Bartlett Lake Olympic Triathlon : Official Thread

if you tri veterans don't mind if i hijack the thread for a bit, i'd like to pick your brains. 

the bartlett lake sprint will be my first open-water tri. i've done other sprint triathlons, just not in open water. the weather is usually a *bit* cooler in early october, so i wonder if i'll need a wetsuit for the morning swim in bartlett? or will i be able to get by comfortably in tri shorts and a tri top?

thanks!

You should not NEED a wetsuit for Bartlett, as just a couple weeks ago the water was very warm, and I doubt the temps will drop that much in the next month.  The sprint here is 400m for the swim, so a wetsuit should not be too much of a factor in regards to buoyancy and speed.

That being said, there is a strange comfort to wearing a wetsuit, knowing you are 100% buoyant.  If you are a relatively strong swimmer, you should be fine either way.  What I would recommend is this - try to get out to Rattlesnake cove at least once before the race to swim.  It is relatively peaceful and accessible there, and the swim training will help you immensely.  But if you cannot get out there before, then just make sure to hit the water about 10 minutes before the race and get your 'OWS legs.'  No matter what - RELAX.  It is totally safe, and you should have a BLAST!  Besides, it is the bike and run that are killer at Bartlett - way more than the swim.  Good luck!

Mikeylee - 2011-09-13 2:36 AM  BTW, I heard they made the swim uphill this year to math the bike and run!

What was brutal was the 2010 Bartlett Tri, which was in March, so the water was like 55 degrees.  No need for uphill there, it was just terribly COLD.

Good luck, that is a tri that once done you can brag about the course.

SunshineEstrella - 2011-08-16 7:01 PM As the weather gets better and cooler. Ya..right? I am looking for workout buddies for Tuesday mornings olympic distance training. Start time 5:30am and would like to do the olympic in reverse until the weather is more tolerable. Please PM me if you would like to meet up. Tracy

I'm not sure how consistent I can be because I have to work Tuesdays and live about an hour and a half away, but I'm definitely gonna show up tomorrow morning and may even try to make next Tuesday for a lite workout. I'm doing my first OLY at Bartlett and would like to do the course at least once before race day. If anyone on here wants to meet any other day of the week to prepare let me know and I'll do what I can to make arrangements...

That's great, Sunshine! (If you weren't sure, this is Jasen from the JCC race)

I actually did end making it up to Bartlett this morning...Got there around 6:10am. I really wanted to experience this run that you guys were talking about before the 2nd and, man, was it tough. I really wasn't sure where to start so I started at the furthest corner of the lower parking lot and just followed the road up to Yellow Cliffs. I didn't officially time myself, but I'm estimating about an hour (with a short bathroom break at the Yellow Cliffs rest room.) I was actually pleased with my run, but the whole time I was climbing I was thinking to myself, "How the heck am I gonna be able to do this off of the bike?". In fact, I was the guy in the white truck who waved at you as I was leaving...(at least I hope it was you.)

What a beautiful course...I saw a lot of lizards and a coyote as I was leaving (not to mention a bee who loved my bright yellow shirt and shoes) , but no mountain lion. Maybe that's a good thing, though...I may have freaked out a little if I saw a mountain lion during my run . If you're doing it again next week let me know. I'd like to do the bike course even if it is at a less intense pace before race day.

Talk to you later...

Jasen

Hey, Tracy...

I will definitely be up there Tuesday for the Bike loop and run, but probably will have to start heading back to work before the swim...I'm actually going up there on Sunday with a couple of guys and we're going to do the entire course to see how it is. If something comes up I'll either write you on here or on Facebook.

I'll look forward to seeing you...

I'm with you 100% on not wanting to push it too hard...I'm actually going to run through the course tomorrow with a few guys so I'll be taking it fairly easy next week...

So, do you flip off all your friends or am I just special?

You know in scuba we're taught to return the "okay" signal to acknowledge that we saw it. So I may out of reflex return your okay signal.

I really haven't been doing triathlons long enough to tell anyone how they should train, but I am doing the Olympic at Bartlett this weekend so I can tell you how I trained...

Sunday, a group of us went out to the course and basically did the course in its entirety...(Brutal course, by the way.)

Monday, I rested.

Tuesday morning I went out to the lake and did one loop of the bike and ran to the highest peak of the run course. (about 1.5 miles up the course and back to my truck.)

Wednesday, Ill be heading to the gym for some stretching and maybe do some swim drills/light swimming for 1000-1600 meters

Thursday, going to Saguaro Lake for an open water swim...Approximately 1500 meters. (You're welcome to join. I get there at around 5:30pm after work)

Friday, Light jogging 4-5 miles and a short ride 12-14 miles.

Saturday...Just Chilling.

If anyone has any other input or can critique my plan, feel free...

It was a beautiful day out there...Good job to everyone who came out. Tracy, you weren't at O'Briens to collect your medal!!