Beacon Hill Triathlon #11 @ Capo Beach

Another great race is in the books.  

Thank you to all of the race volunteers.  Big thanks to Jesse the Lifeguard for giving everybody peace of mind.  And thanks, as always, to our sponsors, Cytomax, Clif, and Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel. 

The overall storyline in today’s results is consistency in training in all three disciplines.   It was obvious who was weak in certain areas as we had the most inter-discipline position changes of any Beacon Hill Triathlon. 

A finely-tuned Steve Austin took home first-place honors by clipping a sub-hour finishing time.  A few of the back-of-the-pack guys are making quick ascents to the top and beginning to consistently finish in higher positions.  As always, we had a good percentage of first-time triathletes who all thoroughly enjoyed their experience.      

I think we all agreed that this was the best venue of the eleven official Beacon Hill Tri races.  The new course was fast and flat with no street lights.  Every leg was out and back so it was easy to judge the distance of the athlete in front of, or behind, you.  For the first time, we had bike racks in the transition, five full splits, and an open-water swim.  We will definitely be racing at Capo Beach again. 

5 quick lessons from today’s race:

1. Always pre-ride the course.  At very least, thoroughly study the course map.  There is nothing more demoralizing than riding your hardest only to find out that you’ve been going the wrong way for fifteen minutes.
2. Practice your transitions.  You can shave 2-3 minutes with 10 minutes of practice.  There are NO other areas of this sport that give such great returns relative to practice time.   
3. When the water’s cold, bring a wetsuit.  The obvious benefit of a wetsuit is insulation from the cold water.  This allows you to retain body heat and thereby expend less energy.  The buoyancy of the wetsuit also helps to align your body in the proper swimming posture, and can act as a life preserving device.  Lastly, a wetsuit helps reduce body drag in the water.
4. Pack your transition bag the night before (and use a checklist–I will post one on the website before our next race).  You don’t need goggles to swim or shoes to run, but it makes the race a whole lot better.  More importantly, if you show up to a race without your bike or helmet, you won’t be able to compete.
5. Wear proper clothing.  This includes compression shorts and an aerodynamic shirt.  Most people will learn  this lesson quickly because not heeding the advice can leave a lasting “impression”.  Blisters and bruises are some of the less-painful injuries that can be caused by improper attire. 

Now I’d like to pay homage to our new course, and this amazing sport.    

…We descended upon Capo Beach on Saturday, well before sunrise.  Our newly designed PVC bike racks were assembled, and the aid stations were stocked with food and drinks.  Anticipation of our first open-water swim was high, and the ominous sights and sounds of the 58-degree Pacific Ocean inspired feelings of awe for some; dread, fear, or even terror for others.  For all, there was a serene calm of respect for the pain we were about to subject ourselves to. 

Triathlon is a special sport.  As you stare across the starting line at all of the competitors, you begin to feel like you have already accomplished something just by showing up.  It’s one of the greatest moments in life, when the frantic shuffle of the pre-race transition setup slows for a brief second just before the starting gun sounds and dozens of able-bodied athletes in slick, black wetsuits plunge into the icy waters for an all-out test of physical and mental endurance.  This is why We All Tri…  

CLIF Sponsors Beacon Hill Triathlon

The Beacon Hill Triathlon is excited to announce its newest sponsor.  CLIF will provide pre-, post-, and in-race nutrition to Beacon Hill Triathlon participants and spectators.  We’ve currently been supplied with three products:

CLIF BAR

Here’s an excerpt from clifbar.com: 

“We want a simple approach in an energy bar—not complicated formulas or gimmicks. Don’t you? It’s just an approach that makes sense.CLIF BARS are a great-tasting, convenient source of energy for any activity.

The Natural Energy Bar®
To perform at your best, the last thing you want to put in your body is a synthetic product.

That’s why we believe in using healthy ingredients, such as organic rolled oats, organic roasted soybeans, organic milled flaxseed and organic soy flour. All 16 CLIF BAR flavors are made with 70% organic ingredients. It’s your body, you decide™.

Nutrition for Sustained Energy®
With a mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, CLIF BAR is a moderate glycemic index food. What does this mean? Basically, you’ll benefit from a steady increase in blood sugar levels followed by a gradual decline (sustained energy!).Know what that means? You keep going.Eat a CLIF BAR 1 – 2 hours before a workout or race, and you’ll avoid the sugar high and crash associated with refined ingredients and sweeteners. A CLIF BAR delivers the boost you need without unwanted crash and burn.You don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy a CLIF BAR, but with the extra energy a CLIF BAR provides you may find it hard not to be.”

We were sent two great flavors, Chocolate Brownie and Crunchy Peanut Butter:

CLIF SHOT BLOKS

“CLIF SHOT® Bloks™ Chews—The Latest Energy Food Option for Endurance Athletes™Variety is the spice of life—we couldn’t agree more. We understand (’cause we’ve been there) that after numerous hours of training and racing, the body needs to mix it up a little in terms of what goes in the tank. That’s why we set out to create another energy food option that would complement our bars and gels. The result is CLIF SHOT® Bloks™ chews. They’re simple-to-handle, easy-to-chew, and provide similar nutrition to SHOT® gel, so they’ll fit seamlessly into your training and racing nutrition program.

