of Tri bars when oiled become like an ice rink. Super Slippy. So I’m pitching aft and stern with every little bump & remaining upright became the key goal of the ride.
Finally I topped it off with a little run, and the oil started running into my eyes which was super painful and a sort of torture.
Guess you live and learn. Lotion, not oil.
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Everyone used to rave about the Reimann P20 sun stuff but it does exactly that runs into your eyes and stings like hell. Only make that mistake once
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I remember putting some on in Barca, it pissed it down and had much the same effect, I had to stop as I couldn’t see anything and was very unpleasant!
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I use P20 and love it but I never put sunscreen above my eyeline. Being a surfer, nothing says wipeout like saltwater running sunscreen in your eyes 
I just put sone vasolene above my eyes for running and I usually have a hat on anyway (running, not surfing!)
As for mistakes, I think I’ve put before that in my second ever tri, I saw a guy in transition with his shoes on his pedals. Thought right there and then that was a great idea, so put mine on.
DID NOT END WELL
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Using a Bicycle Shaped Object for my first tri.
Leaving my helmet on the drive.
Building my race bike/watching the shifters fall apart during the race.
Not having BTF membership registering for a race in France.
Training inconsistently for most of my tri “career”.
Thinking “how bad could a liquorice gel be?”.
oop - already posted some of these
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Trying a liquorice salty fish (did not know it was salty at the time) halfway up Zombie Hill at the Norseman, proceeded to throw my guts up for the next few minutes! 
Helmet on wrong way round at first ever tri
Multiple attempts to leave T2 with my helmet still on
Stacking it slipping a pedal after leaving T1 at about 5mph
Just some I can think of… 
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not stopping after completing my first ironman 
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Couldn’t click shoes in on leaving T2 at Blenheim. Looked down, got it, looked up, hit the barrier and wobbled along it before getting going again. Carried on riding but the bars were no longer straight. Rode the bike leg having to point the bars slightly left.
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