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2006-09-08 12:04 PM
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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
ChrisM - 2006-09-06 6:26 PM

Everyone ready? Or as ready as you're gonna be? Looking forward to it.


Hard to believe this one is already here.

I have been focused for over 2 months on this.

Good luck to all


2006-09-08 12:37 PM
in reply to: #448162

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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
I'm ready as I'm going to be. I'm scared, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Good luck to everybody!
2006-09-09 6:41 PM
in reply to: #448162

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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
hey guys, quick question.....i lost my timing chip and i was wondering if it could be replaced during race day? If not, can you still race with out it?
2006-09-09 7:34 PM
in reply to: #535347

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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance

Ryan100982 - 2006-09-09 4:41 PM hey guys, quick question.....i lost my timing chip and i was wondering if it could be replaced during race day? If not, can you still race with out it?

I assume it can be replaced, but see if you can call them at the Marriott (somehow) today.  I am sure you're not the first one to go without it.  You can race without it, but you won't have an official time.

2006-09-09 7:46 PM
in reply to: #448162

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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
Just back from Venice/Marina del Rey. Swells and chop were bigger than I'd heard. A couple sets which came in close to the pier were pounding at 4 feet. Good news: warm, clean water.

Have a great race, everyone!
2006-09-11 1:18 PM
in reply to: #448162

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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
Dude those waves were huge!!! Does anyone know the height on those waves? Hope everyone had a good race!


2006-09-11 1:22 PM
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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
I survived. I hated those waves. I hope everyone had a good race.
2006-09-11 1:44 PM
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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
Be glad you didn't race the sprint! I did downgrade due to a diagnosis of CECS, didn't want to walk the 6 miles, and by the time the last wave (mine) went out (more than an hour after my Oly age wave), the surf was really scary ... I'm a good swimmer (top 10, I think ), but this was only my second ocean race, and probably a quarter of my time was just getting out past the break, and I sure was wondering whether I should have stayed in the Oly division! I'm not sure that Strawberry Fields 06 was much worse, and that swim was canceled!
2006-09-11 2:05 PM
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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
Congrats to everyone that participated. I had a great time once the race started.
As I remember the surf and side current was rougher at strawberry Fields this spring. Exhaustion of the many in the first two waves and the lifeguard's decision shut down the swim. Rightly so.
There was some breakers at Venice but the water was pretty calm once you got past them . For some reason in Wave 14 I did not have to fight much of it .
Must say It was very cool to see the pros do it.
2006-09-11 2:32 PM
in reply to: #448162

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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance

The waves were 4-6 I'd say.  Full overhead.  VERY intimidating, and I swim in the ocean a lot.  But they were not that powerful.  Unless you got hit with the lip or it snuck up behind you, it was pretty easy to just duck down, grab some sand and hold on.  Wave 10 had a couple come through on entry, but not bad.

Coming in though, I totally wussed out.  I was having an OK swim, looked back and saw one walling up.  I stopped and headed back to duck it, then the next, and then a third, before they broke on me.  In retrospect, I probably should have just let them pound me in towards shore.

Oh well......

As for comparison with Strawberry Fields, there is none.  As intimidating as the waves were, these waves were in a defined surf zone with a long lull in between, and were not that powerful (unless it broke right on you).  And very light current (as far as I could tell.)  What made this look worse was the offshore breeze holding the waves up (and then making the ride up Venice a little bit of a b i t c h)

SF was at least a 200 yard surf zone broken up into two sections with constant surf in the 3-4 foot range, and the waves were more powerful.  Couple that with at least a 1 knot longshore current, that was wicked bad.

Congrats to everyone for finishing!!

2006-09-12 9:31 AM
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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
They were plenty big and powerful enough in my opinion. My wave, #12 got pretty hammered I thought. It took me way longer than normal to get past the sets. I had to go under 4 or 5 times and didn't go quite deep enough once, so got pushed back a bit. My split times aren't up yet, but I'm guessing that the swim cost me plenty of time. Still finished just under 3 hours, which was my goal.

Again emphasizing the size and power of the waves on Sunday morning, you all may have noticed the ambulance on the beach at around 8:00. My friend Sam and I were warming up and he got caught in a barrel and basically body slammed. He's a big guy, 6'3"/240, former surfer, and it knocked him silly. Two broken ribs, some cuts on his face and some spinal questions still to be answered. He's in good spirits though and will surely make a full recovery. Sam was to be the swim leg of a mixed relay team included his wife and my wife, but the ocean won that race, before it even started.


