Pacific Coast Triathlon - 9/11/16

It's been 5 years since I first did this race.  It's a nice, local sprint triathlon, in a pretty good location, and it always seems to bring out many of the fastest Orange County triathletes and duathletes.  So, for me, it's a good chance to see how I stack up.


Going into this race, I hadn't been running much because of an injury, and I haven't raced since Xterra Laguna Beach in June.  I had a feeling I'd be fine with the swim/bike portions, but I had no idea how I'd do trying to run "fast."


Swim (half mile)
My watch had me around 900 yards, and I was over 3 minutes behind the top swimmers in the age group, which I kind of expected.  Not much to say here, except on the swim back to the shore, I got caught up in the large swell and was tossed pretty hard by a wave coming in.  Yes, another set of goggles donated to the Pacific Ocean.


T1
This is a steep, paved path up to the bikes, and not much 'running' going on here.  I got to my bike and my helmet was now clipped to my bike, and I had to search around for my glasses.  They were in the shoes of the guy parked next to me.  That's what happens when you're not fast out of the water, other guys get there first, and somehow your stuff just magically gets relocated.

Bike (12 miles)
This is a short bike course on PCH, about 12 miles.  So, no pacing necessary really, just push as hard as you feel comfortable with.  Well, I did that, but never felt like I was going like I could or should.  Either way, I wasn't able to catch any of the guys that came out of the water ahead of me, so I assumed I'd be somewhere in the 3rd to 5th position off the bike.

T2
Couldn't have done much better here.  In and out in under a minute.


Run (3 miles)
No plan here, just run as hard as my legs would let me.  Ultimately, it wasn't that fast, and I wasn't able to catch any of the guys ahead of my in my age group.  The run along the sand and the last steep climb were really showing my lack of running.


Final
Well, I ended up 4th in my age group, more than 7 minutes off the top two guys in 40-44.  Since the top guy in my age group was 3rd overall, I was bumped up to 3rd in the age group.  Not how I wanted to get there, but I'm not going to complain, given my poor lead up into this race.

What's next? I'm not sure, maybe another sprint in October, but I'm definitely going to stop procrastination about physical therapy and get my butt in for some rehab.

Xterra Laguna Beach - June 5, 2016

After getting outrun at Xterra Bonelli, I was hoping to put together a more complete race at Laguna Beach.  Not sure what it is, but this just isn't the year I'd been hoping it to be in regards to running.  So, as it stands, I do all that I can to hold people off from passing me.

Swim (32:23)
7th of 22 out of the water.
Posted as 1,500 meters, actual 1,885 yards.  No, I didn't swim that crooked.  By most accounts the course was long.  Also, the timing mat for T1 was way up the beach.

T1 (1:38)
3rd of 22 in T1
The timing mat was way up the beach.  This is a long run up from the beach to the parking lot, but I think I was pretty efficient and on the bike relatively quick.  No major issues....now, on to the trails...

Bike (1:21:41, 16.2 miles, 11.8 mph)
3rd of 22 on the bike.
This is not a real technical course, but it is full of climbing.  There is one 9-10 minute climb that you have to do three times before the day is over.

T2 (0:41)
2nd out of 22 in T2
No messing around here.

Run (1:01:21, 6.8 miles)
7th of 22 on the run.
Uggh, this was not a fun run.  I was constantly looking over my shoulder, knowing more guys were chasing me down.  At one point, I was in 2nd place in the age group, but ultimately couldn't hang on.

Final (2:57:45)
3rd place in the age group (out of 22), same as Xterra Bonelli Park.  The run was painful, and not just because of the hills.  It's time to take some time off and see what's causing this discomfort.

Getting set up in transition.  The orange towel makes my spot easy to find.

Yeah for me, the swim is done.  BlueSeventy Helix wetsuit.

I managed to stay ahead of these guys, no thanks to the slow traffic throughout the 'no pass' zone.

Rounding the corner to go down Elevator.

Super Xterra racer and teammate, Tom Monica.

A long, fast straightaway before heading back up I Think I Can.

Thanks to the guys from Tru Cycling for all the great pics.

I ditched the glasses because of the mist.

I did it, 3rd in the age group and 13th overall.

