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swim-run san diego race report
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$1500 in prizes went up for grabs. only for the teams though, and I signed up thinking it would be for solo too. O well, still had fun.

Race start:



teams are in blue, solo folk in green. Me in far right, guy who destroyed teams and solo on the left. He came from Tahiti.

I originally was going to wear a swim skin, but I showed up 1 hour before the race and it was cloudy and cold. Owner of Xterra wetsuits let me try out a prototype wetsuit for this. I said sure, as I checked the suit and it had a crotch area that didnt impede running ability (hip movement).

As you can see, the sun broke at start and temperature shot up 20*. running 4:00/km pace I was frying on each of the 2.2km run loops (also dumb idea running with swim cap and wetsuit sleeves at the start)



it was refreshing to hit the warm water (500m distance), where on the next few run loops I rolled the sleeves down, and ran with cap off my head. The arm sleeve idea was a bit of a failure, as one kept sliding off during the swim. but on the legs it did help. The zoot shoes also helped with the laceless lock feature.
The guys with paddles and buoys though, blew by me on the swim. All I had was the run in the tool bag.



Here for the finish 3rd solo person over all. Some teams came from Spain to compete. This will be back next year, and was put on very professionally and well aided.
Last edited by: synthetic: May 8, 19 19:31
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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I know that Herbert will chime in with a opposing viewpoint but I just think those guys with paddles and/or pull buoys in their hands at the start of the first run just look absurd. Swim-run events should allow wetsuits only. Hell, you'd have to TRY to drown in a tri wettie, and there is abso no good reason for paddles and buoys except those guys don't know how to swim very well. On the positive side, at least they allowed solo competitors. I do one in a heartbeat if solo were allowed and the race were east of the Mississippi.


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the race report. I recognize the Tahiti guy from kicking butt at Xterra Laguna Beach and Super Seal, really nice guy.
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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that's not the point. It's a problem solving and self supported thing. You can bring whatever you want, as long as you carry it, as long as you work a solution to the problem. The original Otillo had tons more swimming too, so that's probably why some of the gear seems swim centric.

ericmulk wrote:
I know that Herbert will chime in with a opposing viewpoint but I just think those guys with paddles and/or pull buoys in their hands at the start of the first run just look absurd. Swim-run events should allow wetsuits only. Hell, you'd have to TRY to drown in a tri wettie, and there is abso no good reason for paddles and buoys except those guys don't know how to swim very well. On the positive side, at least they allowed solo competitors. I do one in a heartbeat if solo were allowed and the race were east of the Mississippi.

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Re: swim-run san diego race report [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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There are races east of the Mississippi with solo divisions, so you are in luck. :-) All the Ă–dyssey SwimRun races - Boston, Michigan, Casco Bay and Orcas Islands, plus the Ignite events offer solo divisions. But at our SwimRun NC race we offer neither a shorter course nor a solo category.

Also, when you say “they look absurd”, is that also how you decide what to wear in a triathlon, bike race or running event? And isn’t it all relative?

Part of the intrigue of SwimRun is trying to figure out what works for you. There are folks who only swim with small buoys, others with huge ones and paddles, and some with neither. But most will swim with paddles and pull buoy. Plus let us not forget tethers.

About a month ago I did SwimRun Lake James with 4 miles of swimming including some very long swims and I was very glad to have my buoy and so did my awesome female partner. But she uses much smaller paddles and a much smaller buoy, and she is much smaller. :-) We ended up 4th mixed and 9th overall.
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [ntc] [ In reply to ]
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XTERRA folks seem to transition very well to SwimRun. And with transition I only mean adjust, not change for good. But I think SwimRun races are a great alternative race option for most any triathlete. They are usually 3-6 hours in length and make for a great long low impact workout.

ntc wrote:
Thanks for the race report. I recognize the Tahiti guy from kicking butt at Xterra Laguna Beach and Super Seal, really nice guy.
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [Herbert] [ In reply to ]
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Herbert wrote:
XTERRA folks seem to transition very well to SwimRun. And with transition I only mean adjust, not change for good. But I think SwimRun races are a great alternative race option for most any triathlete. They are usually 3-6 hours in length and make for a great long low impact workout.

ntc wrote:
Thanks for the race report. I recognize the Tahiti guy from kicking butt at Xterra Laguna Beach and Super Seal, really nice guy.

i like that this was shorter, so more intense paces. winner did 1 hour, average finishers 1:16

