2015 Quantico Sprint Triathlon Race Report and Review

T'was the beginning of August 2015 and I was in search of shorter warmup events for my Priority race in October (Waterman’s Half). I wanted: something local so I wouldn’t have to camp or get a hotel; something cheap, and this wasn’t too bad at $100; an open water swim for practice outside a pool; and an event I’ve never participated in before, preferrrably a non-VTSMTS one, because a majority of my races have been Setup/VTSMTS (including Waterman's) and spreading the wealth felt like a good idea.

The Quantico Sprint Tri seemed like good fit. The 2015 edition of the young Quantico Triathlon race was only the 3rd in its history, and the first that featured an open water swim. The distances were standard: 750m swim, 20k bike, and 5k run, and set up as a fast beginners course with little elevation change, all within the Quantico Marine Corps Base.

The Pre-Race Dinner was scheduled on the eve of the race and was included with the fee. Dinners aren’t often included, so it already left me with a positive feeling about the race and its organization. The tri is set up by the same people who organize the Marine Corps Marathon, a top-notch race in the DC area, so they have to be doing something right. I had to go anyway since packet pickup was mandatory (no race day pickup). I had my fill of spaghetti, baked ziti, garlic bread, and cobbler. The wife came along (her meal wasn’t free since she wasn’t participating) and we sat alongside a couple older female triathletes and a gentleman serving the Norwegian Navy. We each shared our tri experiences, and the two women, who raced the previous year, provided any info they could.

Lesson #1: Register for races that include a pre-race dinner

This race had one cool feature that I haven’t experienced: body tattoos by TriTats. With some water and a helping hand, they were easy to apply,  more visible, and longer lasting than Sharpies as long as you follow the directions. After that and packing everything I needed, I slept at 12:30, woke up at 3:30 to have half a bagel with cream cheese and a big fruit yogurt smoothie (640 kCal, 121g carbs), and promptly returned to sleep.

Lesson #2: Regarding body marking, Tritats > Sharpies

Race Day, I woke up around 5, left around 5:30, and got to the race site at 6am. The water was reported at a balmy 83 degrees. The Potomac River around the OWS are was very shallow, and the river floor was muddy and soggy. A warmup swim didn’t sound appealing so I skipped it in favor of some dynamic stretching. The presence of uniformed personnel and the color guard felt quite patriotic.

The Swim route was generally an out-and-back about 50 yards from the riverbank, with the first leg going with the current and the second going against it. The start waves were split up generally by estimated swim times given by the athlete. Plenty of people must’ve lied about their swim estimates, because I put a time of 13 minutes and ended up in the second wave. In fact, a lady at our table at the pre-race dinner said she didn’t really know and put an estimate of 5 minutes! Regardless, I ended up preferring the second wave. I started at the front of my wave and was able to swim clear of the crowd and even pass some first-wavers in the process. I began the race telling myself I’d take it easy since it’s only a practice triathlon (you'll see how long that lasted), and my swim effort reflected that. Due to the small crowd and my relaxed mindset, it was by far the easiest, most relaxed swim leg I’ve participated in. Coming out of the water, I foolishly dropped my goggles and swim cap, which lost me about 5 seconds. Dumb.

750m Swim Time: 13:35 (1:48/100m)

Lesson #3: Don’t drop things.

Transition 1 was uneventful, which means it was fast and awesome. This was only my second triathlon that I’ve put my cycling shoes on in transition instead of having them already attached to the pedals of my bike. I could’ve achieved a sub-1:00 transition if I did the latter, but it would have slowed my bike a tiny bit. Still deciding which way works best. It’s something I’ll continue to test out throughout the 2015 season.

T1 Time: 1:10

One thing I haven’t been able to learn is the flying bike mount. These tiny things add up, especially in sprints. Maybe it’ll be a goal of mine next year.