Xterra Bonelli Park - May 14, 2016

Back again to race Xterra Bonelli Park for the third time.  The last two years I ended up just off the age group podium, so I was coming in this year to try to change that.  The biggest challenge would be to see how my legs would hold up just three weeks off the Belgian Waffle Ride and one week removed from St. George 70.3

Swim (14:53, GPS'd at 946 yards)

4th of 23 out of the water.  I felt like I swam pretty good, and based on the fact that I was 4th in the age group, this was likely my best triathlon swim. Yay!!

T1 (1:19)

5th out of 23

Pretty quick time because the timing mat was just outside of the transition area.

Bike (1:08, 15.4 miles over two loops, 13.6mph)

3rd fastest bike split in the age group.

Looking back, most of the time I was riding in 2nd place.  On the second loop, strong cyclist, Brian Johnson pulled ahead of me and the other guy up front.  I didn't see an age on his calf, and assumed he was in another age group, so I didn't try to kill myself to keep up.  I rode just hard enough to keep him in my sights though.

Coming into T2, I saw Brian (whom I met for the first time after the race), running the wrong way in transition.  I found out later that he missed his area and was running back to his stuff.  I exited T2 ahead of Brian and the other guy in my age group.  Little did I know that at that point in time, I was actually running in first place.

T2 (0:43)

Boom, fastest T2 in the age group.

And, like I mentioned before, I was actually leading the age group at this point.

Run (29:57, 3.4 miles)

4th fastest run in the age group.

So, yes, I started the run in 1st, but Brian passed my pretty quick up the first steep climb.  He was always in my sights, in case I wanted to try to chase him down, but honestly, I had assumed he wasn't in my age group, so I guess I just wasn't self-motivated to chase him, which is a silly excuse either way.  I was then passed by the next guy in my age group, somewhere around mile two.  I tried to keep pace with him for a little while, but that only lasted about a quarter mile.  

Finish (1:54:43)

3rd place out of 23 in the age group, and only about 45 seconds behind the first two guys.  Overall, I was 11th out of 150 racers.

It's always nice to get the end of the rack.  It makes for easy transitions.

Finishing up the first bike loop.  I was in second place at the time.

The loops require a run through transition.

The home stretch.  Thanks to teammate Adam Harita for the pics.

The podium...3rd place for me.

Post-race beers with teammates Tom Monica and Adam Harita

June '14 Training Summary

Last full month before Vineman 70.3...

Swimming

33,100 yards, 14 swims

A little more consistency, and about 2,000 more yards than last month.  This month, I started following some workouts posted on Slowtwitch, aka the "Tarpon Challenge."  The workouts have been good and I like the change of pace.  I was definitely getting into a rut.  It's a 10 week program, and I plan to stick to it with hopes of getting my Ironman Lake Tahoe swim under 70 minutes (vs. 78 minutes at IMAZ).

Cycling

393 miles, 15 rides (6 on the trainer)

Back on the mountain bike a little more this month, with five rides in the dirt.  Somehow, I squeezed in two more rides than May, and my Saturdays have been consistent around four hours each.

Key ride: I jumped back into the local Over the Hump mountain bike race series.  They are every Tuesday night, but that is typically a tough night with family commitments.  These are relatively short rates, around 65-70 minutes, but they are very anaerobic.  My average heart rate for the Tuesday night race was 169, with a max of 185.  Admittedly, I don't push myself this hard in my regular training, so this is a great way to push me out of my comfort zone a bit.

Running

107 miles, 18 runs

There it is, my biggest run month ever.  With my schedule, it has been hard to find the extra time to make this happen.  I'd love to get that up to 120 by August, but it'll be tough to do.  More slow miles, at an aerobic pace, and my average pace for the month was 8:24/mile.  This is a tad slower than last month, but that's ok, and it is probably due to a very hilly trail run this month.

Other Stuff

Elliptical: 0 minutes

Strength training: 2 hours, 10 minutes (4 workouts)

May '14 Training Summary

Back to some consistency....

Swimming

31,200 yards, 14 swims

Some consistency back in my swimming, but still trying to find a way to get a little more volume in.  I was able to get about 9,000 yards in two one week periods, but at this level, I don't expect large gains in speed or swim fitness.

Cycling

479 miles, 13 rides (5 on the trainer)

Mileage was up this month, partly because only two of my rides were on the mountain bike.   Total climbing for the month was almost 31,000.  For my trainer rides, I usually estimate anywhere between 500 and 1,000 feet of climbing, based on time and effort.

