July 13, 2019
This year's race fell not 2 weeks, but 1 week before the Donner Lake Triathlon, so Rick Ferrell and I had to decide which we'd favor. I like June Lake, and I signed up early in the year, after recovering from my knee avulsion in February. Ferrell decided the spacing was too close to have solid races in both, and opted for Donner Lake. I'll do Donner unofficial, and skip the run (from which I need the longest recovery).
I'd worried some about the water temperature. A big winter and lots of snow and late snow in May even, had me wondering if the water temperature would still be in the 40's or 50's. Luckily, a heat wave arrived just a few days before the race, and the water temperature quickly rose to a comfortable 63F. My fitness was good, and I looked forward to a good race. I missed not having friends along, but figured I'd make some new ones at the race, and one good thing is that I could save the expense of a motel and just camp out in the National Forest for free - that worked out well.