Lessons From 2024 Oceanside 70.3

I've been out of the sport of triathlon for nearly a decade. When I was in the sport I followed a couple of names but it was not possible to be as connected to athletes as it now. Social media and the ability to create an audience has changed how vested I am in watching such a boring sport like triathlon.

This past weekend the Oceanside 70.3 happened and I was so excited to see how the race turned out knowing all the work Lionel, Jackson, and Sam had put in. It's just a different experience when they're able to share snippets of training and their life leading up to an event.

So here are some thoughts after watching the race.

1. The boys and Taylor Knibb are FASt fast

When I followed the sport in the past I wasn't as aware of power output and pace as I am now. Seeing these dude pushing 300-400w avg feels impossible when I'm doing 230ish (slightly above threshold) and dying. I'll get there in time. Just wild to see in person.

Taylor Knibb is an animal. Just absolutely torching her peers. At only 26 years old I can only imagine what the next decade of racing holds for her if she decides to chase it. Very cool to hear how the PRO men felt when she overtook them on the bike. Which, sidenote, the men started 3 minutes earlier than than women. Imagine if Taylor left at the same time as the men.

2. I need to find some training partners somehow

Just isolating swim, I can see where I'm at a bit of a plateau. It's fine for now. But I wonder if some healthy competition in workouts would do me some good. I'm competitive and that typically drives me. But when I'm alone I suspect I could push myself harder if there were others around.

3. The Outside+ broadcast is shite

I get that triathlon is a fringe sport but damn, you're not going to win any one over with the amateur operation they had going on this weekend. I'm not exaggerating when I say the following. They were showing 1 minute of the swim followed by at least a minute of commercials (for Outside+). The commentators would throw to commercial and we would just get to watch someone on their bike for a minute in silence (kinda nice actually). And then mid-interview yet another set of ads for Outside+ would interrupt. The only silver lining was that one of the shows they were advertising was for my daughter's old soccer coach, which he produced himself.

4. I'm Ready to Race

While my training isn't complete, I am feeling antsy for a race. Just a few more weeks for a tune up International distance race. Looking forward to competing this year as I feel I'm very fit (even if my weight is still high 😉)