Thanks for the question,

The great thing about strength training is that you can achieve higher levels of strength in a short period of time and then maintain them for even longer periods, even through an entire season of racing.

If you were to start now: Oct/Nov 2008, we recommend that you progress through the necessary phases of strength training: Anatomical Adaptation, Progressive, Power & Maintenance, all of which are detailed in our “Strength Training for Triathletes DVD.
If you were to start in the next few weeks, you would be set up to test your new found power for some early season events starting in early March. During the racing season, most athletes will fall back to a “Maintenance” Phase to keep their strength up, yet allow the body to perform without the progressive stress from a more strenuous strength workout. Some athletes will stay in a “Maintenance Phase” for a while and then start another cycle of “Power and Progressive Strength” training, leading up to events later in their season season.

One might go though 2-3 cycles of strength training during a Tri season in order to peak for a particular event(s).
However, its important to note that starting with Anatomical Adaprtation in the early PReSeason - right now - is essential!!!

Good Training, Coach Jamie

The starting sound at the Malibu Triathlon is LOUD. They use a blank shot gun shell and itā€™s placed in a brass, micro cannon about six feet from the start line. When it went off on Saturday, September 13 is marked the first ever Olympic distance race at this venue and it launched me into a great race that Iā€™ll do again and again.

The ocean was glassy smooth with a small swell. I had a good start and was second at the first buoy that was placed about 150m off shore. We turned right headed for the long, 1200m leg that parallel shore. A few guys slipped by me until I found some great feet to get on and hung there for the rest of the swim. Iā€™ve raced the 800m sprint distance tri at this location 11 years in a row and half way through the swim it dawned on me that I needed to pace myself as this race was going to be far longer and demanded a different gear. I didnā€™t work too hard on the swim and my time of 23 for the 1500 reflected that.

T1 was pretty typical. Thereā€™s a long beach and transition run so the 1:40 was on the fast side of average. I used some new gear in this race and found some surprises: my XTERRA Vendetto wetsuit is great! It swims like my old Vector Pro 2 but the Vendetto melts off my legs in transition. I was shocked at easily it came off. I also used an aero helmet for the first time. More on this in a bit but I can say now that itā€™s a little harder to put on in T1 that my road helmet ā€“ only a second or two slower but I notice it.

The mount line and first few hundred meters of the bike course was narrow so I wound up running well past the congestion of riders who had stopped, leaned over, swung a leg and were dallying in that zone. I did a flying mount smoothly and my feet found the shoes quickly ā€“ I was up to speed. My PR (Personal Record) for a 40k in an Olympic distance triathlon is a :59. I set that on a super flat course that - come to find out later - was a bit short. This Malibu course has some solid rollers in the middle and I didnā€™t expect much out of my time. I kept my focus on two things: a high cadence and the proper position for the aero helmet. About that lid: my complaints are thus: it looks a bit silly, it goes on a bit slowly, the sound is different due to the ear coverings, and you MUST hold your head in a craned position ā€“ looking forward the whole time in order to for it to serve its purpose. If you look down at the front axle (as I often like to do to stretch out my neck and align my spine) then the tapering tail end pokes up in the wind and is likely creating horrible drag. I went into this race with mediocre fitness and I rolled a 1:03! I was stunned and itā€™s possible that the aero helmet played a roll in that ā€“ okay! Iā€™ll suffer the complaints to ride a few minutes faster if thatā€™s what itā€™s delivering.

T2 was not blistering and in 1:25 I started my run. The 10k here is super flat and only the three 180 degree turns where there to dampen the pace. There had been a bad crash on the bike and I saw two riders taken away on back boards. I came to learn that one was in and out of seizures so they drove him to the helipad for a flight to the hospital. The helipad is immediately adjacent to the beach path at mile 1 and 5 of the run and as I approached mile 1 the lifeguards diverted us off the concrete path and into the deep sand for 100m before returning to the normal course. At that moment the helicopterā€™s rotor wash kicked up a brutal sand storm that had us all holding hats and covering up. No complaints on that distraction ā€“ the health of the athlete is all that mattered and I wished him well. At the first turn I saw David Bond a VP of product development at K-Swiss. Heā€™s a good runner and ran me down at Wildflower Long Course earlier in the year. I knew heā€™d pass me but I made a game out of holding him off as long as possible. I saw him again later and he had made some gains. It was at mile 4 he pulled up along side. I gave him some words of support and tried to hang with him for a couple hundred meters before giving way. In the end I ran a 6:40 pace for a 41:50 and felt good. Overall time was 2:11 and had a great experience. Interesting to note that I was 8^th in my age group and 18^th overall. I think that speaks to how fast the more mature set are in this sport.

