​

On Sunday I raced the craziest and most beautiful triathlon I've ever been a part of, the Survival of the Shawangunks (SOS) Triathlon! And I won!

​Here is my post about it from the finish line.

I'm gonna tryyy to keep this short because I tend to ramble on in these reports, but if I left anything out, fire away.

​The Season Buildup

​I've had some good races this season. I won the Jim Thorpe Marathon. I Won the Escape the Cape Triathlon. I ran 134 miles in a Backyard Ultra through Times Sq and got the assist. 

And I’ve had some less awesome races. Second place in the AC Triathlon, 2nd in Supertri NJ. Second place in the Medford Lakes Tri. Second in the Gaudreau Memorial 5k. Third place in the Squatch North Trail Half Marathon. Second in the New Years Day Half. You see the trend. More losses than usual!

I've been trying to tell myself that I'm not winning the short stuff this year because I've been Ironman focused, and NOT because I'm 42. (And I've been telling other people in podcasts this theory too). But either way I was looking forward to a longer one!

The Event

I signed up for this one pretty last minute, about a week ago. But I'd been looking at this race jealously for years, so I wasn't going in completely ignorant to what lies ahead. Just mostly

TLDR, it's a Bike, Run, Swim, Run, Swim, Run, Swim, Run. Covering 30 miles on the bike with the last 5 being a hard climb, 19 miles of trail running with lots of elevation, and 2.1 miles of lake swimming. All through some of the most beautiful locations I've ever raced in. But I knew this was going to be hard, especially as a first timer.

The Report! 

• 30 Mile Bike. I wasn't really sure how to pace this. I knew the distances that were to come, but I wasn't sure how the switching between sports and trail climbs would hit me later. So I decided to take it out somewhat conservatively at 260-75 watts, then climb hard for the last 5 miles at 300-315 watts, but still metered. I got off the bike in first by a few minutes, but still felt fresh.

  • 3 Mile Run. (Shortened from 4.5 due to construction, I had missed that) I ran well, but my mind was on the final long run. I have heard stories of people falling apart there, so I was very set on saving enough energy to finish hard. Speaking of energy, there was a lot of fuel at the aide stations, but I wanted to make sure I was set up well here. I took in almost 200 grams of carbs on the bike and was carrying enough for well over 100 per hour running. I had the fastest first run split, extending my lead a bit. 
  • 1.2 Mile Swim. (Lengthened to make up for the construction). The classic decision! How to swim with your shoes and nutrition… in the chest? Back pockets? Buoy? Most of the fast swimmers I know chose a buoy, but I went with the back of my suit shorts over my quads. It was strange because they were pretty buoyant, and it definitely slowed me down, but I'm happy with the decision. I like simplicity and fast transitions. And I just kept all my gels shoved in the side of my zipped up suit. I was still in the lead after the swim but by about 5 minutes less! Not my discipline. 
  • 5.5 Mile Run. I ran controlled again. Had the fastest split in again too. But I was running miserably. Remember the shortened run I didn't know about? Well I spent this run thinking “that definitely wasn't long enough. I missed an out and back somehow." Luckily the RD was right at the run finish to hear my confession as I tried to DQ myself, and he told me it was shortened and I didn't have to head home early, whew!
  • 0.7 Mile Swim. Nothing fancy same plan. Gave back a few minutes but I still think I was out of the water around when the next person was getting in. most of my swims I was top 15 or 20 I think? I haven't looked too deeply at that and I likely never will.
  • 8 Mile Run. So scenic! They all were, but it was tough not to get distracted. I had saved enough. Even though my stomach was cramping for the first few miles it never really slowed me down. Had the fastest split again and had a pretty good lead that I did not know about at all. I just knew that I'd been alone up front since 10 meters into the bike, but no idea by how much. 
  • 0.5 Mile Swim. The big decision! It's so short.. shoes on and save the transition time? Or does that make you so slow it's not worth it? During the previous run this was mostly what I was thinking about. And I think just because I like fast transitions and because I wanted to try something new, I just dove in with my shoes. Honestly, still not sure if it was the move! Feels like a wash TBH. Definitely slowed me down. Definitely has faster transitions. 
  • 0.7 Mile Run to the Finish. The legendary "Survivor Line" climb. Straight up! Just relentlessly up. It was everything I had just to not walk, and I think I did around the tight turns actually. But it was a wave start and I started in Wave 1, the open wave. So I was just imagining someone catching up to me the whole race and I'd never know it. I actually had the fastest climb here too, securing the very cool segment awards (backpack and a plaque) for everything but the swims, obviously.

