I’m going to try to condense this post since this is primarily a swim site. However, there were a number of key items and “lessons learned” relevant to the bike and run parts that would definitely benefit everyone. So here goes…
Immediately after the swim finish, we had a 2.5 mile “warm up” run from Aquatic Park to the bike transition area at Crissy Field. I kept a slower pace since I didn’t want to “flame out” on the bike or final run leg. This is significant because I had many people pass me during this transition run whom I later caught up with – and passed – prior to finishing the race.
Lesson: Conserve energy early on and don’t get caught up in the frenzy that occurs immediately after each transition.
I reached the bike transition and took a few extra moments to adjust my socks to fit more comfortably. This didn’t really matter much on the bike, but it paid big dividends on the run.
The bike course was a 3-loop, 13 mile route through the Presido, and the racers were greeted with the first of two hellacious hills right out of the chute. I was riding a full-carbon Look with a Dura Ace “triple,” and I spent most of the time in the smallest cog.
My strategy was to avoid “hammering it” on the bike in order to conserve my legs for the run. Fat chance. The second hill had a really steep grade that all but obliterated any chance of sparing your legs from a lactic acid “burn.” Fortunately, what goes up must indeed come down. So I made up for my 7 mph uphill speeds by blazing downhill in the 35mph+ range.
The run mimicked the bike part by starting off with a trot up a ridiculous incline leading up to the Golden Gate Bridge. When we reached the top, we headed south along a trail above Baker Beach. There were some less severe ups and downs along this route, and the course slowly descended to the beach itself giving us a nice long stretch of running alongside the crashing surf.
The route back was identical until we reached to the original beach entrance trail point. The course marshals then directed us past the trail head and up to the infamous “Sand Ladder.”
Regarding the Sand Ladder…you can’t run this, folks. You have to trudge up it and essentially vaporize any glycogen you may have left in your leg muscles at this point. Since I was really starting to feel a burn in my quads, I opted to try something that I learned while hiking in Arizona many years back. I essentially did a “herringbone” walking pattern which entailed taking the steps at a side angle and then switching lead legs at regular intervals. This placed less direct stress on my front quads and allowed me to conserve them for the final running stretch.
This seemed to pay off big dividends, because I picked up the pace shortly after cresting the Sand Ladder and never slowed down until the finish line. Of course, I made darn sure that I had plenty of clearance between me and the other runners. After all, you’ve only got one chance to steal the spotlight!
Hi Joe. Thanks for the comments!
I thought the swim was fairly straightforward. I did the same route two years earlier, and the currents seemed much stronger then. Overall, though, I love doing Bay swims.
As far as wetsuits, I wore one during this event, but if you are comfortable without one, you would definitely have a much easier (and faster) transition. Perhaps one day I’ll brave a Bay swim without one…
Hey, I was there too – for the swim only. I’m from the Chicago area, but have lived here in Bay area since 1990. What did you think of the swim? If you didn’t wear a wetsuit (I didn’t), I’m wondering what the transition to the run/bike/run was like without a a wetsuit. Depending on your answer, I’m considering doing the tri next year without a wetsuit.
Another great swim out here (as well as the Bay and Aquatic Park) is at Pope Beach at South Lake Tahoe.
P.S. – Great site!