Transition set-up was a bit difficult. I was there early and got what I thought was a good location - until I learned that we needed to run the entire horseshoe, as opposed to cutting over at the top. This meant two long jogs, one barefoot and the other in bike shoes.

You were probably in the same area as I---I was in the very last row of that horseshoe---the only benefit being that it was very quick exit for T1, such that even with a 2 minute plus jog from the beach after the swim my transition was still under 3 minutes. Other than that, it sucked!

I arrived there shortly after 5, and it looked like a ghost town. Had I not been there the evening before I would have wondered if I was in the right place!

Having said all of this, it is an awesome race with some pretty damn good competition. Certainly a must-do from now on; can't believe I let 10 years go by between races here.

Oh, and if you feel something funny/gooey/sticky in your running shoe, it probably is a packet of GU that you left in there thinking it would come in handy. Looked like I stepped in a bucket of snot by the time I had finished the run.

Loved the race, my first SJIT. Newbe question though, during that out and back section when we switch to the left lane, then turn around and go back in the right lane, I assume as a slower rider I needed to stay on the right side of the traffic that I was in, so that faster riders can pass on the left. In this section, that ment I was riding close to the red cones down the middle of the road. But on more than one occasion some guy would come up and be yelling "passing right". I assumed I was in correct position staying to the right? If I was in the wrong I appolagize.

I only wish I had the luxury of yelling "on your left" as I had to swim around the slower swimmers . In a race like this shouldn't be courtesy for the slower swimmers to stay to the right as much as possible so the faster swimmers in the waves behind can keep the inside track?

Actually there are Canadian races that set waves by anticipated swim times...and one that actually seeds based upon prior year swim results (given that people are usually legends in thier own minds). Piece of cake from a timing perspective and establishing the waves. By starting the faster swimmers earlier you do spread out the field and put your more competent athletes in front so top athletes are not victims of their age wave in trying to negotiate the bike crowds.

Newbe question though, during that out and back section when we switch to the left lane, then turn around and go back in the right lane, I assume as a slower rider I needed to stay on the right side of the traffic that I was in, so that faster riders can pass on the left.

That's actually a pretty good question, and judging by the packs I had to weave through there was no definitive answer. The lane was somewhat counterintuitive for us Yanks, as we're normally used to being in the opposite lane we were riding in...It is typical that if you're slower, you should be on the right side...but normally that would be closest to the shoulder, which was not the case in this section.

Fortunately it was a relatively short part of the course.

I totally agree about the transistion area. I kept trying to find out how is was going to work, and no one knew. When I heard that they opened up better spots after I had gotten there so early to try and find a good spot, yep. that was a drag. I knew I could not place in this event so I just ignored it.



Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I was right near you, I was second row from the top. I got there a little before 5 AM because I still had to do packet pick-up and was worried about the line.

All that time and all that rack space, and I still picked the wrong row.

This actually makes sense to me, and is something I'd expect. Isn't this event rather heavy w/ new(ish) or beginner participants? Less experienced riders often feel compelled to ride harder into the wind, which often results in abandoning the aero bar position as the stress accumulates. Sooooo... the harder the wind, the more folks I would expect to see sitting up.

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**************
Too f@ckin depressed from various injuries to care about having a signature line.

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LOL! No kidding, huh. Next year, we'll pick a different row and we'll still screw it up. Oh, well, keeps it interesting. Or maybe I'll finally join a tri club and get a reserved space....

Even the Eletes were confused. You should have seen this one guy. He came blazing off the bike in third place overall (Asian guy in a white & red skin suit). He takes off out of transition on the run and he looks strong. About 20 minutes later he comes running up the bike "in" lane asking race workers which way he is supposed to go and they are all looking at each other asking him where he came from because the run course doesn't come back through that area at all. HE WAS PISSED!!! Somewhere he took a wrong turn and he DNF'd as a result.

KNOW YOUR COURSE

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Dave Stark
dreamcatcher@astound.net
USAC & USAT level 2 certified coach

Holy cow! How the f did he do that??? That means he ended up on Almaden Expressway, which doesn't even intersect the run course at any point....unless he somehow missed the first turnaround on the paved path and then made his way west, back to the bike course....or something like that.

Yep, always have an idea of the course. Usually not much of an issue for me as I'm always following lots of folks, but I still look at the maps almost obsessively in the days leading up to a race. Makes for great bathroom reading.

>>Isn't this event rather heavy w/ new(ish) or beginner participants?<<

Actually, no. Or at least in the past this race was the NorCal Oly Championships, so the field was really stacked across all AGs.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I agree Cathy, this is one of the best fields around. Wildflower is another. After that is probably the half vineman. Then Donner.

TBF is getting tougher now that they are USAT certified. Oh well, ...



Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I noticed that the AG winners name is gone. I do not see a person in the penalty results saying was DQ'ed for cutting the course. Darn, I thought we had a new world champion. Now, did he get an award on race day? If so, did he return and the awards get redistributed?



Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep