really difficult start. felt panicked a few times early. had to take time to settle. The water was plenty warm to swim without a wetsuit. But it was just so salty and a little choppy with all the swimmers and it was just so challenging. After about 5 minutes I finally settled into the routine and felt decent swimming. it was fairly easy sighting since it was a course along the shore so easy to breathe to the right and just see the shore. didn't feel like I was too off course but was a little zig zaggy.

settle in earlier. not worry about the distance or where I was and just focus on swimming.

the transition was pretty fast it looks like compared to a lot of folks in my age group. I jogged a good part of the distance. I also didn't have bike shoes to put on, just my running shoes. and I didn't eat anything or doddle much. And I had no wetsuit to remove. I just put on my t-shirt, number, sunglasses, and helmet and then I ran the bike to Bike Out, which was very close to me. overall it was good.
I was 7th fastest through T1.

nothing.

the bike ride was good. I finished just over halfway through the group. I expected to be passed more, but I wasn't. which was good. I did a good amount of passing and I felt like I peddled pretty hard through it. the bike went by very quickly. 12 miles did not feel like it took long at all. did this 12th fastest

nothing. was a good ride. I felt like I rested when I could coast, I pushed hard when it felt right. overall I wouldn't have changed that ride.

I rode with my running shoes so that saved time. But my legs were spent so I walked the transition. I could have run after racking the bike, but chose not to, which I think benefited my run.

not sure I would have done anything differently. wish I had been quicker, but i think I did what I needed to.

course was pretty flat. but the end, about a quarter mile before the finish, included a 5 flight stair climb and decent, which I basically walked. I'm glad I did, but it was hard. I felt fine on the run though. felt plenty hydrated after the bike. took water and dumped it on my head to stay cool.

wished I'd run across the pedestrian bridge (not the stairs). which my pacing had been a bit more consistent and flat.

didn't have time to warm down. family was there, celebrated and then left and walked bike to car. did drink the recovery drink from Thrive, not sure it helped but wasn't much hungry when lunch came around.


training. period. missed too much of August. I missed Aug 2-9 from surgery. then the 13th-20th I got in only 1 swim and two runs. then the week before the event I got in just two swims and nothing else. It was a weak training month. otherwise I felt like my nutrition was good for the race.
I'm doing this again next year. Here are my targets:
Swim 18-19 minutes (given same course and conditions)
Bike: 35-37 minutes
Run: <24 minutes


This was a fun race. It's a unique course, with a swim in the estuary, basically as sunrise was coming up behind us. It was a beautiful morning and the water was pretty warm. The bike course was fine, pretty flat other than some highway ramps and overpasses and the streets are a bit potholed, but it was really pretty nice. several turnarounds through did slow things down some. And the run course is interesting. basically you run the Amtrak station platform and then a mix of trails and back streets up to lake Merritt and back. If you're super into your pace, will be rough because there is a double crossing of the pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks, which may be frustrating to some. You cross it once to get to T1 and then once, almost diabolically, about 1/4 mile before the finish line.