Nutrition – Carbohydrates and ElectrolytesSHOT® Bloks™ chews offer very similar nutrition to SHOT Energy Gel. The primary ingredient for both is brown rice syrup which provides easily assimilated carbohydrates for working muscles. Both products also provide the mineral salts known as electrolytes. These electrolytes allow electrical impulses to travel properly throughout your body, permitting normal bodily function. When you sweat, you start to deplete your electrolyte stores and experience potential performance decline, so it’s best to help replenish them through food and fluid intake. One of our newest flavors, Margarita w/Salt, provides 210 mg of sodium which is 3 times the amount in other flavors. Sodium is the key electrolyte lost in sweat. Lose too much and performance declines dramatically, including a higher likelihood of muscle cramping. For hot days or for those that perspire excessively Margarita w/Salt is the way to go.

Form and Function We created SHOT® Bloks™ chews, each in a 10g size, so that 3 chews provide 100 calories. That makes it easy to track caloric intake during long outings. There are 6 chews to a double-serve package, so one package provides 200 calories.Organic IngredientsCLIF SHOT® BLOKS™ chews are the first product in the SHOT® line to be USDA certified organic, which means that each flavor contains a minimum of 95% Organic ingredients. We strive to use the most sustainable ingredients possible in our products. The environmental benefits of buying organic ingredients for our products have a direct positive impact on the air and water quality on this planet. CLIF SHOT® BLOKS™ chews are USDA certified organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI).”

We have the caffeinated Black Cherry flavor:

Z BAR

“Raising healthy and active children these days is not easy. We thought it was time for kids to have their very own CLIF Bar to encourage lots of play and healthy eating. It’s an organic baked whole grain energy bar filled with the nutrients that growing bodies need, WITHOUT unnecessary fat and sugar. And it’s from CLIF Bar, where we’ve always been about nourishing healthy people with great food.”

Everybody loved these new ZBars.  We handed them out after our June 2007 race and people were eating them and coming back for more. 

It’s a privilege to be associated with a company that shares our passion for physical fitness, community involvement, and environmental responsibility.  Thank you CLIF!

Beacon Hill Tri #10

The 10th running of the Beacon Hill Triathlon went off (mostly) without a hitch. It turned out to be one of the greatest races in the history of the event. The race was billed as a family battle, as Dave Bourne and Marc Hemeon both had family coming across the country to brave the grueling Beacon Hill Tri course.

The tribes came in heavy numbers. We had many returning Beacon Hill Tri participants, and a bunch of first-time participants and first-time triathletes. Just the way we like it. Aside from a few mechanical problems–a couple of flat tires and an improperly adjusted lens setting on the race camera–everybody finished in good fashion and enjoyed the event.

A special thank you goes out to our sponsors, Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel who set up our aid station and provided water and gels, Cytomax who provided Cool Citrus and Tangy Orange energy drinks, and CLIF who supplied Shot Bloks, CLIF bars, and the new Z bars. The racers loved the Bloks and everybody devoured the Z bars after the race, especially the spectators.

An even bigger thank you goes out to all of the spectators. We loved having groups of cheerleaders yelling out of cars and cheering from the sidewalks throughout the race. We truly appreciate all of the support.

Due to the bigger and bigger crowds we’re planning the next event in the Dana Point Harbor. The swim will be our first open-water swim, although in the heavily-protected waters of baby beach. The date is tentatively set for September 15, 2007, so get the wetsuits ready.

For more photos of the June 29th race, click here.

Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel Sponsors Beacon Hill Triathlon

Store Hours:
M-F 10am – 7pm
Sat 10am – 6pm
Sun 11am – 4pm

Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel Website

32411 Golden Lantern Suite H (Next to Pier 1 Imports)
Laguna Niguel, CA. 92677
Phone: (949) 488-3356
Fax: (949) 488-3357 

The Beacon Hill Triathlon is excited about its most recent event sponsor!  Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel will now be providing nutrition and technical gear to event participants.  Also, tell them you participated in our race and they’ll give you an in-store discount.

A special thank you goes out to Craig Ames for telling Fleet Feet about the great time he had at the Beacon Hill Tri; and another big thank you to Scott White, the owner of Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel, who readily expressed his interest in supporting our community event. 

Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel is the premier hands-on running and triathlon shop in South Orange County.  You can sign up for their email newsletter from their homepage.  It comes about once a month and has information regarding local races, training programs, and current events. 

Fleet Feet is dedicated to serving the local fitness community; you will see their tent at many local events.  If you stop by the store, you’ll find that their employees are extremely knowledgable, as they are all dedicated athletes themselves. 