As for the paddle/buoys - I agree for this event should have not been allowed (short, warm calm water), but for a course like otillo with long swims in cold , current filled waters and rocky shores it makes sense
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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Not wearing paddles and buoys gives you faster transitions, so in a very short race like this, that might be more important than swimming with gear. But by your argument, should disc wheels ad aero bars be banned in Sprint Triathlons? Only road and mountain bikes? :-)
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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ericmulk wrote:
I know that Herbert will chime in with a opposing viewpoint but I just think those guys with paddles and/or pull buoys in their hands at the start of the first run just look absurd. Swim-run events should allow wetsuits only. Hell, you'd have to TRY to drown in a tri wettie, and there is abso no good reason for paddles and buoys except those guys don't know how to swim very well. On the positive side, at least they allowed solo competitors. I do one in a heartbeat if solo were allowed and the race were east of the Mississippi.

Not that it makes me an expert on all.things swimming, but I can swim very well, and I am telling you that there are lots of good reasons to have paddles and a buoy during a swim run...

Starting with 1) THEY MAKE YOU FASTER WHEN SWIMMING IN SHOES
2) IT'S A RACE
3) THE OBJECT OF WINNING A RACE IS TO BE THE FASTEST TO REACH THE FINISH, HENCE "RACE".

By your comment about not drowning maybe you think the people with paddles are using them to 'not drown? That is not the case. They are using them for the legal advantage they provide
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [davejustdave] [ In reply to ]
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davejustdave wrote:
ericmulk wrote:
I know that Herbert will chime in with a opposing viewpoint but I just think those guys with paddles and/or pull buoys in their hands at the start of the first run just look absurd. Swim-run events should allow wetsuits only. Hell, you'd have to TRY to drown in a tri wettie, and there is abso no good reason for paddles and buoys except those guys don't know how to swim very well. On the positive side, at least they allowed solo competitors. I do one in a heartbeat if solo were allowed and the race were east of the Mississippi.


Not that it makes me an expert on all.things swimming, but I can swim very well, and I am telling you that there are lots of good reasons to have paddles and a buoy during a swim run...

Starting with 1) THEY MAKE YOU FASTER WHEN SWIMMING IN SHOES
2) IT'S A RACE
3) THE OBJECT OF WINNING A RACE IS TO BE THE FASTEST TO REACH THE FINISH, HENCE "RACE".

By your comment about not drowning maybe you think the people with paddles are using them to 'not drown? That is not the case. They are using them for the legal advantage they provide

Right but my point is that the paddles, etc, should not be allowed; they should be "illegal" in a swim-run race just as they illegal in regular OWS. And as far as swimming in shoes goes, just suck it up and do it.


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [ In reply to ]
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Props to you OP. Good job!!
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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Eric,
I am one of 3 volunteer race directors for the SwimRun NC Ă–TILLĂ– merit race. We take not a nickel from that race. We however get over 100 teams from all over North America and Europe and we decided that we will base our rules on those of Ă–TILLĂ– after all it is the race that inspired us.

But clearly there is space for other events. So maybe you will offer that no gadget SwimRun race (for profit or not) and then you decide about your rules etc

But remember there are also folks who think triathletes should ride pure :-)
Last edited by: Herbert: May 9, 19 9:58
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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ericmulk wrote:
Right but my point is that the paddles, etc, should not be allowed; they should be "illegal" in a swim-run race just as they illegal in regular OWS. And as far as swimming in shoes goes, just suck it up and do it.

Eric, it's not an OWS, it's a SwimRun and they are two different things. You are comparing apples to oranges.

Many SwimRunners are phenomenal swimmers and they aren't using paddles to prevent drowning. While the paddles used in San Diego may not have been needed, I can assure you there are other locations and conditions that make them very helpful especially when you are seven hours into a race. See the link below.

https://twitter.com/.../1125991333506818049

I invite you to find a partner and sign up for a race.
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [Herbert] [ In reply to ]
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congrats on the race, Roger! looked like a great opportunity to dip the toe in the world of SwimRun!

there are so many exciting locations out there hosting these races. many are not loops so there are often times lots of variables to consider: distances of each leg, temperatures, terrain, tides/currents, etc.

in terms of equipment set up, Herbert brought up a great point. similar to a competitive triathletes approach to a specific race course, so to the athlete has the opportunity to strategize and use the equipment setup that works best for their physical strengths and for the course at hand.

equipment is highly personal. for example, John Stevens and Matt Hurley have won each of the arduous Odyssey SwimRun events (winners 3x Casco Bay Island and 1x Orcas Island) and are two of the strongest swimmers around. John uses a small, junior sized buoy, and tiny paddles due to some shoulder injuries he sustained during his competitive swimming years. Matt does not use either paddles or buoy. Just the wetsuit.

the point is, find out what works best for you and do that thing.