Lesson #4: Flying bike mounts would help

The bike began with a bit of bad luck. Less than a mile out of transition, I hit a small bridge whose joints weren't flush with the road, and a bottle on my Minoura saddle bottle holder flew off. (I went back to get it after the race and saw about 5 other bottles around that same area). It was the only bottle with Gatorade in it, too. Nevertheless, I figured I could finish the sprint without those calories anyway. I still had my BTA bottle  (Profile Design ) filled with water. I vowed to scrap those crappy generic plastic Chinese cages for better ones for my next race.

I still had my BTA bottle, the Profile Design Aqualite, another new addition this year. I found through reading and training that putting seran wrap over the top opening but under the cap, and thickening the straw with tape where it interfaces the bottle prevents any spilling. I heard underfilling also works but that's an inefficient use of space. I didn't use the yellow sponge that came with it. The seran wrap would affect the refill feature, but refilling isn't something I was planning on trying during the sprint.

Lesson #5: Don’t drop things (and get better bottle cages)

For the rest of the ride, I felt like I was flying! It was my first race on my Orbea Ordu, and it felt great. My splits were getting faster and faster as I rode along. Parts of the course were a bit technical and, had I known the course a bit better, I’d try to carry more speed out of the turns, but that’s getting picky. Starting in the second wave allowed me to pass more people, and that always motivates me. And I couldn’t stick to the plan of taking it easy during the race. Once I realized I could average over 20mph, I kept pushing. It was a fun ride around the base. As you can see above, my feet were already out of my shoes since I was preparing for a moving dismount.

20k Bike Time: 50:54 (20.63 mph)

Transition 2 didn’t start well either. This time, after my flying bike dismount and as I was running into the transition zone, my bike shoes snapped out of my pedals from hitting the ground. The tension on my pedals weren’t strong enough to hold my shoes. I had to go back and grab my shoes, and lost another 5 seconds. The rest of transition was uneventful (again, a good thing).

T2 Time: 0:51

Lesson #6: Don’t drop things (and tighten tension on the pedals)

The Run started with a climb up an overpass to avoid the railroad, and my legs felt good. The majority of the course was on a gravel path used by OCS candidates, with some generally easy terrain. I had some small cramping and slight knee discomfort around the 2nd mile, so I popped a couple Endurolyte pills to help out. Luckily I had 3 pills in there, because I dropped the first one. Juggling these tiny electrolytes while running is hard work!

Lesson #7: Don’t drop things (but pack extras in case you do)

I still had some energy in the last half mile of the 5k run and my kick at the end gained me a place in the overall standings (I passed that guy on the right in orange and black and ended up beating him by a second).

5k Run Time: 23:49 (7:39/mi)

Finish: 1:15:34
Age Group Rank: 4/40 (top 10%)
Gender Rank: 19/259 (top 8%)
Overall: 20/425 (top 5%)

I beat my previous sprint personal record (2012 Giant Acorn, 1:19:48) by over 4 minutes. I took it easy on the swim portion, but gave it my all during the bike and the run. I never had a faster 20k TT bike ride, in training or in racing, and the 23:49 run was my best race 5k.  Overall, the Quantico Tri turned out to be quite successful. I was a bit bummed that I missed the podium in my AG, but the 3rd place guys beat me by 1:28 and I'm not sure where I could've made up that time. My best 750m swim performance could've shaved a minute off, but I'm not sure how much my bike would've suffered.

I had a fantastic time at the Quantico Tri. It had everything you could ask for: great organization and leadership, a well-marked course, energetic volunteers, and friendly athletes. Their swag included the essentials: a technical shirt and a medal. The dinner was a nice touch. And to top it off, the weather was perfect.

I couldn't have done this without my 1-person fan club: my wife, who woke up just as early as I did, took all these great photos (except that one that she's in up there), and is amazingly patient and supportive of this crazy hobby. And thanks Clever Training, for all the swag they provide their ambassadors. For athletic and tri-related stuff (like that sweet training tee below), visit their website and use code FADULCT10 for 10% off your purchase!