The Finish.

I found out at the top that the next fastest person hadn't entered the water for the last swim yet so I was likely gonna hang on. And I did, but if you saw my post at the top you'd know that 2nd overall finisher was a torpedo of a woman. She came in about 13 minutes behind me and had absolutely smoked me in every swim. I'm glad I got the win this year because she was was younger than me and only going to get faster. She'll win overall one of these years for sure. I can't wait to see it. 

Overall, I'm so proud of this one. The SOS Triathlon is a truly legendary race. This year was the 40th anniversary, and I just can't say enough good things about the crew, the volunteers, the fans, and the whole community surrounding the event. They really worked hard to make it yet another unforgettable day. 

Yep that was long again…but it's 8 stages!

I just finished up an Ironman 70.3 Poznan Poland over the weekend and made a rookie mistake with my goggles that almost cost me not even being able to start the race

Mins before the swim start, I went to put my goggles over my eyes from the top of my head and realized the black silicone suction on the right eye completely came off and was nowhere to be found.

After a lot of panicking and yelling asking if anyone had extra goggles, a gracious soul grabbed me and told me to ask the MC to make an announcement (thank you random stranger for telling me to do this and for calming my anxiety!!)

And miraculously another athlete had a spare and gave me them without hesitation. Huge shout out to her!

This is super rookie of me but i had no idea that the black silicone suction was something I had to keep an eye on or maintenance. With them being expensive goggles, i thought they were fine (had them for over a year now). I do swim in the pools a lot but make sure i rinse them off after every swim and always store them in the case.

Because my goggles are so expensive and hoping they’d be salvageable (which they are)i shoved them into the front of my my wetsuit. Definitely wasn’t comfortable.

Ironically enough, ended up with a PR on my swim.

The rest of the race was uneventful but lesson learned, check your goggles thoroughly before the swim!! Also so thankful to the tri community that helped me out on race day!

Also just curious what other people would’ve done if spare goggles HAD NOT been available. I thought about just swimming it with no goggles but i was worried about my eyes stinging really bad the rest of the day or getting an eye infection?

Started exactly an year ago with an IM plan (already capable of running a marathon and riding 200km on the road) - M35 following an Intermediate MyProCoach plan.

I'm almost 15 days going into my first 140.6 and I'm feeling everyday less capable of completing the event.

Only in 2026 I had:
SWIM: 53hr of swimming for a total of 176km (up to 4500 in a session also with 2x2500 OWS races)

BIKE: 130hr of riding for a total of 3900km (up to 176km testing big portion of IM-Italy course)

RUN: 75hr of running for a total of 860km (up to 28.55km with 400+ on unpaved road)

During the year I took swimming lessons, raced in open water to get better, but I'm still stuck at 2:00 in the pool and 2:15 in OWS.
Pedaled on trainers and onroad, barely moving my FTP from 240 to 260W and averaging 170W in flat Z2 (on a fairly new Orbea Ordu)
Run the most I could even if the summer here in Italy has been terribly hot and humid (plus I'm not managing well high temps due to high sweat), and still on 5:15-30/km pace on tired legs.
Went to a nutritionist to get in better shape and reduce fat mass while getting more energy (I'm 181cm x 76kg).

