Montauk Lighthouse Sprint Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

Water was calm and relatively warm. This swim really felt longer than 800M and based on the times, I think it probably was. Started on the beach and stayed toward the middle of the pack as best I could. This race I wanted to stay a little more in the group. Did okay but "sighted" a guy on my right which wasn't the greatest idea - he kept drifting left which I didn't realize for awile.. Ooops. I definitley got more comfortable and didn't mind the bumpinig as much. Hey, request for the race staff: how about a couple of more bouys? There were only 2. The swim out was into the sun. I couldn't see the bouy standing on the beach much less while swimming. There was a ton of in water support which kind of made up for it. They were holding their hands up and sitting up on the boards to help us sight. At least there was a TON of rack space in transition. :)

Still would like to swim faster and sight better.

My first point-to-point Tri - so it was interesting setting up T1 and T2 miles apart! Pretty long run to T1 from the water in sand. I always am so fired up getting out of the water it makes it hard to slam through T1. I think it might be better to take it easy on the way from the water to T1 where I can make up the time if I'm more relaxed. 163/427

Maybe try to take it a little easier out of the water to help calm down and stay focused in transition.

Got going on the bike and needed about a mile to get into the groove after T1. Bike is something I feel I need the most addl work in - just based on the amount of time and miles I've spent in the saddle. Felt strong and fast 20+ mph on the way out and down west lake dr - but once we turned and headed south, I got killed by the headwind. That's where I lost most of my time for sure. Once we turned and headed back on 27 I got going again and did pretty well on the hills. Did some passing - which was nice condidering my wave was second to last and about 20 minutes behind the first group. Of course, I got passed a few times too. :) For some reason, I'm always worried about flats (see my frist race disaster this year) Maybe it was my Montauk gitters. Sure enough, I saw at least 3 people with flats. Ugh, I feel there pain. They did have a bike mechanic from Babalyon Bike at T1 which was nice. Fortunately I didn't need it. At a 19.2 mph avg I was pretty happy. Can't wait for next year.

More time in the saddle and some practice with a headwind!

Ooops.. missed my rack again! And my wife has it caught on video. That should help me remember for next race! Although I'm going to say at least part of the problem was the last time I saw T2 was at 5 in the morning when I dropped off my sneakers so I hadn't been there in awhile. :) I only overshot it by 1.. probably lost 10 seconds or so. I should have been in and out of there. My T2 was was 1:29 and my T1 was 1:17! Crazy! My socks were already on, and my wet suit was off.. All I had to do was put on the sneakers! No excuse really for lousy T2 performance. 295/427

Uh, stay focused and try to run through it mentally before I get off the bike so it's not a surprise when I run in.

Well, last week I had some trouble with keeping my planned 830 pace - so was looking forward to getting another crack at it. Then disaster ALMOST struck... I was almost leveled and as one guy who was running next to me said "you were this close to getting killed!" near the run start!

As you run out of transiton and get going on the road to the park, there were some congestion problems.. a narrow strip of road has the following left to right: run in | run out | bike in. Some cones separate the run side from the bike side.

Some guy was layed out on a back-board and neck brace at the back of an ambulance with some pretty raw road rash. He apparently wiped on the way in but was okay according to what my wife heard while waiting in T2.

Then out of nowhere a car proceeds to drive down the bike portion of this narrow congested scene. At the same time some race volunteer is telling the runners on the way out to move to the right (toward the bike lane) to make room for the inbound runners. It's at this point some genious on his bike decides to go around the car to his right, which happens to be right in my path. Unfortunately, because I was rubber-necking (like a true New Yorker I guess) and didn't see him, he plows into my arm and rips the gps watch off my right wrist, just missing a direct head on with me! I was in straight line the whole time - apparently he was looking at the car and never saw me! Holy s**t I would have been hurt bad.. I had to turn around to pick up my watch that was laying on the ground w/ a busted strap.

Needless to say, that took a few seconds off my time but thank god it was only a close call - otherwise I would have been going in that ambulance! So that took a little wind out of me, but I got going again and was able to fall into a steady pace pretty much the entire run. The end is pretty unique - the last hundred yards or so is uphill right the end end of Long Island at the lighthouse... I looked to my left when I got onto the ramp, and saw some 10 year old kid start to pass me..I thought to myself that kid is young to be running this? I was in a daze but kicked into a full fledged sprint to make sure I crossed first.. After I looked at the video my wife took, I see that it was someone's kid that joined in to cross with their father or whatever.. oops. :) Oh well, whatever it takes to inspire me..beating a kid who can run faster than me is a good start I guess. ha :)

Yikes.. I guess you shouldn't rubber neck even when running! You never know what could be coming at you.

The beat-the-kid-dash up hill almost killed me... But they had some cold gatorade which was nice and helped with the nausia. :)


Need to train more of course...


Really nice race on a great day. You can't been the scenary at the end.. looks like a shot for a movie over looking the ocean.. More bouys! Would also be nice if they had more separation coming out of T2.. I guess it would normally be fine.. but when one thing after another almost leads to me vs. a bike I get nervious I guess.