I’ve been shopping there since they opened and I’ve always had good experiences.  They turned me on to the racing flats (ASICS DS Racer) that I’ve been using for the past two seasons–I’ve competed injury free since the change!  They were recently able to get my malfunctioning Polar Foot Pod replaced after the warranty had expired.  And they’ll always order anything if it’s not in stock and call me when it arrives.    

In the store, you’ll find everything you need for the swim and run legs of the triathlon.  You’ll also be able to pick up any training tools or technical gear that you might need. 

You can get a personalized gait test which will help you select the right shoe.  Many running injuries can be alleviated or avoided by wearing proper shoes for your running style. 

You can also get properly fitted for a triathlon-specific wetsuit.  It is well worth your time to make sure you get the right wetsuit–if you don’t believe me, ask Kirk Lindahl or Chris Fetter about their near-death experiences. 

In addition, Fleet Feet offers many camps, clinics, and training programs.  Some are fee-based, many are free.  Oftentimes they are offered in conjunction with a local team event or training group.  Just sign up for their email newsletter for updates. 

We look forward to having Fleet Feet at our events.

Beacon Hill Triathlon

The Beacon Hill Triathlon is dedicated to serving South Orange County’s triathlon community.  The event is designed to give beginning triathletes a race-like experience in a relaxed environment.  It also serves as an excellent training tool for experienced triathletes. 

Races are held no less than once per quarter throughout the year, but it’s not uncommon to have monthly races during the summer months. 

Dates and times are emailed well in advance of upcoming events, which are typically held on Satrday mornings. 

Come practice your transitions, check your fitness, and try out your hydration techniques.

The course was designed to mimic the typical sprint triathlon distances of a 500yd swim, 12 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run. 

Because the pool swim does not have the same perils of an open-water swim, i.e., waves, currents, mass starts, etc., the distance has been slightly extended.  On the other hand, most courses won’t be nearly as hilly as our course, so we’ve shortened the bike and run to accomodate.

The Beacon Hill Triathlon official distances: 

Swim–800yds (32 lengths)
Bike–10.84 miles
Run–2.78 miles
Beacon Hill Sprint Triathlon – Course Map

The Beacon Hill pool is heated year-round

During the run, there will be one aid station with water and Cytomax Sport Energy Drink that you will be able to “hit” on the way out and back.

Bring a stop watch to time your own splits. The race should take around 1hr 30minutes (Course record is 59:55 by local age-group champion Craig Ames)

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Course Info Below
———————————————————
Beacon Hill Sprint Tri-
Swim 800yds (32 lengths) Beacon Hill Pool
T1-Run from pool to transition area, put on helmet and get on bike
Bike from transition, out on Camship, left on Ridgeway, right on Niguel, right on Marina Hills, right on Golden Lantern, right on Chapparosa, all the way through onto bike path, out to Niguel. Loop again, then under tunnel*, up Niguel, left on Ridgeway, Right on Camship to transition area. 10.84 miles
T2-get off the bike and get ready to run
Run from transition area, left on Ridgeway, left on Niguel, left on Camino del Avion to light at St. Anne’s (Bear Brand Road), then back the same way. 2.78 miles

*Careful when heading through the tunnel. You need to slow way down and yell ahead to signal to anybody who might be coming through the other way.

Course Maps: 

Beacon Hill Triathlon bike map with elevation:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=829646

Beacon Hill Triathlon run map with elevation:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=829684

Beacon Hill Sprint Triathlon – Course Map

Please review the course map and possibly ride it in the upcoming week if you are unfamiliar with the course. We will try to have the turns chalk-marked, but no promises.

Remember, at the end of the first loop, when you ride through Chapparosa park, you will continue to the end of the parking lot and through the yellow posts onto the paved trail alongside the dike (where the water would run off in a storm). As you approach Niguel Rd., you’ll need to make a sharp left at the trail fork and ride parallel with Niguel for a short distance. If it’s your first loop you will enter back onto Niguel by making a sharp U-Turn at the driveway on your right. On the second loop, you’ll continue on the trail parallel to Niguel and head through the tunnel at the bottom of the hill–BE CAREFUL OF PEOPLE COMING THE OTHER WAY THROUGH THE TUNNEL. As you exit the tunnel, you make a sharp left and head up the bike path. At the top of the short hill is a driveway that allows you to hop onto Niguel Rd. As you approach Ridgeway, you’ll need to make your way across Niguel Rd. to the left turn lane and make a left at the signal (Ridgeway). This is the only part of the ride where you’ll need to make a left turn against oncoming traffic.

Everybody is here to have fun!

Cytomax Sponsors Beacon Hill Triathlon

 

Cytomax is the official fluid sponsor of the Beacon Hill Triathlon.  Participants in the Beacon Hill Triathlon will now enjoy Cytomax Sport Energy Drink in Cool Citrus and Tangy Orange.  It will be available in the transition area and at every aid station.  Also, we will happily fill your water bottles with Cytomax at any time before, during, or after the race.    

We are thrilled that such a high-quality brand wishes to be associated with our community event. 

Please stop by the transition area to pick up a sample packet and a product brochure that describes the uses and benefits of Cytomax.