The Next Dayā€¦..

I found myself at the line for the Malibu “classic” distance triathlon. It’s a sprint but a hair long for your typical sprint with 800m swim, 18mi bike and 4mi run. This race has become a great event for first timers, there’s a strong TNT contingent, there are corporate teams, entertainment teams, relays, and celebrities too. Itā€™s not as great for the ultra competitive age groupers as there are 3000 people in the race and that can be a lot of bodies for the speedsters to wind through on the way to their podium.

The cannon had me off in wave 8 with my fellow men 40-44. My plan was to go hard to the first buoy and if I felt good to stay on the gas ā€“ if I felt bad Iā€™d just sit up and cruise through the day cheering on those who were challenging themselves with the day. I was second to the first buoy and felt good but was shocked to see a guy in my wave who was FLYING!!! At a 150m he had a lead of 25m already and was killing it!!!! I tried to put in a sprint to catch his feet but he was gone and I was alone in second place. Normally, I get overtaken soon after the first turn in an event and settle into sharing the work with other swimmers that wasnā€™t the case here today. Everyone else from previous waves seemed to be really wide on the course, well out to sea and I swam the buoy line without too much dodging and without another competitor form my age ground over taking. Mid way through the swim I was certain I passed the guy who took off so quickly ā€“ not sure what went wrong there but that was an impressive start. I was out of the water with a 12:52. As I ran up the beach I heard a couple people tell me I was first out in my wave confirming what I had seen with the super swimming blowing up.

T1 was good at 1:31 and I was back in my aero helmet ā€“ hey if it works, it works! The mount line was even more crowded on this day (naturally) and again I ran a good 60+ meters beyond ā€˜til I found a clean spot to hop on. In years past Iā€™ve found the bike course to be as clogged as 5^th Avenue on December 20^th but for some reason it was clearer on this day. Iā€™m not sure if thatā€™s because Iā€™m 40 now and starting deeper or if they reconfigured the waves for better spacing but I only had to verbally move folks over about ten times when it the past itā€™s been hundreds. At mile 12 the first rider to over take me did and he had “41″ big and bold on his calf. We were on a false flat and I was going about 25 mph. He went by at ~30 and I could only watch in awe as he rolled away. With two miles to go another rider past me with no age on his calf. I was only 5m behind him at the dismount line and we entered transition together. I rolled a 47 and felt pretty good coming off the bike.

T2 was quick at 1:25 and I was on the run. The run was incredibly, brutally, horribly crowded. I had to twist to the side dozens of times to sneak between athletes coming and going and hop over a few cones that divided the outbound and return sides of the course. At mile 1 a guy went by flying by with a big R on his calf. I donā€™t mind being passed by relay runners, it inspires me, it’s always a good wake up call. Just after the turn at mile two the same guy who passed me at the end of the bike ran by me. I noted again that he had no age on his calf and so I asked him ā€œhow old are you?ā€ He looked back and said ā€œ39ā€. ā€œGod speed thenā€ was my response. After the finish he found me in the TTS booth and said ā€œallā€™s fair in love and war, Iā€™m really 41ā€. Now that could be seen as a rather despicable move ā€“ I wouldnā€™t have done that ā€“ but the point is moot here as I was running all out at the moment and could not have responded to his pass in any way. I ran a 27 and change ~6:45pace for 3^rd in my age group and 11^th overall.

We got an email last week from an athlete who went to a race, feeling confident, fitter than then when he toed the line the previous year and….well…here’s what happened in his own words: “well i was feeling good as the start approached, began the swim and about 50 yds in, panicked and came out…it was humiliating, disappointing, and frustrating as i knew when stepped out of the water i should have stuck with it some….my entire family and many of my friends were crying for me and to be honest i was simply in shock…”.

panicking in the water at the start of a triathlon is NOT unusual. It is something that can be over come and I have some strong opinions about this.

Why this happens: mass open water swim starts are stressful. The tension at the start is palpable, the first effort (weather it’s a run-in or a deep water start) can be taxing, the shock of cold water can be an issue, the wetsuit can feel restricting, the fact that the water isn’t as clean and clear as your pool can add some trouble, and the bumping, kicking, arms flailing of other swimmers only raises the stress level to a peak.

How to minimize the anxiety and overcome.

