Tri For Fun #3 Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Tracy L.
Mountain View, CA

  (08-17-2009)

"My take on the race as a first time triathlon participant...

REGISTRATION
- Get there early to make sure you have a spot for your bike in the transition area.
- There's a talk for first timers at 6:45 that was worth listening to.

WEATHER
The weather forecast said that Pleasanton would be a high of around 85-90 that day. I was worried it that it was under 60 degrees at 7am, since I am very sensitive to the cold, but the water ended up being warmer than expected and I was never cold nor hot during the bike and run.

SWIM
- I didn't want to buy any tri-specific clothing so I just did the swim in a regular one-piece bathing suit. Saw that a lot of others did the same.
- 6 waves, each one 5 minutes apart.
- This was my first open water swim, so it was jarring to me that the water was not clear and I couldn't see where I was going under water. I should have practiced spotting a lot more in the pool.
- I found it hard to have any sort of swimming rhythm since I would quickly bump into someone. (Over 1000 participants, so you can imagine 150+ people per wave.)
- Saw lots of people switching strokes, so didn't feel obligated to do the whole thing freestyle.

BIKE
- Closer to 10.25 miles than 11 miles.
- Bike lanes were blocked off on the streets so never had to stop at a stop light.
- One of the flattest routes I have ever done. I was riding a hybrid Specialized Sirrus and averaged just over 16mph. As a comparison, when I ride Canada in San Mateo, I average closer to 14mph. I think most cyclists on a road bike could easily ride it at 18mph+.
- 2 mini hills on the course. First one is out of the parking lot. Second one is during the last third. They take probably < 30 seconds to go up.

RUN
- It was more hilly than I expected; ended up walking up some of the hills.
- At least 4 opportunities to get water.
- There was a lot of stuff in the air that day; not sure if it was little bugs or pollen. =\

Overall a good first triathlon to do. Would I do it again? Probably not... I'm really not a swimmer or runner and don't enjoy those activities much at all. I'll probably be sticking to pure biking events. :) Am I glad I did it? Definitely!

Pictures from the event on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1cJtkw"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Run A.
Alameda, CA

  (08-17-2009)

"On Your Mark Events has been doing the Tri for Fun series for 22 years now and so it\'s no surprise that Tri veterans and newcomers alike flocked to Pleasanton for the third and final Tri for Fun race in the series. The course was great - bike course road conditions were vastly superior to last year. The run course was fantastic as always - incredibly challenging with the hills and switchbacks, but really enjoyable and, given that running is my strength, it was encouraging to zip past so many others during this part of the race. Also, the swim was much improved over last year simply because the water was less murky. Comfortable temps, clear underwater vision of feet, arms, etc. Good times.

Only reason I gave the organization 3/5 is because the transition area was a bit of a mess - the bike racks were incredibly low so a bunch of bikes fell all over everyone else\'s stuff - someone\'s bike was on top of my transition area when I got to it at T1."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Lauren S.
San Francisco, CA

  (06-18-2009)

"This was my first tri, and it was great for first timers! The swim is pretty gross, lots of geese droppings, and a rocky water start. People said that it was fine to use a mountain bike for it, even though the bike course is all on roads... but I was in the first group of swimmers, who all had road bikes, so I was quite out of place. For less ambitious swimmers, mountain bike would be fine, as there were lots in the transition area. Bike is pretty flat other than initial climb out of park (start with bike in low gear). Run is clover leaf type pattern on a flat trail. Lots of aid station passings. Really good for first timers and families. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008