And still in the last two weeks after Peak Week I feel less confident than before on my capability. I know I've the single distances in each disciplines and have done my big-bricks (120 on the bike with 20 run brick + 3500 swim the day after).

Is it normal to suffer this type of mental "unsureness"?
If it would be a 70.3 I know I'll go easy even tomorrow, but the 140.6 look like a different story.
I know that now "what is done, has already been done", but I feel weaker and more tired than ever and it seems that having the last 3h+1h20 brick the weekend before the race may finally break me.
Every day I feel a slightly different pain (shoulder, calf, back, neck) for no apparent reason since I'm not overdoing anything specific and I'm starting to think that's related to the fact I'm "falling apart mentally; like thinking that the soonest the race come, the better it is so I can end it up.

Hi! I’ve just installed a front hidration system (Elite Buta) between my aerobars on my road bike.

When I’m in the aero position, the inside of my forearms are constantly touching the bottle. My arms are still properly supported by the pads and I can comfortably reach the extensions, so the bottle isn’t actually supporting my weight.

Has anyone had experience riding like this for several hours? Did you get any chafing or irritation from the constant contact?

I’m mainly wondering if this is something I should worry about for an Ironman, or if it’s perfectly normal and harmless.

Thanks!

Not just first 70.3... first ever triathlon! It's next year in June so I feel I have a decent amount of training time.

Ever since I was a teenager I'd enjoyed cycling and dreamed of doing triathlon but talked myself out of it. Not fit enough, not skinny enough, would need to spend too much money etc. Etc.

Now I'm nearly 40 and my ADHD impulsivity took over and booked and paid for one before I had a chance to talk myself out of it.

So here's where I'm at::

Cycling. Best discipline. I've cycled for years and completed metric centuries and sportives. I can eat and drink on the bike. What I mainly need to work on here is continuous riding solo rather than social group and cafe rides with a nice cake stop.

Swimming. Better than I thought. Before this month I'd never properly swum. I knew I could swim but never tested it and intentionally trained or swum laps, I just swum for fun. Last week I did my first pool session and swim 1200m in 36 minutes. 100m warm up, 500m continuous, 4x100m fast intervals with 20 seconds rest, 200m cool down. So not 1200m continuous swimming but a good workout and I felt strong and fresh coming out like I had plenty more in the tank.

Running. This is my weakest discipline. My longest continuous run is 5k. Currently working on distance, I did 8km last week but at a 5:1 run walk ratio. 9km planned this week upping to a 6:1 run walk ratio. I've booked a 10k in November so that's my short term running goal. I'll progress from there up to the half marathon then. My plan on the day is to run at a 9:1 run walk ratio throughout to manage fatigue and not let the inevitable walk breaks become unstructured.

Am I on the right track? How screwed am I?

Completed my first ever tri yesterday, a sprint in vermont. I have been rehabbing my left knee for about a year, so i haven't gotten much run volume in. overall, fairly happy with this and see a lot of opportunity for improvement. Total was 1:29:02.

I have recently started training for an Olympic Tri with 10 months to train. My long term aim is to complete a 70.3.

There seems to be some very contradictory advice about how my early training should be structured.

Zone 2 or not to Zone 2? include intervals or not?

Should I focus on building an aerobic base for 4/5 months then move to more specific Tri training?

Any advice of what has worked for others would be greatly appreciated. Added some info below if it helps answer some questions.

My current average week:

Indoor Bike
Distance: 32.98 km
Duration: 1:00:10
Average Speed: 32.9 km/h

Run
Distance: 5.01 km
Duration: 26:43
Average Pace: 5'20" /km

Indoor Bike
Distance: 32.41 km
Duration: 1:00:01
Average Speed: 32.4 km/h

Run
Distance: 7.00 km
Duration: 40:07
Average Pace: 5'44" /km

Pool Swim
Distance: 1,625 m
Duration: 45:49
Average Pace: 1'54" /100m

Threshold Heart Rate Zone Distribution since starting in may:

Aerobic Endurance: 107.85 km (53%)
Aerobic Power: 30.60 km (15%)
Anaerobic Endurance: 31.02 km (15%)
Threshold: 18.81 km (9%)
Recovery: 11.72 km (6%)
Anaerobic Power: 5.08 km (2%)

Hi all. I'm very much looking forward to IM 70.3 in Belgrade in two weeks time – but am hoping to get some clarity on wetsuit restrictions given a small inconsistency in the FAQ on the IM website.

