Redondo Beach Triathlon

This was my first open water triathlon for the season. Four of my teammates from TriDivas also participated. It was nice to have a group of people I knew there, and one of our coaches was also there to support us and give the newbies some last minute advice. All 5 of us finished out races (four on the sprint and 1 on the mini sprint), two were first time triathletes. 

The sprint was a 1/2 mile swim, 6 mile bike, and 2 mile run.

The swim-- 

There were six start waves, I was in the 3rd wave to start. There were a lot more waves in the ocean though. Once I got to the first buoy, I was past the breaking waves, but still encountered quite a bit of swell as I swam toward the pier. Pretty nice swim otherwise. Long walk up to transition added to time.

The bike--

I tried to be in aero as much a possible, but due to traffic (other bikes) and difficulty breathing (more on that later) I was out of it more than I was in it. It was a 2-loop course, with one uphill per loop, luckily that uphill came after a downhill. Felt pretty good coming off the bike until I got passed in transition by a guy on a beach cruiser (was a relay, that started 10 mins after me.)

The run--

Wasn't much of a run, felt like throwing up at multiple points, walked most of the way. Foot was going numb as I was wearing "normal" running shoes, but not my normal running shoes (Vibram Five Fingers).

So here are the actual results. I had been sick the two weeks before and did not workout at all for one of those weeks, so not the results I was hoping for going into the race. 

Age: 33 Gender: F

Distance--Short

Clock Time--1:20:15

Gender Place--139 / 193

Division Place--22 / 29

All Place--483

Swim--21:15

T1--6:22

Bike--22:11

T2--2:14

Run--28:15

I had no family there as they were all at the Special Olympics of Southern California Summer Games at Cal State Long Beach, which I had volunteered at the day before the race and rushed back there after I finished.

One of the other great things about having teammates, is that they bring friends along. One of these friends was nice enough to take the video below of me crossing the finish line, one of the few points along the run course where I was actually running.

All in all a great race, good post race food (from what I could stomach). I had fun and am looking forward to my next race -- Strawberry Fields in Oxnard.

Swimming Vocabulary for Newbie Triathletes- Part 1

Swimwear—

I decided to break the vocabulary into two entries, today's entry covers swimwear. The next entry will cover training vocabulary, including training aids and common workout abbrieviations.

Swim cap—a head covering made of  any of the following: lycra, latex, neoprene, or silicone.

Wetsuit—wetsuits made specifically for swimming, have stretchier areas around the shoulders to ease stroke movement. Can either be full sleeve or sleeveless. Swim wetsuits have a slick coating on the outside unlike wetsuits designed for surfing.

Swimskins—similar to a one-piece trisuit usually worn by triathletes swimming in waters where it is warm enough to not wear a wetsuit or when wetsuits are prohibited. It is worn over the tri-suit or tri top and shorts to reduce the amount of drag while swimming.

Men’s—

Speedo, Brief, Racer, Banana Hammock—all the same term for a men’s style suit similar to a women’s bikini bottom. (Speedo is a trademarked brand name, but is generically used to describe this style of suit.) Speedo uses the term brief, while TYR calls in a racer.

Jammer—A men’s suit style similar to bike or tri shorts, but without the padding. Tight fitting shorts. Style name is used across brands.

Drag suit—similar to a brief, usually square cut legs with a mesh type fabric, meant to be work over one of the above types of suits, can be worn by men and women. Provides additional drag, increasing the intensity of the workout or set.

Women’s—

One piece—whatever style of one-piece suit is comfortable, usually used just for training purposes.

Workout bikini—a 2-piece suit meant for training, not just lounging around the pool. Bottom usually has a drawstring.

Swimwear materials—

Lycra— a stretchy material usually used in combination with Nylon. Lycra is a trade name, can also be listed as spandex. Can deteriorate rather quickly, and will deteriorate with time even when properly cared for. Tends to stretch with age as well. Swim caps are sometimes made of this material, though not efficient at reducing drag or keeping hair dry.

Nylon—a not so stretchy material some suits are made with this in combination with lycra. Also tends to deteriorate with time. Swim suits made solely of nylon do not stretch nearly as much as those made with lycra.

Polyester—the longest lasting of all swimwear materials. Does not stretch or deteriorated anywhere near those made of nylon or lycra. I’ve had suits last several years, sometimes linings (made of lycra) deteriorated before the suit itself.  Manufacturers names for polyester lines: Speedo—endurance+ or endurance lite, Tyr—durafast.

Neoprene—a common wetsuit material. Swimmers and triathletes in cold water often use swim caps made of neoprene.

Silicone—swim cap material, often preferred by female swimmers as the material does not pull at the scalp/hair like a latex cap. These caps are thicker and tend to tear less and last longer than a latex cap. Can keep hair somewhat dry

Latex—common swim cap material. Can keep hair somewhat dry. This is the least expensive of swim caps, can be found at many swim meets for around a dollar. This is the type of cap often handed out at triathlons due to its cost effectiveness for the race directors.