Lars Finanger
Odyssey SwimRun
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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Roger - Thanks for posting your report and congratulations on a great race! I was the second solo competitor, finishing just a bit ahead of you. In the starting line picture you posted, I'm the green cap without goggles to the right in the back row. This was my first SwimRun event (though I did do a beach run-swim-run event in Santa Cruz in 1978) so figuring out what equipment to use was an interesting question before the race. I was considering wearing a DeSoto speed vest but did an equipment test at De Anza Cove the day before and realized the water was warm enough that no wetsuit would be needed during the swim so I raced without it. I did use my training paddles and a pull buoy. In the pool, I'm probably 3 to 5 sec/100 faster with them on (not factoring in the shoes). I may have blown by you on the swim but you blew by me on all of the runs!

I talked briefly with the Koz folks after the race and they indicated they may host additional SwimRun events as part of their later season races but at this point I haven't seen anything posted about this. Looking forward to a possible rematch!

By the way, on Sunday I did the sprint duathlon as a duo team with my son, Matthew. You went flying past us on the run on Sunday as well!

Dan
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [DFH] [ In reply to ]
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Dan, sounds like you already have a SwimRun team with your son.
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [DFH] [ In reply to ]
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Also, I have a story for you all. I competed during the 2017 SwimRun NC with a female from Washington, DC who was on our reserve list. She did 70.3 Wilmington in about 5:10 and is a strong swimmer.

That year Caitlin Snow and Emma-Kate Lidbury competed in the female division as a team and based on resumes and pure running and swimming speed no other female team should have been able to touch them. One would have in fact guessed that they might put most mixed and male teams on the spot.

Caitlin and Emma-Kate got a homestay at my house so we chatted quite a bit, and they had a great attitude. Caitlin used an old sleeveless suit that was cut down and Emma-Kate had gotten a SwimRun suit from Huub.

Our race has a lot of climbing in the first half (about 2200 feet of elevation gain in 7 miles) and my partner struggled running uphill as it got steeper. So we ended up walking a bunch of section. But she is a solid runner and was confident on the descent. About 1 mile into the very technical descent I saw Caitlin and Emma-Kate in front of us and we were gaining on them. Not much later we were even, exchanged a few words and we then went past them. Even though it gets less technical and faster lower down, these 2 never passed us back and they ended up 4th in the women's division. I am however sure on a course like in California that would have been very different. So courses do make a difference, and so do smooth transitions.


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Re: swim-run san diego race report [DFH] [ In reply to ]
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DFH wrote:
Roger - Thanks for posting your report and congratulations on a great race! I was the second solo competitor, finishing just a bit ahead of you. In the starting line picture you posted, I'm the green cap without goggles to the right in the back row. This was my first SwimRun event (though I did do a beach run-swim-run event in Santa Cruz in 1978) so figuring out what equipment to use was an interesting question before the race. I was considering wearing a DeSoto speed vest but did an equipment test at De Anza Cove the day before and realized the water was warm enough that no wetsuit would be needed during the swim so I raced without it. I did use my training paddles and a pull buoy. In the pool, I'm probably 3 to 5 sec/100 faster with them on (not factoring in the shoes). I may have blown by you on the swim but you blew by me on all of the runs!

I talked briefly with the Koz folks after the race and they indicated they may host additional SwimRun events as part of their later season races but at this point I haven't seen anything posted about this. Looking forward to a possible rematch!

By the way, on Sunday I did the sprint duathlon as a duo team with my son, Matthew. You went flying past us on the run on Sunday as well!

Dan

Stay tuned for the tugs tavern aquathlon.. probably oldest aquathlon/swim-run in existence. Late July or early August
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [Herbert] [ In reply to ]
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Herbert wrote:
Dan, sounds like you already have a SwimRun team with your son.

Herbert - Not quite. My son, Matt, and I compete together as a "Hoyt" style duo team in duathlons and running races. Matt has a neuromuscular disorder known as Angelman Syndrome (see http://www.angelman.org for more info). The logistics of doing a SwimRun event with him would be very complicated!
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Re: swim-run san diego race report [DFH] [ In reply to ]
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Wow. Thank you for sharing
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