1) Dress warmly in layers from the moment you get out of bed. Get your core temperature way up as you have breakfast, go to the race, set up transition, etc. and keep it up ’til the race begins. Having a cool body into a race start sets you up for trouble so get warm and manage that temp as you go through the morning.

2) Do a physical “warmup” that elevates the heart rate and wakes the body up to a place where it is ready to rock and roll. Going from your bottom level of resting heart rate to the start of a race is not a good plan. Take 12 minutes before the start and jog easily, maybe put in a few accelerations that are very short.

3) Hike the wetsuit way up your body. I hear lots of folks complain that they felt as if their wetsuit was strangling them or it was so tight they couldn’t breath. I don’t agree - some feel tightness in the chest but that’s part of the panic not caused by a super flexible wetsuit. After you get the wetsuit on - grab an inch of it in mid thigh (with the pads of your fingers not with your nails) and hike it up. Then grab on inch at the top of the thigh and hike it high into your crotch. Continue this up the stomach and chest and get it looser in the upper most part of the body. This is to allow the shoulders greater flexibility than having a big gap between your legs and tension on the rubber at the shoulders.

4) Get in the water BEFORE your start. Get the water down in the wetsuit so you can get used to the temp. Taste it, smell it, note the darkness. You can eliminate so much of the shock of weirdness by getting to know it early on.Ā  AndĀ  swim a bit for warm up here too so you can get the shoulders loose and get the body ready.

5) Position yourself properly at the start. A swimmer on the edge of panic will be shoved over that line in an instant with body contact. Position yourself to minimize the scrum that comes at the start. If your fast - get out front and get away. If you’re a slow swimmer seed yourself in the back of the group and ease forward. If you’re not sure then start on the side of the group - this way if you feel tension coming on you can ease to the side and slow way down to recovery while still maintaining freestyle.

6) Pace! Don’t give too much effort at the beginning of the swim. A big effort - either running in or kicking super hard or sprint turnover can put you right on the edge - then if miss a breath due to a bit of chop or another swimmers arm/foot then the panic button gets hit and you’re in trouble.

7) Train with purpose. Numbers 1-6 were sort of race day things to do. Here’s an area that takes place weeks and months before the event. Learn to swim level at the surface of the water without kicking like a fiend. The gluets (bum), hams (back of thigh), and quads (front ‘o thigh) are the biggest muscles in our body and when we kick hard those muscles suck up oxygen like a 12 cylinder Hummer sucks gas (no such thing, but you get my point). A quality swim with a light kick is nice thing to have so that you can propel yourself forward with ease. I can’t go into detail on that here (too complicated) and the TTS DVD does a far better job with above and below water video and graphics and more. Also, challenge yourself with swim sets that mimic the stress of a swim start. Do that with something like swim 50yds FAST, rest only 5 seconds then swim 150yds steady but in a fashion where you GET recovery while you are still swimming. And do what are called “breath control” swims: swim a chunk of yardage where you limit your breath to every 3 strokes or every 5 or 7 or even 9. This forces us to be more efficient. You can also so a series of 25s where you swim the first one with 3 breaths- rest 30″. Then swim one length (25 yds) with only 2 breaths- rest 30″. Then swim a length with just 1 breat - rest 1 minute. Then swim a length with no breath. This will force you to relax and to manage your air (hold as long as you can, let a little out and hold again). All these pieces will both give you confidence to miss a breath during the race and still be okay and will teach you to use less energy when swimming to lower hear rate.

On a personal note - I was afraid of the water as a boy, through my teens and into my twenties. I could only swim a short way to retrieve my board (I was big into windsurfing for a time). My first two triathlons were completed doing head-up breast stroke because I didn’t like to put my face in the. I’ve panicked a dozen times in my early days in this sport. I know what it’s like and I feel for you. I now swim very well, I’m in the top 3 out of the water in my age group with regularity. I have a 55 minute Ironman PR, come out of most Halfs in ~26, most Olympics in ~21 and I’m pretty satisfied with my times.

Swimming is a funny thing - you simply cannot be fast until you are efficient. Water is too thick, there is too much drag for the “fitness” of a person to over come bad technique. Get level first, get power from the hips and hands working together, learn to swim with a very light kick and then, after you’ve mastered that, you can decide if you want to figure out how to bring that kick back into your swim.

You can overcome and succeed.

Ian

This race will very likely be a harder call than the men’s and therefore - dare I say it - possibly a better race. But we should define better. Typically, ITU races for women have less drama on the bike with an enormous pack staying together and then letting the run decide the day. This happens with the men too but there’s a greater chance for attacks in a men’s race than a ladies. That being said, this is the Olympics where desires may run deeper and hotter than a typical World Cup event - also, the bike course in Beijing has hills and turns so there are better opportunities for a strong, gutsy cyclist to launch an attack.