Key ride: I did an 80 mile loop of Orange County, early in the month.  My goal is to get at least four hour rides on each Saturday.  On this day, I rode 4:20 and climbed 3,773 feet.  I still need more climbing on my rides as it gets closer to September and Ironman Lake Tahoe.

Running

95 miles, 15 runs

One of my biggest run months ever.   I've been trying to up my mileage, mostly with slower miles.  My average pace for the month was 8:23/mile.

Other Stuff

Elliptical: 40 minutes

Strength training: 3 hours, 15 minutes (5 workouts)

April Training Summary

With vacation, a mountain bike race and a bit of burnout, April was an off month. 

Swimming

17,500 yards, 10 swims

I was able to get in a couple open water swims in Turks and Caicos. Other than that, I ended up taking about two weeks off at the end of the month. It was a good mental break, but my first swim back was a mess. No more two week breaks for me. 

Cycling

277 miles, 15 rides (6 on the trainer)

After getting back from vacation, I tried to cram in as much mountain biking as I could. Heading into the Whiskey 50, I really needed some time on the trails to get comfortable again. 

Key ride: I hit some local trails to make sure I could handle the climbing and time required for the Whiskey 50. I ended up climbing 6,500 feet in 36 miles, which ended up being about 4.5 hours. It was work, but I finished that ride confident that I'd be good at the Whiskey 50. (Race report to follow)

Running

48 miles, 8 runs

A light month, but that sums up the month. 

Other Stuff

Elliptical: 55 minutes

Strength training: 45 minutes

Total training time: 37 hours (vs. 55 in March)

March Training Summary

Hopefully quick and to the point....

Total training time in March was 52 hours. All of this includes my totals from Oceanside Ironman 70.3, which was on 3/29.  Race recap to follow in separate blog entry. 

Swimming

Yards: 37,600, 17 swims

Consistency is improving, and I got in 4 swims each week. This is probably the max number of days I could fit into my schedule, so the next step is to bump up the yardage on these days. 

Cycling

Miles: 440

My current schedule and routine is keeping me at 3 rides per week, with 2 of the 3 being on the trainer in the garage. I dont think 3 days is going to be enough for Lake Tahoe training, but this is something I'll have to figure out soon. 

Running

87 miles, 13 runs

I've been able to slowly increase mileage, while keeping the knee pain away. This last race is proof that I need more run endurance, so the plan is to up the mileage with more easy runs throughout the month. 

Other Stuff

Elliptical: 30 minutes. I usually only go to the elliptical if I think my knee isn't good to run. 

Strength Training: 2 hours, 3 workouts. So far, just this small amount of strength training seems to be helping with my Runners Knee, so I'll continue with at least once per week. 

Weight: I was able to drop a couple pounds this month prepping for Oceanside. On race morning, I was just under 148. In January, I was bouncing between 153 and 155. 

Race Recap: Oceanside Ironman 70.3

a much improved finisher's medal this year

It's finally here, my first triathlon of the year. I enjoyed this race last year, and I was looking forward to seeing if another year of consistent training would pay off with improved race splits and moving a little further up in my age group.  Last year, my time was 5:10, which put me at 58th out of about 400 finishers in my age group.  My goals this year? Well, I'd like to finish in the top 10% of my age group in each race, and for this race, that would likely mean somewhere in the top 40, and right at 5 hours.

Heading into this race, my training was fairly consistent with a couple hiccups along the way: a rough mountain bike crash in January and the flu in February.  I did have a 1/2 marathon PR at the beginning of February, so I was optimistic that I could at least improve my run time.  Anyway, here goes....

Race morning breakfast: One can of Ensure, a Cookie Dough PowerBar, PowerBar Perform, and water (about 600 calories)

right before I ripped my wetsuit

Swim (35:31, 113th out of 403 finishers in my age group) "Cool, that didn't suck"
Overall, pretty uneventful.  Starting out in the 6th wave (of 23), there wasn't near as many people on the course to swim with, through, or around, like last year when I was in the very last wave.  Not that I'm a fast swimmer by any stretch of the imagination, but it did make the swim seem less hectic.  Like last year, the conditions were pretty good.  The water temperature was announced at 60.9, which is a little chilly, but after a couple hundred yards, it wasn't an issue.  This year, I did take the time to walk along the edge of the water prior to the race to get a feel for landmarks to use for sighting.  This definitely helped on the way back in, since the sun was coming up directly ahead of us.

