Tri One On presented by Brickwell Cycling [June 19, 2016]

ByAnthony Chan
At a Glance

At the 20th annual Tri One On sprint in Port Washington, I raced by feel to lead most of the day — but wave starts meant the win came down to the clock, where I was edged into 2nd overall by just 7 seconds.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Result: 2nd overall in 53:28, just 7 seconds behind the winner
  • Splits: 8:20 swim (incl. beach run-up), ~26 min bike, 17:11 run
  • Took the lead within a mile of the bike, racing entirely by feel
  • 500-plus athletes at the 20th annual sprint on Long Island

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Wave starts hide the gaps: leading on course doesn’t guarantee the fastest overall time
  • Race by feel: hiding the watch kept the effort honest and instinctive
  • Small margins matter: 7 seconds decided the win — even sock choice can cost time
  • Thank the organizers: race directors and volunteers make these events possible

The local triathlon community on Long Island and in New York City seems to be growing and it was a pleasure to see so over 500 enthusiastic athletes at the 20th Annual [Gold Coast Triathlon] Tri One On presented by Brickwell Cycling & Mutisports, in Port Washington, NY. Lots of clubs were out there including LITC, City Coach, Tri Latino, MAD Multisports, and Empire Tri. This race is very short comprised of a 500m swim, 10.5 mile bike and 3 mile run. And new for year was the option to race in the duathlon, which replaces the 500m swim with a 1.5 mile run.

First off, I want to thank Race Director Karen Laible and her team of coordinators and volunteers for putting on such a stellar race. A lot of behind-the-scenes preparations and planning goes into the event. Always remember to thank your race director and volunteers!

Also special shoutouts to Brickwell Cycling and Multisports for providing bike and technical support and for sponsoring the race!

Thank you Terry for announcing!

Anthony Chan racing at Tri One On presented by Brickwell Cycling

After providing bike support with Brickwell Cycling during the 2015 edition of Tri One On, I had gained familiarity with the course. The swim was point to point along the shore, followed by two loops of the bike and run.

Fortunately, I was put in the first wave to start the race. We were off shortly after 7:45am. The swim took me 8:20, which included a ~100m run up the beach towards transition. As I entered transition (in 2nd), the guy leading the race had grabbed his bike and was exiting transition. I quickly mounted the Viper and went to town on my legs. Not wanting to know my wattage and race by feel, I kept my watch on my wrist and out of sight instead of placing it on my handlebars. Within a mile, I overtook for 1st position. 26 minutes on the saddle was all that it took to finish the 10.5 mile bike.

Off to the run! Again, I ran based on feel so I was not worried about my overall time. After the first turnaround at mile 1, I spotted Bobby in 2nd position about a minute back. I kept my effort basically the same for the rest of run and clocked 17:11 for the 3 miles, finishing in 53:28.

Because of wave starts, it was uncertain if I had taken the win or if I would be edged out. Unfortunately, the latter certainly happened and I was bumped into 2nd overall by 7 seconds by Ross McGraw of CityCoach. Kudos to Ross for running nearly a minute faster and crushing the course! Another kudos goes to fellow CPTC-NB teammate, Nicole Falcaro for securing a dominating 3-year consecutive win.

Tip: You can shave 7 or more seconds if you opt for running without socks.

Tri One On sprint triathlon wraps up another productive week of training.

Next up is Ironman 70.3 Muncie, Indiana in 3 weeks time. Full race schedule here.

Mark your calendars…June 18th, 2017 will be the 21st-edition of Tri One On.

See you out there!

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