I would think that Emma Snowsill (below) would be a favorite. The Australian has been very consistent on the World Cup circuit and has a rich history of wins.

But I’d also like to pick some others to really shine on race day: The Brit, Helen Tucker (below) has been showing great form and the results that come with it - an example would be the World Championship she won this year. She’s the type of athlete who is obviously capable of pulling big wins out of the hat.

But for sure I’d like to see Julie Ertle of the US (she’s medaled before in water polo and has the maturity to keep it together), Laura Bennett too knows how to win on big days and she could be a factor. A Kiwi named Warriner is always dangerous. And then there’s Vanessa Fernandez - this woman is on fire in a big, big way and while she didn’t fare as well in the cold weather of the World Championship’s in Vancouver she might shine very brightly in Beijing.

I’m told that you can bet on anything in Las Vegas - perhaps even triathlon. I can only imagine that the odds are GREAT that Javier Gomez will win the gold medal in triathlon in Beijing. This image below is of him winning recently his 11th World Cup Event in Hungary.

Gomez is from Spain and he’s been on the podium 16 consecutive times in ITU races and that is freakish! What makes him so successful is the perfect combination of a solid swim - he’s out of the water in the lead group often and a blistering 10k - he ran some crazy number like 28+ minutes off the bike this season on a course that was measured a hair long. He has been beaten so it could go another way but based on recent performances this is the guy to watch in Beijing.

I’m still expecting to see Kiwi Docherty killing himself to be in the medal zone and based on the mental approach of newly minted US citizen Matt Reed - I expect to see an all out effort that could easily result in a medal.

So, firstly - mark your calendars:

Saturday, September 15 is the ladies triathlon. Start time is 10am in China and Sunday the 16, 10am is the men’s event- China is GMT +8hrs - I only wish I knew what that translates into for California time - but I suspect I’ll be deep in REM at that hour so fire up the Tivo. The start, the finish, the transition area and the multilap format puts pretty much all the focus on top of the dam of a reservoir in China. There’s an amusement park right beside it so you gotta think that the surroundings are beautiful but to hang out on a dam all day as a live spectator OUCH- this sounds like a made for TV event.

The swim is scheduled for the Shisanling Reservoir (translates into Thirteen Tombs - nice!). This is NOT the much discussed, man made pond where the rowing events will be held (and the 10k open water swim - more on that in future posts). That puddle has become a problem with algae so think it’s rumored to be like jello, but there are promises to solve before any events take place.

The swim will launch with a dive from a pontoon, each athlete will have their own little 75cm space in which to stand - this is typical of ITU events and the athletes will be familiar and comfortable with the set up.

The first buoy is a full 550+ meters from the start. This course is all left turns and after the big opening straight away there is almost a constant arc to the next 400m of swimming.

There are mountains surrounding this rather large body of water and in every photo I’ve seen there is wind and chop on the water. The bumpy surface would likely give the better swimmers an advantage but the swim is expected to be cold enough to allow wetsuits and that will even out the field a bit more. Many ITU events have a two loop course allowing for spectators to identify the leaders as they exit the water at the end of loop one before diving back into the drink for the the start of loop two - that will not be the case here but presumably TV coverage that keeps us all in the loop.

The bike course is six loops of ~6.5k and it’s said to be technical. There are 9 turns per lap with 1 turn being a 180 degree reversal and a couple of other 120 degree turns.

The run course is four loops of 2.5k and it’s said to be rather hilly.

Ian

We’ve had a recent incident of road rage against cyclists here in Los Angeles. I won’t recount the story here; you can find it online elsewhere. I do want to repost an article written by LA Tri Club member Kim White. It’s a straight-forwardĀ  look at the various perspectives of the different groups sharing the road. Enjoy.

Cars vs. Bicycles vs. Runners by Kim M. White

POV Cyclist
Legally we can be on the road and are supposed to be 1/3rd of the way into the lane.
Many of us are commuting either to work or to do errands due to the increasing cost of gas. Since we ride a bike, we save money on gas, increase our health and don=92t put gasoline emissions in the air.
We stay as far to the right as possible. This is for our own safety, but there is glass, debris and gravel on the side of the road that forces us to move to the left. The glass and debris can cause tire punctures that could give us a flat or a blow out. We don’t want to fall into the lane where cars could run us over.