My swim training has been fairly consistent, and I felt confident that I'd be able to match or better my performance from last year.  While my time was slower than last year, possibly because of the course was rumored to be a little long, I did improve from 132nd to 113th out of the water.  I looked, but I didn't see the race clock as I exited the water, so I didn't know my swim split until after the race.

Obligatory T1 bike pic. Love my ISM seat

T1 (3:55) "Ah, damn, that sucks"
I've still haven't had that one perfect T1, and this wasn't even close.  I was nearly a minute faster than last year, so some improvement is good.  At Oceanside, there's a long run from the boat ramp, to the far end of transition, then back to your bike.  As I was running and starting to pull my wetsuit (BlueSeventy Helix) down to my waist, I struggled to get the sleeves off over my hands, and in that process, I ripped a seam on the
arm...uggh!  I now have a nice 4" hole in my wetsuit.  Later, I spoke to the good folks at BlueSeventy, and they gave me a referral to an excellent wetsuit repair company in Santa Cruz.  Other than a few little nicks, this is the first time I've had anything go wrong with this suit in over two years.

Anyway, I had planned to use an LG bolero to use as arm sleeves.  I had never raced with it, but practiced putting it on several times...but...never on wet arms.  It took me about 4 seconds of struggling with it to realize I needed to scrap the thought of using it today.  Oh well.  Finally, packed up my gear into the transition bag, and I was off and running.

Bike (2:43, 44th out of 403 finishers in my age group) "6>23"
It made a huge difference being in the 6th wave versus the 23rd.  It was nice this year to not deal with as much traffic. I really thought I'd be able to go a bit faster this year, although I still did manage to take 4 minutes off of last year's time.  A couple weeks before Oceanside, I got a new rear cassette, switching from 11-25 to 11-28.  This did help on the steeper climbs, and eventually I'll switch out to a compact crankset before Ironman Lake Tahoe.

Heading into T2, I felt pretty good, but I could tell my legs were a little 'heavy.'  There wasn't much wind to speak of, so the last couple miles felt easier this year.  After the bike, I was 47th in my age group.

Bike Nutrition: Approximately 200 calories of Powerbar Gels (bento box) + 300 calories of a Powerbar Perform and Sustained Energy mix in a Speedfil A2/Z4 combo between the arms.

T2 (1:23) "They're not laughing with you, they're laughing at you."
Yes, I was 'that guy.'  I dropped my bike heading into T2.  I dismounted perfectly fine, but after taking a few steps and began running with my bike, it mysteriously decided to steer right into me.  I felt it coming so instead of falling over the top of my bike, I just let it go and dropped it.  I stopped, took a deep breath and chuckled a bit at my unfortunate timing of making such a silly mistake, at the spot on the race course that is almost as crowded as the finish line.  So yeah, everyone saw it, even Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman.  "Don't worry Jake, nobody saw that."  Yes, Mike Reilly called me out, and since I had just crossed a timing mat, he could see my name on his monitor.  So, not only did I drop my bike, but I 'got' to hear my name come out of his mouth for the second time in my triathlon lifetime.

Oh well, off to drop off the bike and get my running shoes on.  Considering all that, I still managed to get in and out of T2 pretty quick.

Run (1:43, 46th out of 401 finishers in my age group) "And there's Jake from Anaheim"

Usually my first mile is my fastest, and this was the case again.  It's usually faster than I'd like, so I actually brought chapstick and a small packet of sunscreen to apply during the first mile, just to keep me in check.  The goal was to keep all my miles splits under 7:45, preferably closer to 7:30.  After the first couple miles, I could tell that 7:45-8:00 miles were going to be it for me today.  I was able to stay fairly consistent over the 13 miles, but just didn't have that extra bit of speed and strength I'd need to break 1:40 on the run (my goal).

The great part of this race was the huge amount of people I knew that were racing and spectating.  Between my friends at the OC Tri Club, and the Wattie Ink Team, and many others, there was always a friendly face on the course or on the sidelines.  Oh, and guess what, I got to hear Mike Reilly say my name again, yay me.  Yes, as I passed by the announcer booth around mideway through the run, I heard him call me out again.  Thanks Mike, remember that name, you'll see me again in Lake Tahoe.

