Mighty Montalk Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

A month ago I did the Olympic at Harriman State Park, where the swim has always been noted as "short". Well this year at Harriman they tried to get the swim accurate and ended up making it close to 500 meters too long. Same with Montauk this year. Notorioulsy known for being well short, this year the announcer even mentioned "It looks like we got a legitimate mile for the first time!" Figures, the year I start doing tri's they start measuring these things properly. Just kidding. I'm actually glad they are accurate now, and the bottom line is: everyone is doing the same length.

Thankfully I've had three OWS's this year - one at Harriman, and two training swims at Cedar Beach. This has made all the distance. The first couple hundred yards I thought my typical, "Why the hell do I do these races" thoughts. But I quickly settled in, focused on technique, and I was physically feeling good.

My goggles filled with water once and I had to stop and take them off and adjust as I literally could not see, everything was a blur. But other than that, it was a pretty uneventful swim. People were drafting off me, I never drafted once. I actually caught up to quite a few people in the waves ahead of me at the end.

I know I could've pushed the swim A LOT more, but my swim confidence (for whatever reason) is just not quite there yet. I'm sure it will come with more experience.

More open water swims. Believe in my swimming training and stamina and not be afraid to push more.

Continue to practice sighting mid-stroke.

Tighten goggles before hand.

One thing I've learned from BT articles and forum posts is how important transition is. I make it my quest to get in and out as quickly as possible. I was 32nd overall in T1 time!! And I know I can still improve!

Not much.

I pushed on the bike. I didn't care about leaving legs for the run. The course is 22 miles and my goal was to finish in sub 1 hour. And I did it. I passed maybe 50 or 60 people and was passed maybe 5 times.

With more experience I am feeling more and more confident and comfortable on the bike. I am really nailing my gear changes and keeping a good cadence. I also owe this great bike performance to Harriman. A month ago I did 28 miles on the Harriman Olympic tri with a plus/minus elevation gain of 1500 feet. It made Montauks rollers and two big hills feel like a ride in the park.


Just bike more in training.

I did an A+, picture perfect dismount. They had a line of cones and a clear dismount area, which allowed me time to slip my feet out and put them atop my shoes, put my right leg over, and dismount full stride into transition. Bike racked, helmet off, race belt on, visor on, shoe stuck! My tongue got stuck and easily cost me 5 seconds. Oi vai.

Still need to practice getting shoes on. But I was 31st overall! So I can't complain too much.

First 1/8 mile my "infamous right hamstring" (same one that gave me a problem at Harriman) began cramping. I was forced to run a painfully slow near 9-minute pace. After a mile I felt a little better and moved up to mid 8-minute miles. By the last 3 miles I was feeling very comfortable.

Before I was a triathlete, I was a runner. Being this only my 3rd triathlon, 2nd Olympic distance, I am starting to finally feel comfortable running after swimming and biking.

My goal is to eventually run the times I normally run when I have not first swum and biked. I am slowly getting closer.


My first Sprint two months ago, I drank a lot of pool water and this caused cramping - which negatively affected my run times. At Harriman I did not taper properly, and I drank a little too much fluid on the bike - which led to a terrible 10k run time.

This time around I made sure not to drink any salt water (as silly as that sounds), take very small sips of my Hammer Heed, and it all made for a better run. I also timed my Power Bar caffeine gel nicely with 2 miles to go. I think the more tri's I do, the more my run times will drop and eventually I'll run as strong as I know I can. I've run a 42 minute 10k race and I know I can run a 42 minute in an Olympic Tri.

Warm-down does not exist with a two-year-old and four-year-old! Took the family tro the Montauk lighthouse and carried, yes carried my four-year-old up to the very top of the Montauk Lighthouse!! Montauk is an amazing and magical place. I Loved It!

Later in the afternoon we went to Hither Hills beach and I spent 20 minutes riding the waves in the ocean. It was ice cold and the waves were decent. I went so far out that that the life guards had to whistle me in. Spoil sports. I love the ocean.


Lack of tri experience and confidence.


Montauk is a magical place at "the end" of Long Island. It's absolutely georgeous all around. The bike is the real beauty as you ride out to the very tip of Montauk, past the lighthouse, and back. The course if very fast but has it's hills for sure. I will definitely be back next year and I'll be looking to shave some serious time off now that I am familiar with the course.