If we are going downhill at the speed limit or higher, please back off one car length or more behind us in case we fall. If we are on a curvy road, please wait for the straight-away to pass us. If you pass us closely, we think you are trying to run us off of the road. If there is a bike lane, please don’t veer into it after passing us. That also seems like you are trying to kill us.
If you are on the other side of the road, please don’t intentionally come across the road to scare us, we consider this attempted murder.
If we need to turn left, we are legally supposed to pull into the left turn lane. Many of us stay as far to the right as possible.
We usually go slowly uphill due to gravity. We will try to stay to the right as far as possible. If there is no bike lane or if there is debris in the road, we will have to move into the car lane. Please be patient with us.
We are also slower when starting off from a stop sign or light.
If there are runners in the marked bicycle lane, we will move into the car lane to avoid them.
If you are a runner, please stay to the right of the bike lane so that we can pass you in the bike lane and stay out of the car lane. If you are in a group, please run single file, especially if you are going in the same direction of vehicle & bicycle flow. (This is illegal for runners, but common.)

POV Car
If you ride your bike slower than the speed limit, stay to the right of the road.
If you are slower than the flow of traffic, go single file so that we can pass you without coming too close to you.
Don’t run stop signs blatently. At least attempt to stop, especially if there is cross traffic. Let the cars take their turn. If you run a stop sign or light and it is clearly illegal, I may be inclined to take it out on the next rider that comes along.
Wear bright colored clothing. If you blend in with the road, trees or if it is foggy, how can you expect me to see you?
Wear a helmet; if you don’t stop at the aforementioned stop signs or lights and we accidentally hit you, you have a better chance of surviving.
If it is dark outside (or foggy), wear reflective clothing (or at least white clothes), use a light (it is the law), so that we can see and avoid you. This is helpful if you are going to cross lanes to turn left.

If you are running on the road, stay close to the side of the road and out of traffic. It is hard enough watching for cyclists.

POV Runner
If you are a cyclist, say hi or nod if I acknowledge you. It is friendly and some of us know CPR in case you get hit by a car or fall.
We run on the road (blacktop) because it is a softer surface than cement. That is easier on our knees. If we are there, please don’t aim for us, we consider this attempted murder by cars and bicycles.
There are not many sidewalks or trails in some neighborhoods, so we have to run on the street.
We try to run facing traffic which is in accordance with the law, but if there is not a lot of room on that side of the street, we may have to go with the flow of traffic.
Can’t we all just get along.

Triguy asks:

I often get leg cramps in my calves toward the end of my swims. How can I avoid this?

Triguy - firstly let me say that you are not alone, lots of athletes and especially triathletes suffer from calf & foot cramps while swimming. Here are some things you can do to help solve that problem:
1) Go into your swims well hydrated. This means water of course but not water alone - also include an electrolyte drink. A muscle is far more apt to cramp when dehydrated so keep yourself topped off.
2) Include ankle stretching in your body maintenance routine. Running often stiffens the ankles making it harder to point your toes very far. Swimming requires a more flexible ankle so that the foot becomes a long, smooth extension of the leg rather than a flat surface plowing through the water. One approach would be to simply kneel down on a soft surface, point your toes so the tops of your feet are on the ground, then sit back on you heels for a few minutes. This will stretch your ankles and improve you flexibility. This must be progressed into gradually!
3) Relax while swimming. Too much leg tension will over stress the calfs and all that does is elevate your heart rate without any benefit from propulsion. Keep your legs relaxed and your kick small and easy.

All the best, Ian

Wildflower is a huge triathlon weekend that goes off each spring in Central
California. It’s been growing steadily for 25 plus years and, like the rest
of our sport, shows no sign of slowing down. Racers, spectators, family and
friends alike take over an enormous state park and camp on every square inch
of field and soil. There are over six thousand competitors and at least
another six grand or more in support all of whom show up to involve
themselves in the Woodstock like atmosphere.

