LA Tri Series #3 - Championship Distance - TriathlonOlympic

Good swim. Just off my PR for an Oly swim, but I think this course was a little long (based on my Garmin output) and the course I PR'ed on I'm sure was short. Thought I might have placed higher in my AG than I did, but there were several of us bunched just above 26 min. Swim ended up being my highest overall placement for the day, which is unusual for me (although swim has been getting closer and closer to my run over the last year).

Caught guys in the one wave that started two minutes ahead of mine by the first buoy...probably only 200-250m into the swim...a couple of them breaststroking. Man, that's a long way to go when you clearly aren't trained.

Nothing other than maybe some drafting. The reality is that there wasn't anyone I could find to draft off of. One of the fast women passed me at the second turn buoy and I thought about trying to stay with her, but she was just too fast.

Hoped to get to around 2:15 with this (hard to get below that since I put on socks in T1). Unfortunately my swim cap was vacuum sealed to my head...first time that happened. Then I started to put on a sock before pulling off my wetsuit, so that created an extra 10 sec's or so. Left heel a little hung up in suit, but only for a moment.

Not forget to pull off wetsuit before grabbing socks. Second time I've done that in a tri.

A bit disappointing. I'd told a friend in transition before the race that I thought I was likely to finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th in my AG, depending on who turned up. Getting on the podium, I figured, would take an average speed of at least 19.3 mph, based on previous results for the race. Ultimately I couldn't muster more than 18.8 and, sure enough, I was in the top 5 in my AG, but missed the podium. However, it really would have taken 20+ mph to get a medal and I'm just not a good enough cyclist to get to that on a hilly course...yet.

Got passed in the third lap by two guys wearing the same style tri top who were just blatantly drafting. No marshals for this race. So disrespectful.

Even though time wasn't what I'd hoped, I did negative split the three laps by a small amount and felt good on the run, so I think the effort was appropriate for where my bike fitness is currently.

Do some specific training for this distance. I'm still stuck where I was when I committed to training Liz for her IM relay ride last summer and sacrificed my bike split on the Oly and HIM I was doing: This year with my IM training, I've only had time to build endurance, but haven't done much climbing or speedwork at all.

Pretty good. I don't think I've ever been below 1:00 for a T2, so I'll take this. Only issue was I spotted a tiny pebble in my left shoe as I was about to pull it on, so I shook it out.

Nothing.

Weird run. Felt good pretty much throughout. Passed a zillion people and only got passed once. Picked up pace through first two miles.

However, somewhere in mile 5, I must have run out of gas. Didn't feel like it, but looked at my Garmin when a guy passed me on a downhill and my pace had dropped by almost 30 sec/mile. WTF? Tried to suck it up, but really thought I should have done better than 46 minutes.

Two anecdotes from the run: Pleased that about the first people I caught and dropped were the two a-holes who were drafting on the bike (if they were on the podium, I'd have said something to the officials, even if just to feel I'd had a chance to speak my mind about it). Then I passed a young woman on a dicey trail section. She re-passed me on an even dicier downhill and said to me, "I don't mind if you run in front of me, but don't block me." Seriously? You "don't mind" if I pass you...never heard anything more arrogant on a course. And, of course, I passed and dropped her almost immediately. And got to see her further behind at both of the out-and-back turnarounds on the course...tempted to say "Hope I'm not in your way" both times, but refrained.

I dunno. I just had a PR by more than 30 sec at a 10K in mid-April. Felt good. Was passing people on hills all the way to the end. Just ran out of gas, I guess, and just didn't feel it happening. Weird.

Walked around. Talked with Liz and my friends.


Mostly just lack of specific bike training. Haven't trained for this distance at all, only for IM coming up on July 28.

Took 14 minutes off the last time I raced an Oly at this venue (October 2008), 2:35:25 today vs. 2:49:27 then (and improved in all three disciplines and both transitions), so that's something, anyway.


This is part of an annual series of races at Bonelli Park in the spring, one pair of races in each of April, May, and June. I've done other races put on by this promoter at this venue in the fall, but not any in this series before. There's definitely a local (and low budget) vibe to the events this RD puts on, but they attract quality athletes. Bonelli Park as a race venue is challenging (very hilly with some crappy roads), but is generally a good place to race.