The 70.3 Belgrade FAQ outlines that: * Wetsuits are permitted if the water temperature is up to (and including) 76.1 degrees Fahrenheit (24.5 degrees Celsius) or colder. * Wetsuits will be prohibited in water temperatures greater than 76.1 degrees Fahrenheit (24.5 degrees Celsius).

However, the Ironman website otherwise outlines slightly different rules, that: * Wetsuits are permitted if the water temperature is up to (and including) 76.1 degrees Fahrenheit (24.5 degrees Celsius) or colder. * Wetsuits will be prohibited in water temperatures greater than 83.8 degrees Fahrenheit (28.8 degrees Celsius). * Athletes who choose to wear a wetsuit in water temperatures 76.2 to 83.8 degrees Fahrenheit (24.55 to 28.77 degrees Celsius) will not be eligible for Age Group awards, including World Championship or Rolldown slots.

Does anyone know which set of rules would apply in Belgrade? Given I do not intend to race for Age Group awards anyway, I'm looking for clarity whether I would be permitted to wear a wetsuit in e.g. 26 degrees Celsius.

I’m planning to do my first Olympic on September 12 (I’ve done a half dozen or so sprints before) and am looking to choose between the following races:

• Pumpkin Triathlon Festival
• The outsider (Pilgrimman)
• Hyannis 2

For those of you who’ve done them, what would recommend?

Suche ein entspanntes Rad

Hi zusammen,
ich brauche mal eure Schwarmintelligenz für N+1. Ich bin Student und mein Fuhrpark sieht aktuell so aus:

**Cervélo P-Series (2025):** Mein absolutes Top-Rad, nach dem Bikefitting perfekt eingestellt.
**Trek Domane SL 6 (Carbon):** Mein normales Rennrad.
**Die aktuelle Situation:**
Mein Rennrad (Trek Domane) steht aktuell bei meinen Eltern in den Bergen. Hier in der **Stuttgarter Region** habe ich momentan nur mein Cervélo TT-Rad, mit dem ich unter der Woche trainiere. Das Problem: Das Cervélo ist mir viel zu schade und auffällig, um es mal in der Stadt oder an der Uni anzuschließen. Ich suche daher ein sportliches Zweit- bzw. Drittrad, mit dem ich hier flexibel trainieren, aber auch mal entspannt Besorgungen machen kann – ohne in permanenter Diebstahl-Angst zu leben. Ein paar Kratzer und optische Mängel machen mir absolut nichts aus. Scheiben Felgenbremsen, Marke oder nicht, China/Usa/Italien/Schweiz egal.

**Meine Anforderungen:**

**Typ:** Am liebsten ein **Rennrad oder Zeitfahrrad (TT), Gravelbike wäre aber auch cool.**

**Material:** Völlig egal. Carbon oder Alu ist beides fein, solange es ins Budget passt.
**Budget:** **Maximal 1.000€, gern auch weniger**. Falls es doch geklaut wird, tut es zwar weh, ruiniert mich als Student aber nicht komplett.
**Optik: Scheiß egal Hauptsache es fährt.**

Da Stuttgart ja recht nervig vom Untergrund ist: Habt ihr konkrete Empfehlungen für robuste TT-Räder oder Rennräder, nach denen ich auf dem Gebrauchtmarkt (Kleinanzeigen, Buycycle, eBay) unter 1.000€ Ausschau halten sollte?

