2011 USA Triathlon's Age Group National Championship

Here is a good triathlon video from the 2011 USA Triathlon's Age Group National Championship held last month in Vermont. It's produced by Endurance Films. Good quality and good narration.

Even for avid triathletes, race footage isn't always compelling stuff. But this 8 minute video does a good job setting the scene for what this race is about - the best age groupers in the country going for a national title.

The Race Day Checklist

In general, triathletes tend to be very organized. Prior to a race, we go over our checklist of the gear we need to take. We have a plan for how our gear will be laid out in the transition area. And, over time, we perfect the process of moving in and out that transition area in the least amount of time.

But even with all this attention to detail and process, we sometimes forget things. Even with our handy-dandy checklist, a helmet can get left in the garage, goggles won't be in that tri-bag pocket you thought they were, or your race belt disappears.

I always feel bad for the poor guy standing with the race director, as he gets on the loud speaker and says, "Does anyone have an extra helmet this gentleman can borrow?"

Over the years, I've become less diligent about preparing my gear for a race. Basically, the night before a race I grab the necessary items and then hop back on the couch in less than 5 minutes. And in all those years, I've forgotten only an aero water bottle. Not bad. But in the last race I did, I forgot my shoes.

Now, as bad as that sounds, I got lucky. This was a biathlon on the beach. So I did the run barefoot without much problem. Had this race been on pavement, I wouldn't have even tried. Running barefoot is quite nice actually, but I did manage to stub my toe on something buried in the sand. I don't know if it was a shell or a rock, or rebar, but it didn't budge, and took a nice little chunk out of my big toe.

Anyway, you've seen the standard Triathlon Checklists before. They usually have everything you would possibly need, and then some -- things like bug spray, sunblock, hat, body glide, kitchen sink. These are good lists to help you get started with making your own, which is exactly what you should do. Tweak it and make it your own. If you want to bring bug spray, leave it on the list. If not, remove it. No need to sift through that giant list every race.

So I won't offer the perfect checklist here, but I will offer up the Top 10 most common items left behind on race day morning. I'm basing this list off my experiences in the transition area prior to a race. As the race start nears, these are the things I most often hear people asking to borrow, or trying to purchase from a vendor:

1. Race Belt
2. Helmet
3. Goggles
4. Race Sunglasses
5. Hydration/bottles
6. Gels/Fuel
7. Body Glide
8. Bike Pump
9. Spare tube
10. Race Belt

Good luck creating your own list. And remember to double-check the items I listed above. They are sneaky.especially that race belt.

Folly Beach Splash N Dash 2011

The 1st Annual Folly Beach Splash N Dash was held last Saturday, July 16, 2011, at the Folly Beach Fishing Pier. This was a biathlon, consisting of a 750 meter ocean swim and a 5k beach run.

I'm happy to report that I came in 1st place overall. I'm not happy to report that there were only 10 participants.

Where was everybody?
I was blown away at the lack of participants. This event was put on by Setup Events, which always does a great job producing races. The race was advertised on the Charleston Triathlon Club's homepage, not to mention the Setup Events website. It's a short, very doable race, even for beginner and novice athletes. Why only 10 participants?

Instead of trying to figure that out, I'm going to focus on getting the word out for next year's event, that is of course, if they do it again. There used to be a Folly Beach Biathlon years ago, but that event was cancelled after participation dropped below 20 racers. I don't want that to happen again. We need variety. I like having a biathlon option here in Charleston. I love it when new races come to the area. I know we have enough local athletes to support this event, so pencil this race in for next year's race calendar.

And on that note, Setup Events is putting on a new sprint triathlon on Daniel Island August 27. The official name is the LOCO Sprint Triathlon 2011. It's a 750 meter swim (Wando river), 14 mile bike, and 5k run. I believe they have a team division. As of today, there were only 15 or so registered. That's crazy. I know it's a first-year event, but if they don't get the numbers, it will be a one-time race. Let's support these new events and at least give them a chance to gain some traction.

You can register for these events on the Setup Events website.

Recommended Cycling Books

There was a time in my life (during college and just after) that I read veraciously. I was an English major and read everything ever assigned to me, and then some.

Someone would compile a list of the "100 Greatest Classics" or "Books you must read before you die" and I would attack. Post college, I would pick an author and read every title I could for one year (Wolfe, Hemingway, Poe, Dickens to name a few). I even collected books for a few years and built up a nice little collection. I have first editions Conroy, Steinbeck, Clancy, Faulkner, Salinger's 'The Catcher in the Rye,' and even a signed copy of Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird.'

Now, all I read are triathlon/running magazines and cycling books. I don't know what that says about me, but it is what it is.

If you like cycling, or if you're looking for an easy, inexpensive gift for someone who happens to be a cyclist, or Tour de France fan, here are a few recommended titles:

• From Lance to Landis, by David Walsh
• Teach your kid to ride a bike, by Mark Riedy
• Inside the Postal Bus, by Michael Barry
• Chasing Lance, by Martin Dugard
• Tour Fever, by J.P. Partland
• The Death of Marco Pantani, by Matt Rendell
• Bike Racing 101
• The Tour de France Quiz Book

Notice I didn't include Lance Armstrong's 'Every Second Counts' and 'It's Not about the Bike.' Both are great, even if you're not a Lance Davidian. Lots of great insight about racing, the Tour, and other cyclists. But, if you're buying for a cyclist, I'm sure he's read these. It would be like buying Bob Marley's Legend album for a relative because you heard he likes reggae music. Just assume he's read these and select from the above titles.

2011 East Cooper Coastal Triathlon Cancelled

The East Cooper Coastal Triathlon has been laid to rest, officially cancelled for 2011 and beyond. If you're completely bummed by reading that last line, I'm with you, I feel your pain. That was one of my favorite races, and one that I competed in each year since its inception in 2005.

In early January, when I went to the Charleston Triathlon Club website to look at race dates and start planning my season, I noticed this race wasn't listed. I was hoping that race director Paul King had just not found a suitable date, and would put the race back on the calendar once he did, but that is not the case. I live on the same street as Paul, so I see him all the time. I saw him over the weekend and asked if the race was going to happen, and he confirmed that it will not.

We really didn't discuss why, because I could tell he was bummed out as well. My best guess, and this is purely a guess, is that because this race spanned three municipalities, in very busy areas, there were likely complaints from residents. If you've done this race, you've seen how traffic is affected on IOP, and then again on the connector as you near the finish. I'm guessing people complained about the inconvenience it caused them. Again, that is purely speculation.

How did I come to that conclusion? This race was supported by sponsors and had a great athlete turnout. Most races die because one of those two criteria aren't met. In this case, I'm guessing that Bitsy was late to her hair appointment, or old man Cranky was late to his foursome at Patriot's Point, and they called town council, or the mayor, or whomever, and raised hell.

Most triathlons are done out in the country, in a more rural setting, on back roads, with a few police scattered about for traffic control. And there is a reason for that. An urban triathlon is a logistical headache, and everyone, including those who are not racing but live and work in the communities affected, have to be on the same page. Otherwise, it's like fitting a square peg into a round hole. It just won't work.

But whatever the reason, we should focus on the positive and just move on. Last year Paul added a 5th race to the James Island series, which will be held this year on May 22. So really, that void in your race calendar can be filled with another local race.

R.I.P. ECCT, you will be missed.