Carpinteria Triathlon (Sprint) - TriathlonSprint

I was disappointed with the swim, especially with the progress I've made doing training OWSs this season. I think my swim fitness is there, so I chalk the 15 minute quarter to:
-Heavy morning fog
-Poorly fitting earplugs, leading to water in the ears and dizziness
-Lack of bilateral breathing practice (beach was on my weak side)
-Ultimately, very poor sighting
That said, the water was almost weirdly calm and not too cold, given the conditions. Definitely lived up to the hype.

Learn to swim in a straight line. Practice bilateral breathing.

A little slower than I would have liked due to removal of the wetsuit. Wore socks again, but omitted gloves this time. The ride was fine without them. Decent T1 overall.

Just need more practice.

Felt strong on the bike course- pushed hard but managed to save a little for the run. Had a problem with fogging glasses, so I ended up wearing them on the end of my nose most of the ride.

Master the flying dismount. And get a new bike. And don't wear sunglasses when it's foggy.

Felt strong throughout- racked the bike quickly, switched out of biking stuff and into running stuff, took a few swigs of water and was on my way.

Nothing

First 400m felt great. Just when I thought I had the side stitch issue licked, it reared its ugly head and had me clutching at my stomach most of the race. Which was frustrating, since my legs and breathing felt fine. Anyway, I tried the usual breathing techniques (forcefully exhaling, and breathing into the diaphragm) to no avail. I was still pleased with the effort overall.

Learn how to avoid the side stitches. Perhaps a sit-up every once in a while?

Chronologically: Hugs from my girlfriend, cheering in my buddy as he crossed the line, water, fruit, packed up the wetsuit and bike, breakfast at Cajun Kitchen (wouldn't mind making that an annual post-race tradition. mmmmm...), checked out the festivities and the awards, then back home.


See above


I really loved this course- probably my #1 pick of the season, which I guess would make it my #1 overall. Very friendly and well organized. Although the fog made the swim difficult, it definitely helped on the run as far as temps were concerned. Race expo was better than most. I'll be back next year for the Olympic!