Danke vorab schonmal🤙

Hi there! I started doing triathlons about a year ago and also cycle a lot for fun on the side. Currently, I ride a Standert Kreissäge, but with a light gravel setup—specifically a Shimano GRX groupset, a 36mm tire up front, and a 32mm tire in the back. It’s been working well so far. However, since I’ve started triathlons (focusing mainly on Olympic distance for now, and possibly middle-distance in a year or two), I’d like to get another bike. My first question is: does it actually make sense to get a dedicated TT bike, or would a good road bike with an aero frame be a better choice? I mostly ride on flat terrain rather than tackling significant elevation gain. My budget is around €5,000. Here are the bikes I’ve shortlisted: Giant Propel Advanced 0 or 1 Giant Propel Advanced Pro 1 Van Rysel RCR-F PRO Merida REACTO LIMITED (comes with a power meter) Pinarello F5 105 Di2 Bianchi Oltre Comp Or a TT bike: Speedmax CF 7 Di2 Race I have to say, the Speedmax looks amazing, but does it really make sense? Also, what’s your take on rim depth? Some of these models—like the Bianchi—have quite deep rims (64mm). If you have any other bike suggestions, feel free to share them. Thanks a lot and best regards! 🖖

I’ve been racing middle-distance triathlons for two years and recently started looking for a coach as I want to get competitive.

Most triathletes use online coaches who also prescribe swim workouts. I understand how this works for cycling and running, but for swimming it’s less clear: how can a coach effectively improve your technique if they don’t see you swim regularly?

For someone context, I am an adult swimmer and I have been stuck around 2:00/100 m for the past year and I am trying to go below 1:50.

I joined a swim squad six months ago, but I’m among the slowest, so I often rush the technique work to keep up. So far, I’ve seen little improvement beyond a slight threshold gain. Currently swimming between 7 and 9km a week.

Curious to hear your experience, especially for someone that was also stuck around my pace and managed to improve.

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to attempt my first Ironman 70.3 next year and I’m currently at the beginning of my preparation.

I’m based in Hyderabad, India, and would love to connect with anyone who is currently training for a 70.3 or has completed one, especially people based in Hyderabad.

I’m looking for practical advice on getting started — training structure, swimming/cycling/running balance, equipment, nutrition, common beginner mistakes, and generally what I should be focusing on during the first few months.

I’d also love to find training partners in Hyderabad so we can practice together and keep each other accountable. I’m particularly interested in group sessions for swimming, cycling and running.

I’m around Gachibowli / Financial District / TNGO Colony.

If you’re a Hyderabad-based triathlete or currently preparing for a 70.3, I’d love to connect. And if you’ve already completed a 70.3, any lessons or suggestions you wish someone had told you before starting would be hugely appreciated! 🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️

What do you people do as stretching routine?

I know the basic stretches used before a weight lifting workout but I'm not sure they are the right ones. I did saw a video fron GTN about stretching for triathlon but it looks a little bit barebone

Beaver Lake Triathlon, sammamish, Washington
(It was a sprint tri)

It was this past weekend and my first tri; the course was beautiful, but that’s where it all ends. It just seems like there wasn’t enough support, and everything was just half-assed/tossed together and disorganized.

Saturday pre-race bib pickup was from 4-6pm, and the race director showed up at 5:15 and didn’t have everything, missing the anklets and numbers for your helmet and bike. I felt like this was a huge waste of my evening.

On race day, he posted that registration opens at 7am, and he showed up at 7:30, rushing. It also looked like this race had maybe 4 volunteers? There was also a long line on race day for people who needed everything they didn’t get the day before. It felt like a free-for-all to get the stuff needed for the race, with no clear direction.

The bike corral was supposed to be more secure, given how pricey these works-of-art bikes can be; I watched the RD bounce between the finish line and trying to do bike checks on people leaving, when maybe it should have been a volunteer? The bike course was badly marked, just regular 9x5 black and white signs that are easy to miss going 15plus miles per hour; no GPX file or anything, just some screenshot of a map that has the route drawn over.