Another bonus to starting in an earlier wave, I actually got to see some of the pros on the run course.  It's amazing to see these guys make sub 6-minute miles seems so effortless.  I did get to see the lead women as they ran in on the final two mile stretch.  Heather Wurtele was in the lead, and Heather Jackson, was a couple minutes behind her.  I stopped to yell at Heather Jackson as she passed going the other way, but I knew it'd be tough for her to catch up with so little time to do it.  Ultimately, she ended up second, and the winner, Heather Wurtele, had to set a new course record to beat her.

Back to my race...actually, not much more to say.  I tried to give any extra effort I had over the last mile in hopes that I might be able to pass anyone in my age group.  According to my splits, it seems I was able to outpace two guys in my age group.  I ended up crossing the finish line at exactly 5:08, a little more than two minutes faster than last year. 

Run Nutrition: Alternated water and Powerbar Perform at each aid station.  I also had two banana halves, plus a swig of cola at about mile seven.

Final (5:08, 44th of 401 in my age group)
Last year, I finished 58th in the same age group, so it feels good to know that I was able to improve a little this year.  I still have larger goals that I'd like to achieve, and I'm pleased to see that with each race I am making progress.

Next up, some dirt....the Whiskey 50, a 50 miles mountain bike race in Prescott, AZ.

I survived

Adam and I spotted Pete Jacobs and Sebastian Kienle hanging out after the race

Great shot of some OC Tri Club friends, a great husband/wife accomplishment

February Training Summary

Time to get back to my monthly training summaries. The goal is to be able to look back and see trends in my training and racing, and then hopefully learn from it. 

Total training time: 34.25 hours vs. 47.6 in January

Aside from February being a short month, I got the flu, which layed me out for a solid 5 days. 

Swimming: 24,000 yards, 12 swims, 8.3 hours

Aside from the flu time, I missed a few days in the pool when we went to LakeArrowhead  for the long weekend. 

Cycling: 288 miles, 18 hours

About half of my bike time in February was on my bike trainer in the garage.  I had some great rides while we were in Lake Arrowhead, which gave me a little taste of elevation too.  Again, my totals are a bit off, losing about a week, as compared to January. 

Running: 51 miles, 6.7 hours

I only managed 8 runs this month. I completed the Surf City Half Marathon in 1:35 at the beginning of the month.  My left knee still doesn't like when I run in back to back days, so I'll likely avoid that in the coming months. 

Other: strength training: 70 minutes. I need to bump this up and be more consistent with this if I'm going to minimize any running injuries this year. 

Looking ahead, Oceanside 70.3 is only 4 weeks away, so I only have a couple more weeks of 'heavy' training before I begin to taper prior to the race. 

Below are some pics from the family weekend in Lake Arrowhead: 

January Training Summary

Time to get back to my monthly training summaries. The goal is to be able to look back and see trends in my training and racing, and then hopefully learn from it. 

Total Training Time: 47.6 hours 

Overall it was a solid month of training.  Through the first half of the month, both consistency and volume were looking good....until....bike crash. I took a good spill on the mountain bike on 1/18. That week, I was able to do a couple easy spins on the trainer, all in aero because I couldn't put weight on my hands. Plus, lots of scrapes and scabs kept me out of the pool for a solid week. 

Swimming: 30,200yds, 14 swims, 9.75 hours

My schedule allows me enough time to squeeze in 2,000-2,500yds, 3-4 times per week. 

Cycling: 419 miles, 26.2 hours 

I got in two "long" rides at 50+ miles, and quite a few short rides, many of which were on the trainer. I don't hate the trainer as much as I used to, plus it's giving me a little extra time to see the family in the morning. 

Running: 56.8 miles, 12 runs, 7.7 hours

My longest run was only 7.2 miles, but I'm trying to be very conservative with my running. With Ironman Lake Tahoe this year, I don't need any running injuries. 

I added a few speed days, to try to increase my pace. On 1/31, I ran three miles at an average pace if 6:17. I split the miles up with 10 minutes on the bike trainer. 

Other: 

Strength training: 140 minutes

Elliptical: 100 minutes

Overall, a solid month for me, and definitely something to build upon. 

Had a great ride this month with fellow WattieInk  teammate, Adam:  

Race Recap: Fearless Triathlon Double Sprint

I actually won this race entry in a raffle on RaceGrader.com.  I was intrigued by the double sprint format, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to do it, and I will definitely add these races to my schedule in the future. 

I went into this race with no goals, but looking at past results, I felt like I had a chance at top 3 in my age group.

