New York City Triathlon Tips

NYC Triathlon was my first Olympic distance race back in 2005.  It was an awesome event.  Very well supported.  Great course.

Do's & Don'ts:

1.  Don't drink from the Hudson.  I did and it screwed me up big time.  The current is very strong and will suck you down stream as soon as you jump from the dock.  Plan the jump and aim for the rope.  Some people missed the rope and were sucked down stream before they said "go".

2.  There's a hair-pin turn-around near the 21-22 mile mark on the bike.  SLOW DOWN to a snails pace.  Even though the RD warned people of this they were still coming in too hot and wrecking.  One after another....SLAM onto the pavement.  At least one guy had to go by ambulance.  Also, watch for pot-holes out to Yonkers.  There were a lot of people changing flats and a few walking their bikes back tot he start due to broken wheels.

3.  Central Park is hilly!  At least it seamed that way.  I expected it to be flat....wrong!  Do some short hill training to prepare the legs for the run course.

4. Soak up the city.  New York is one of the greatest places on earth.

When I did this race, and I think it's still the same, you start from a wooden platform dock.  They will call your group to the start line.  You'll line up on the dock.  About 30 seconds or so before they fire the gun they will have you jump in the river.  There is a thick yellow rope tied to the dock structure for athletes to grab onto once they jump in the water.  The current is so strong that if you didn't have something to hold onto you'll be 100 yards away before they say "go".  So, my suggestion is....look for the rope.  Wait for everyone else to jump in, then you jump in when you see a clear spot.  When I did this someone landed on the rope and it sunk momentarily.  This caused other swimmers to miss the rope and get sucked down stream.  I had to fight my way back up stream to grab the rope.  Hence the reason I ended up drinking from the river.

• The current is stronger in the Hudson away from the shore. Swim as far right as you can to take advantage of the faster current.
• The rope is the attached to the pier where you will start the swim. You can jump in and hang on the rope before the swim start if you want. Or just wait and jump in the water once the gun goes off.
• Make sure your water bottle cages are tight. There are a ton of joints on the bike course that will shake your bottles loose.
• Enjoy riding on a freeway that is closed to traffic!
• Enjoy the run, it is a great course! There are a few hills that seem cruel towards the end.
• If they are doing the leg massages using the ice soaked towels, get one!
• It is a long haul from the finish line back to transition. Be prepared for a long walk if you cannot find a cab.

Have a great race!