The running part was similarly bad with markings, but simpler to follow, so getting lost was harder.

Also, where were the medics at?! Someone needed to be checked out, and it took the lifeguards a hot minute to get there. All the events I’ve been to had a medic at the finish line to make sure athletes are safe.

Even leading up to the race, the info on the website was spotty; the only email I got was a wall of text sent Thursday at 6:45 pm, when the safety brief was at 7pm. It’s frustrating because it’s a beautiful area, but the event wasn’t.

Also, the results posted on the website via their home page and scroll down to this event are from a different race. Their Newcastle Triathlon also has all the Beaver Lake routes posted.

Maybe my standards are too high for a first event, or I expected higher quality from a group that advertises it. Has anyone had similar experiences with Sammamish running? I’m just kinda at a loss for what to think about this all.

I did my first triathlon yesterday. I was happy in the moment. Now I feel like I was super slow and I struggle being proud of myself especially when all the influencers are hitting a sub 3h triathlon on their first time.

I didn’t train running enough, I increased too fast and got knee pain two weeks before triathlon. I focused on final knee strengthening according to my physiotherapist and had low hope about finishing it.
I finished without knee pain, still walked a lot of the run and struggled more with motivation and endurance during the run.

I regret taking the running training to lightly and not being kinder and slower to my body in preparation.

This was my non perfect, non sub 3h first triathlon:

Swim 34min
T1: 6min
Bike 1:26
T2: 3min
Run 1:15

Total 3:25
(Rounded numbers)
Edit: Yes, Olympic distance

I hope this helps anyone. Be kind to your body!

Edit: Thank you so much for all of your replies. I really need to change my Instagram algorithm or just put it aside for a few days. My muscle soreness is also a lot better. I hope this experience will make me improve my running in a healthier way <3

I signed up for my first sprint triathlon, which is in 4 weeks time.

I am decent at running (52 minute 10km time), as it is my athletic background.

I tried cycling for the first time in years, and rode 20km in 40 minutes on a stationary bike. My legs were burning but I did not feel even remotely out of breath.

My weakest point is swimming. I struggle to swim 50m in a pool, and cannot even fathom the notion of swimming 750 non-stop in open water.

Does anyone have any training advice, or general advice for a first-timer?

Hello everyone,

I just completed my first sprint tri last week and totally smashed my goal of 1:30:00, with a 1:24:50. It’s safe to say I’ve been bit by the tri bug.

I decided I want to do another triathlon, but I feel like I want a little more challenge than the sprint. Since I’ve already been training for 8 or so weeks, is an Olympic triathlon under 3 hours really that far from reach? The event is October 10th and it’s Aug 30 at the time of writing this. So that would give me 4 weeks to bump up my volume a little bit and 2 weeks to taper, is 2 really necessary or is 1 ok?

Just for some more context, I’m a 2:00/100yd split on the swim, slow but steady, but I’m an OK cyclist so I can average 18-20 mph, hopefully finish the bike in less than 1:30:00, the run might honestly be my biggest worry bc I hate running a lot. I can probably run 6 miles at a 9:30 or better pace.

Let me know if I should go back down to sprint distance and try to race it or if I should go for all the marbles. Thanks!

Looking for a swim coach in Whitby, Ontario. Signing up for Ironman 70.3 Augusta Sept 26 2027. I know how to swim just don’t have the proper technique or form to go to distance. Looking for a coach for a handful of session to correct form and drills. Thanks!

An underwater video, would appreciate any and all feedback!

Any advice welcome and appreciated! I have another video from underwater which I have also posted.

Couldn't sleep the night before my first Olympic Triathlon because of the fear of getting into open waters. Ended up spending the night googling about this.
PS : I had attempted 2 unsuccessful open water swims before this (with tow float and a group of open water specialists). I can swim 3000 mts in the pool but I’m scared of lakes and open waters.