Swim 1 (400 yards, 7:51, 9th of 15 in my AG)
The swim was a small rectangle, with all the men going out in one wave.  With the water temp in the low 60's, I decided to go without a wetsuit, since I felt any time save swimming in the wetsuit would be lost taking it off.  I got in before the start and did a small warmup swim, and was feeling good.  Unfortunately, the race start was delayed about 15 minutes, and standing around in a wet tri suit this early in the morning wasn't any fun.

Again, disappointed with my position out of the water on the first swim.  This is definitely my weakness and progress has been slow.  Usually I'm somewhere near the top 30-40% in my age group, but not today.

Transition 1 (1:12, 8th of 15 in my AG)
Not much to say here, I bumbled around and just took a little too much time getting my shoes on.  I had made the decision to go the entire race sockless, and I've never had issues cycling with no socks.

Bike 1 (10Km, 18:17, 22.6mph, 5th of 15 in my AG)
The bike course was a small trip to Fiesta Island, and then one loop of the island.  I've never been on this path, so at times I had to hold back around some of the corners.  The course is pretty flat, so it's easy to maintain a constant effort.


Transition 2 (1:04, 10th of 15 in my AG)
More bumbling around in transition...

Run 1 (2.5k, 11:01, 6:58/mi pace, 5th of 15 in my AG)
As I was running out, the race leaders were just getting back, and I could hear that they were yelling something to the race officials.  Apparently, the cones for the turnaround were out of place.  Yes, they were.  Actually, I was probably the 3rd or 4th person to run past the point where the cones had just been fixed.  The first 20 or so racers actually shorted the course by about one mile on the first lap.  I don't blame them, because the cones had actually been blocking the path that they were supposed to follow.  There was also another spot at the turnaround spot that was marked with chalk arrows.  Well, again, we weren't supposed to follow the arrows, and there were supposed to be cones there to turn back towards the run finish.  

Unfortunately, I'll never know what these two course mistakes did to my final results, but I'm not too concerned either way.  The race director realized what the mistake was and hopefully won't let it happen again.

Transition 3 (:51, 6th of 15 in my AG)

Swim 2 (400k, 8:58, 6th of 15 in my AG)
I think the timing mat was way up the boat ramp, which is why everyone had longer swim splits the second time around.  The second swim was much easier, since the crowd was spread out by now.

Transition 4 (1:04, 8th of 15 in my AG)

Bike 2 (10k, 18:49, 21.9mph, 4th of 15 in my AG)
Not much to say here.  I would have thought I might be able to go a little faster the second time around Fiesta Island since I knew the course a little better, but I could tell my energy just wasn't there. 

Transition 5 (0:58, 7th of 15 in my AG)

Run 2 (2.5k, 9:35, 6:45/mi pace, 3rd of 15 in my AG)
I was able to pick up the pace a little bit on the second run.  There were a couple guys that looked like they might be in my age group, so I tried to chase them down.  Looking at the results, one of the guys that I passed was in my age group.

Final Result: 1:19:44.1 (4th of 15 in my AG)
Later that week, the race director removed the guys that shorted the course from the official placings, which technically put me in 2nd place.  I think that meant that I won a coffee mug, or something like that, but honestly, it wasn't worth the three hour roundtrip drive to San Diego to get it.  

Race Analysis and Lessons Learned:
I ended up finishing 45 seconds behind the next age grouper ahead of me (Jay Prasuhn of Lava Magazine).  Looking back at how much time I gave up in transitions alone, it could have been a much closer race.  

Also, the shoe/laces combination I used didn't work with a sockless race.  I ended up with two wicked blisters on the top of my feet from where the quick laces rubbed.  In rushing to put my shoes on, the tongue of the shoes most have bunched up in the middle, exposing the laces to my tender foot skin.

Post Race:
Another bonus to this event was the pro race that followed.  It was also a double triathlon, but the bike course was shorter, with multiple loops and drafting.  The run course was also shorter, with multiple loops too.  This made for great spectating.  This same format was just done in Las Vegas during Interbike, where a multiple lane swimming pool was erected in the middle of a casino parking lot.  Hopefully this format continues to grow because it makes for some entertaining races.

