If you’ve never raced an ocean triathlon before, here are a few things to consider.
1. Sand.
This turned out to be an unexpected opponent at Kure Beach this past weekend. Sand in my goggles, sand in my cap, sand in my shoes, sand in my socks, and sand in my bag. And by the way, when was the last time you ran a 300 yard sprint in the sand?
At the Kure Beach Triathlon, the first transition area is just a group of tiny stakes in the sand. Each athlete has their own wooden stick with their number written on it. Coming out of the ocean, finding my stuff was next to impossible. The stakes all looked the same and there were lots of them. I grabbed my shoes, planning to put them on when I hit the pavement. Despite my careful planning, those devious little grains still coated my feet and crunched in between my toes. The sand’s final attempt to defeat me came at the very end, as I raced down the beach towards the second swim, after completing the 20 K bike and two 1.5 mile runs. This 300 yard dash became an endless slog through the sand. I couldn’t wait to enter the ocean for the swim, but did I mention the waves?
2. Waves.
Even though swimming is my strongest leg, I was intimidated by the surf and the rolling waves. The ocean was daunting because I had never raced in such conditions. This is also the first time I had done a run-in start and that proved to be difficult as well. My start was slow and I was chasing the leaders for most of the swim. To get to the first buoy, I had to swim right into the waves and avoid crashing into other racers. There were times where I could not see the buoy when I lifted my head, because the swell covered my view. After turning the corner, the swim became easier and I raced towards the leaders. We all rode the waves into shore, kicking hard to help us along. The first swim was about “getting the hang of it,” and by the second swim I had it down.
3. Heat.
Like many other beach races, Kure beach provided no shade to block the scorching sun. On race day, the thermometer hit the mid-nineties with high humidity. The run snaked through neighborhoods, taking turn after turn but never once allowing runners a break from the heat. I was very thankful for the water stations and the spectators equipped with hoses. The second run became one of the day’s biggest challenges, because the temperature had gone up since the beginning of the race. I was covered in sweat as I finished the run and very happy to see the ocean again.
My favorite part of an ocean tri is changing out of my tri suit into my bikini for a relaxing afternoon at the beach! And if you go to Kure Beach next year, make sure you check out Squigley’s Ice Cream for a perfect post-race snack!
