Goals: Finish above the 33% mark, earn 66 USAT ranking points, and beat last years 3:47 time

Result: Finish at the 46% (beaten by 54%), earned approx 66 points, and beat last years time by 30 minutes!


This is one of my favorite races because of the incredible views from the course and the attachment I have to San Francisco. Tactically, this is a difficult event, as the hour drive to the race combined with the "shuttle" from the Marina Green to the Embarcadero where the pilot boats are located requires a very early start. There is also quite a variety of weather to prepare for-cold foggy mornings, wind, 2 runs (see T1 below), and sun and warmth in the afternoon.

Swim: Slower this year by 9 minutes; but placed in top 25% of age group
Shortly after the departure from the Embarcadero, the wind and waves kicked up. The practice of sighting in OW was very necessary, but there was no way to practice the 4 foot swells which greeted the swimmers once out in the Bay Channel. Previous tides make the swim considerably easier, but the wind coming in from the Bay counteracted any ebb tide flowing out of the Bay Channel. I was turned over in the water 2 times by waves which hit me as I breathed!. Hitting the Beach in 42 minutes was a great relief, and then the scurry to find my "transition shoes" was an unfortunately slow process.

T1: [00:08:21] (an incredible 8 minute improvement from last year)
After exiting the swim athletes had to run about half a mile to T1. I chose to put on shoes, but was mis directed by the volunteers and lost about 1 minute searching for them. I chose to run in my wetsuit which I would do again---just grab shoes, pull down the wetsuit top and go!!! I get tired during this transition---and can do better on this next year!
(at this point I am disappointingly 1 minutes behind last year!

Bike: [01:10 - 12 minute improvement] finished in the 50% of age group
This is a fun bike course---some flat to get going, then a good climb to the Palace of Fine Arts, and then a descent to the Great Highway---wwoooosh!!!---the Golden Gate Park loop is kind of boring, and I lost concentration during that leg. I noticed the PROS passed me returning at about the same point as last year, which made me feel as if I was not improving over last year---my goal, perhaps not realized. However I made up ground in the 2nd half of the bike and improved 12 minutes from the previous year to be at about 5 minutes up for the race.

T2: [00:01:28-my fastest transition ever]
Love those elastic laces---waved to my wife and Conrad!! It was nice to be called SWAMI!!! J

Run: [01:14:42]-18 minute improvement
I love the run, and having done the run twice in practice I was pumped for the oppty to improve my time. The view at the top of the bridge down the coastline is to pretty-almost worth stopping, but there are beaches to run and then the infamous sandladder. Once you get off the sand ladder it's a brief uphill and home sailing-the 8 miles zips along pretty fast and the finish is a great chance to see friends and family. After the wind and waves at the start combined with the "PENSIVE" boat ride early in the morning, the Marina Green is bathed in warmth and sun and the day is complete!

Total improvement 30 minutes!

Total: [03:17:39]

For the first time, I feel like I "belonged" in the race-I didn't walk any more than the water stations on the run, and while I didn't realize it, I had done VERY WELL in the swim portion!!!