Female Pro Swim Start

Female Pros getting ready

Sara McLarty out in front on the bike

Race Recap: LA Triathlon (9/29/13)

After a long break (5 months) from triathlons, it feels good to race again.  Since IM St. George 70.3, I've been dealing with some nagging knee pain, along with a few weeks sidelined by a little wakeboarding injury.  Yes, father time is catching up.  I was able to keep up with some consistent swimming and biking, but my running has been real sporadic.

Anyway, here goes....

Race Goal: Top 10 (out of about 70-80 that are typically in the age group).  In 2012, top 10 meant 2:29 or better.

Swim: 1,500 meter ocean swim at Venice Beach, CA (water temp: mid 60's)
This year, the race organizers switched from age group waves to "SwimSmart," which basically replicates the corral system used at many marathons.  Your time starts when you cross the timing mat, and there is a continuous flow of people into the water.   I did like how low stress the start was, but honestly, I've never been too freaked out about the swim starts.  Yes, anxious and nervous, but never to the point where I was scared or freaked out.  The downside, you really don't have an idea where you stand amongst your age group.

The water was relatively calm and there wasn't much of a swell to deal with getting out to the first buoy.  I did do a warm up swim, but didn't notice the small current.  This current slowly pushed me off-line on the way to the first buoy, which was the them for my swim...not swimming in a straight line.  Instead of swimming straight to the buoy, I was approaching it at an angle.  Around the buoy, there's a long stretch to the turnaround spot.  Swimming towards the pier, made sighting much easier, but again, I kept swimming a little to the right and way wide.  Not much else to say, left arm, right arm, breathe, repeat, blah, blah, blah.

Back on to shore, there was about a 100+ yard run in the sand to the transition area, which oddly, is where the T1 timing mat was.  This just makes the swim time a little long and the T1 time a little short.

Swim Performance: 31:17 and 25th of 68 in my age group
Gear: BlueSeventy Helix Wetsuit, BlueSeventy Nero goggles
Lessons Learned: One open water swim in five months doesn't help improve open water swimming skills

Transition 1: 2:36 and 24th of 68 in my age group
Lessons Learned: Know where the transition entrance and exits are.  I assumed I knew where the entrance to T1 was, and I was wrong.  This meant that I racked my back in a horrible location.  In a situation where it's first come, first served, this is an easy way to lose or gain time.  I figure this little mistake cost me 20-30 seconds.

Bike: 40 kilometers, approximately 25 miles
When do you get the chance to bike on Venice and Olympic Boulevards, with no traffic? Basically never, and that's what is so cool about this race.  This is a relatively flat bike course along city streets of Los Angeles.  My legs felt heavy for the first half hour, and since I had forgot my Garmin at home, I really didn't have a solid idea what my pace or heart rate was.  Since I don't have a power meter, I'm accustomed to monitoring and controlling my efforts based on my heart rate, so for this race, I was relying on PRE (Perceived rate of exertion). 

Anyway, the bike course is relatively flat, and I only had to get up out of my aero bars for a couple short climbs.  Overall, I felt good on the bike, and since this wasn't going to be a windy day, I chose to go with a deep front wheel and disc rear wheel.

Bike Performance: 1:07:40 (22mph) and 12th of 68 in my age group

Transition 2: 2:26 and 32nd of 68 in my age group
Apparently, I taped by T2 bag a little too much.  The bags were taped shut to make sure your stuff wouldn't fall out between the time it was dropped off the day before and when the volunteers place it at your spot in T2.  So, between putting on my socks and messing with my bag, I ended up spending about a minute more than the top guys in my group.


Run: 10 kilometers, 6.2 miles
The run course is a 5k out-and-back, twice, with a killer hill (Bunker Hill) right before the turnaround.  Again, no Garmin, so I was running on feel.  The first loop felt good, and after the climb on the second loop, it was all downhill until the finish line, and that's when I decided to pick up the pace a bit.

Considering my running training leading into this race was pretty light, I'm pleased with my time.

Run Performance: 45:04 and 17th of 68 in my age group

Total Time: 2:29:01 and 18th out of 68 in my age group.
I fell a little short of my goal of getting into the top 10, approximately 4 1/2 minutes.  I know that if I clean up my transitions and squeeze a little time out of each portion of the race, I'm right where I want to be.


Other Race Pics:

Finish line in front of Staples Center

 Finish line in front of Staples Center

 Run pic, thanks to Wattie team member Jaclyn

 All done, ready to head home

Pre-race pic with Stan and Ramil, fellow OC Tri Club members