2006-09-12 10:30 AM
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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
Sorry to hear about your friend! I noticed the lifeguard trucks trying to get down there and figured someone went over the falls and hit bottom. Hope all is okay and he has a quick recovery.

Other than the bad start how did your race go? The bike course was really cool- riding down the middle of Hollywood Blvd. was epic, and the hill down Grand to T-2 I think I hit 40 mph-
2006-09-12 1:41 PM
in reply to: #448162

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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
Ouch, sorry to hear about your friend.  I saw him being helped out of the water and then taken away on the board.  NOT a great way to start the day (and made everyone else nervous I am sure). 
2006-09-12 1:49 PM
in reply to: #448162

Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
Hi All! The race was sooo fun huh? I just got back from LA (back here in NC) and am ready to see the splits. I finished better than 04 by a lot but still not as well as I want. I am a baaaaddd swimmer.I was actually petrified by the waves. Sorry to hear about your friend. I saw him being taken away too and it scared the crap out of me. But, I can't wait to train harder for next year.. Have a good day!
2006-09-12 2:02 PM
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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
Yeah, other than the bad start to the day, it was a blast. Just as much fun as last year, especially the ride. No complaints..can't wait until the 2007 race. Thanks for your wishes about my buddy. He'll be fine, but it was scary.
2006-09-12 7:03 PM
in reply to: #537665

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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
PCH -- I shared that story with some of my friends. Scary stuff. I was looking behind me the whole time I was coming in. I am always focused on safety first especially since I have no chance of any award. I want to always finish in one piece.

Good reminder.

Thanks


2006-09-12 8:04 PM
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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
You guys are amazing ... and I've loved reading your reports! I was disappointed that I couldn't run the Oly race full out, but I figured I'd at least finish the sprint, and I had a lot of fun. Chris is right to call me on my SF comparison -- by race time that was way worse -- but I still want to pretend it was a great achievement to get past this weekend's swim at the front of the pack, considering I couldn't run. And we did have some serious surf in the last wave (one of my friends reports she clocked it at 4 minutes to get past the break, and her entire time, including the beach run, was just under 18 min for the sprint, which was top 10% or so, and she won our age group overall). I was surprised that the race was so predominantly male (on my shuttle in the morning I think I was the only woman) and also happy to see so much cameraderie on the beach (I got two great tips from people in my club before starting that made a big difference in my swim) and on the bike and run courses. I'm hoping I can control my injury/problem and really race it next year with y'all!
2006-09-12 9:18 PM
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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
I had a lot of fun in that race. I did the sprint, being that this is my first season and all. I'm glad the guy being taken out of the surf was ok.

I feel really lucky - I managed to get in just to the left of the worst of the riptide, and made a beeline for the buoy. I got pummelled a little on my way back in but by then I was so happy to have had a successful swim that it didn't even matter.

I found the bike to be long and mostly uphill, but maybe that was just my perception. The run, on the other hand, went by so quickly that I couldn't believe it was 3 miles.

I ended up 4th in my age group which really made me happy - I got to go up on stage and get a medallion ... that was really unexpected. Granted, the age groups for sprint were relatively small, but it was still an accomplishment for me.

I wish I'd got to meet some of you there.

Nic
2006-09-13 9:51 AM
in reply to: #538812

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Subject: RE: Los Angeles Triathlon - Olympic Distance
Tri_Wombat - 2006-09-12 7:18 PM


I ended up 4th in my age group which really made me happy - I got to go up on stage and get a medallion ... that was really unexpected. Granted, the age groups for sprint were relatively small, but it was still an accomplishment for me.



Nic


Great Job on the race . There were 462 finishers in the sprint , so to place in the top 5 in your group is awsome. (Hand Clap)
I finished first in my group , waited around 90 mins for a medal and saw they had run out !!!
I tried to trade lack of medal for a nice Transition bag with The race director but he would have none of it !
It seems they were handing those out to the 1st place in the age groups but maybe it was only for Olympic distance.
They said they would mail me my medal .

I should have lined up for a massage instead!

GLad to hear that the fellow who had to abandon the race because he got hurt in the surf is going to be OK .
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