Saturday fires off the “biggie”. The Wildflower Long Course triathlon is a
Half Ironman distance race with a notoriously hilly bike and run. This year
was long course number 5 for me and while I’ve been able to lay down some
impressive times on flatter courses the hills here really take their toll on
my 6′1″ 178 pound frame. The swim takes place in beautiful Lake San Antonio.
It’s wetsuit legal but certainly not cold. The swim start is always a bit
hectic as each wave of participants is hemmed in by to docks that are only
about 25 feet apart and 30 meters long. The best approach here is to go out
in the front row and as far to the right as possible - with my shoulder
nearly scraping the right dock. Once beyond the dock I shifted into a more
manageable pace and cruised the 170 meters to the first buoy. At the mark
there’s always a bit of a crowed so I just tried to cowboy-up a bit and bump
my way around. The entire rest of the swim was pretty uneventful. I did have
a guy on my feet for a long while who was more than just tapping toes. I
felt dozens and dozens of actual hand slaps on my feet some of which were so
strong that I felt as if my legs were being pushed down a bit. Drafting
while swimming is legal and smart, but annoying the person in front - the
person who’s doing the work - is just silly and might cause a reaction. I
let it go and he slipped away after a while.

Out of the water, through the HUGE transition area and on to the bike course
- the bike course has a climb at mile 2 that is steep and over half a mile
long, it’s called Beach Hill. Usually the legs aren’t really ready to go yet
and all the blood is still upstairs in the chest, shoulders and back from
the swim. It’s easy for this hill to go by unnoticed if you know the course
and are thinking about what lay ahead. The big middle of the bike is really
a joy with rolling hills plenty of flats and beauty all around. Later in the
bike ride there are some climbs that are legitimately steep and long. It’s
important not to blow them out of proportion; this isn’t a huge climb like
what we see in the grand tours of European cycling, these is a big climb for
triathletes. There’s one particular hill with the rather apt title of “Nasty
Grade”. The whole uphill bit is over 3 miles long and gets progressively
steeper so that the last 300m are very steep. I saw folks off their bikes
and walking this section again this year. This hill alone justifies a
climbing gear but there are plenty of other places to use it as well. I was
running compact chain rings this year with a 50×34 up front. I also used a
cassette that offered a 26 on the rear. My “granny gear” was a 34×26 and it
felt GREAT going up that climb.

The run at Wildflower Long Course is 13.1 miles of challenge. This year was
relatively cool and it still got hot on the run. The first 2 miles are tough
as there are super short, steep bumps along the park road. Then right around
mile 3.5 there is a paved climb that is 200+m long and rather steep. At the
top of that we’re off the pavement and onto a trail that rims a finger of
the lake. It’s perhaps the most beautiful mile of trail in any race
anywhere. The two long, steep climbs in the woods before mile 6 are brutal
but from mile 6.5 to mile 10 there are some flats and slight descents that
really reward someone who has paced wisely early on.

If you want to race a PR hat the half distance don’t choose Wildflower, but
if you’re ready for a big challenge then this race will stand as a major
milestone in your triathlon career.

Ian

In the unlikely event that some of you may not have heard..On Friday morning at 6:30am San Diego Tri Club member Dave Martin met his regular crew for an
ocean swim workout in Solana Beach (that’s ~20mi north of downtown San Diego). At 7 am, the 66 year old retired veterinarian was attacked by a shark. Four friends with whom he was swimming pulled him to shore.
Lifeguards worked on him for a while but he was pronounced dead shortly after the attack.

It seems natural that each of us would have an immediate and visceral reaction to this news. Regardless of how he died, the bottom-line truth is that a member of a tri club, a lover of triathlon, a hearty spirit, an
athlete - much like one of us, lost his life far sooner than what would seem necessary. Unfortunately this happens too often and when it’s less exotic it goes without a mention. It’s troubling to contemplate, but perhaps a car
killing a triathlete is so common that it doesn’t even make the papers - not to mention the front page of the LA Times.
Clearly there are some who won’t even flinch at this news and will be back in the big blue right away (or have gone already). Others might go the other way in dramatic fashion. Regardless of where your response falls one thing
is certain; attacks such as these remain extraordinarily rare, especially in areas where seal populations are insignificant, such as most of Los Angeles County. Even in Solana Beach, where seal populations have grown
substantially in recent years, this was the first fatal attack in 49 years.

Take a moment to look at the type of person you are: an adventurous endurance multisport athlete. If you we’re the type who avoided risks you might find yourself a member of a Knitting Club rather than a Triathlete Community. If you want to be safer in your ocean swims then do the basics that protect you from the far more common issues and more logical risks: swim with a buddy so that you can be assisted in a moment of cramping or fatigue,
wear a bright colored swim cap so that boats and personal water craft will see you more easily and swim near open and manned life guard towers in case
you get caught in a rip current. Balance your risk with logic and don’t fret over the things you cannot control.
Our hearts go out to the San Diego Tri Club and to Dave’s friends and family for their loss. May we all continue to train safely and enjoy this sport for years to come.

All the best to you,

Ian Murray